Alternatives to Soda

I remember when I was a kid, my mother would buy soda by the case; regular for me (usually Pepsi or Mountain Dew), and diet for her and Dad.  With a little help from my friends, I could plow through about a case of soda per week, no problem.  Blech!  No wonder I was always sick as a teenager!  I don’t think I ever drank a glass of just plain old water.

Today, a month away from being 35 years old, I haven’t had a soda in nearly a year.  At first, the idea seemed impossible.  What, no soda?  Why would I do that?  I drank diet soda most of the time, anyway, so it wasn’t like I was consuming a bunch of calories.  But then I started learning about soda - in all it’s varieties - and I realized that if I wanted to live a healthy life, it was something that needed to go.

Instead of overwhelming myself - “I will never drink soda again” - I decided that I would treat it as an experiment - “Let’s see how long I can go without a soda.”  And now, here I am, almost a year later, and I don’t even really miss it.  My body can definitely tell a difference now that I have eliminated it from my diet.  

But eliminating soda can be the biggest challenge for the people I am helping to lead healthier lifestyles!  Many don’t even notice how many sodas - regular or diet - they are drinking per day!  So many people never even consume ONE SINGLE GLASS OF PLAIN WATER PER DAY, much like I did as a teenager.  If it hasn’t already, it WILL catch up with you.  Here are just some of the evils of soda:

So what are you to do if you can’t force yourself to simply guzzle water all day?  Here are some healthier alternatives for you:

1. Sparkling water: this is a distant cousin of soda, without all the nastiness.  It is simply fizzy water, and many varieties come with natural flavors (my favorite is La Croix).  But be warned:  it is NOT sweet, and as a soda drinker, you have built up an immunity to sweetness, so this lightly flavored fizz may come as a shock to you.  But give it a chance; try a few flavors.  If it STILL isn’t sweet enough for you, try #2.
   
2. Sparkling water + juice:  This isn’t something I recommend drinking all day, but it can be a nice change from plain old water.  You can also adjust this to your taste; you will get the bubbles of soda along with some sweetness from the juice.  One of my favorites:  8 oz of lime sparkling water with 4 oz of fresh squeezed (or 100% store bought) orange juice.  If you are using store bought juice, just make sure you are reading the labels for added ingredients and sugar, and that you are being cognizant of your juice-to-sparkling-water ratio.  Other good combinations:  coconut La Criox with 100% pineapple juice, lemon sparklin water and apple juice, and berry sparkling water with grape.
   
3. Infused water:  This is probably the healthiest and least complicated alternative.  Basically, you add fruit, herbs, or a mixture to regular drinking water.  You can throw all the ingedients in a mason jar and let sit overnight, or you can get an infusion pitcher or water bottle.  If you do the pitcher or bottle, I recommend refilling with water when it is half-empty to give the water time to absorb the flavors; I have kept the same fruit in my infusion pitcher for 5-7 days.  Yummy combinations:  strawberries and basil, raspberries and mint, and lemon and rosemary.
   
4. Green tea:  Hot or cold, green tea has too many benefits to mention; it boosts immunity, destroys the “hungries,” and tastes pretty good, too!  I have grown accustomed to drinking it plain, but if you MUST have some sweet, add a DAB of raw honey.  If you usually drink soda for a caffeine boost, this might be your new best friend.
   
5. Plain old java:  I just don’t know how people live without coffee.  Not me, baby.  I gave up soda,  but I have no intentions of letting go of my java.  So forgive me if I begin to wax poetic here.  Coffee is SUBLIME.  I’ve learned to drink it black, and without creams or sweeteners to mask the flavors, quality black coffee is DIVINE.  But if you must have SOMETHING akin to cream, unsweetened vanilla almond milk helps.  If you MUST have some sweet, a DAB of pure maple syrup will go a long way.

If you like iced coffee, then you can’t go wrong with either an iced mocha or iced vanilla

Shakeology:

8-12 oz cold coffee

1 packet or scoop Chocolate OR Vanilla Shakeology

1 tsp pure maple syrup

Handful of ice

Mix all ingredients in a blender.  Enjoy!

You CAN fix the soda fix!  Within weeks you should notice weight loss, a reduction in sugar cravings, clearer skin, and better sleep!  What do you have to lose?  Why not “experiment”?  And while you are at it,

BE FIERCE!