8 Effective Tips for Those Who Want to Stop Drinking Soda
Tips for Those Who Want to Stop Drinking Soda, We already said that the average American consumes 17 teaspoons of sugar every day. To get a more dramatic effect, pour 17 spoons of sugar into a bowl and compare the results. Your next thought will be, “How on earth did I eat that much sugar?”
Hidden sugars in low-fat yogurt, cereals, muesli bars, sauces, preservatives, spreads, and other goods that are frequently perceived as “healthy meals” are the number one source of sugar.
Source #2 is much more devious because it is the most convenient to consume: a variety of beverages, ranging from juices to soda. And the latter’s usage numbers are frightening. In the years 2011-2014, 6 out of 10 teenagers (63%) and 5 out of 10 adults (49%) consumed a sugar-sweetened beverage on any given day. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sugar-sweetened beverages provide 143 calories to children and 145 calories to adults in the United States.
Consider a glass of water with 9 teaspoons of sugar in it. This is how much sugar is in a can of soda. Consider what you’d get if you drank it every day.
The consequences of daily soda consumption are dramatic: increased risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, visceral obesity, and mood swings, to name a few. If this introduction has piqued your interest and you’re wondering how to stop drinking soda, you’ve come to the perfect place!
You may have already heard of many methods for quitting soda consumption. There’s a full list here! You can use all of them or mix and match as you see fit. Always keep in mind that your body and well-being are your primary concerns, and you should approach with caution:
1. Take your time.
If you’re an adult, you’ve probably tried to break a number of undesirable habits by now. When it comes to breaking a bad habit, one of the first things that come to mind is to literally burn all the bridges. We have this ingrained belief that quitting soda cold turkey is the best way to do so. But, to be honest, it isn’t. This technique is outmoded in general, as evidenced by various facts. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 90% of people who have alcoholism relapse within four years of finishing treatment. Bad habits and addictions are tenacious and quick to counterattack. Caffeine withdrawal is just as brutal and ruthless. This is why it is preferable to take your habit rehabilitation one step at a time. You’re not in a hurry here. Otherwise, you risk falling into a vicious cycle of abstinence and soda binge, followed by guilt and repetition.