Jun 09 2008
Kicking the Can
Do you drink Diet Coke? I do. Tons, actually. And I have decided that I do not like this about myself.
I first started drinking Diet Coke in college. It was an “acquired taste” one of my girlfriends told me, and I aimed to acquire it. That didn’t take long. Soon I was drinking several cans a day. I decided to give it up for Lent that first year and was rewarded with the biggest Ash Wednesday headache I have ever had the occasion to “offer up.”
I have also given up Diet Coke when pregnant. Each time I get away from it for a while, I am amazed by the fact that the first sip of the stuff I take after months of being “clean” tastes like … a horrifying mouthful of chemicals. And yet back I go.
I’m not worried about caffeine. In reasonable doses, caffeine is my friend, and you will not convince me otherwise. I will continue to drink caffeine in coffee, but I plan to give up the Diet Coke.
I am mostly concerned about the other stuff in Diet Coke — heroine, maybe? — that keeps me coming back to it. Something about the stuff convinces me that I need it. And not Diet Pepsi or that horrible store-brand cola stuff, I need Diet Coke. That’s just not a good thing.
I don’t like to feel like decisions about what I put into my body are being made by anyone other than me. Besides, there are plenty of people out there who will tell me the health risks of drinking diet soda and even thoughtfully reflect on the reasons why diet drinks are an abuse of your body and an unhealthy approach to physical fitness.
So I figure there’s no time like the summer for kicking the can and drinking water instead. We have an unlimited supply of water from our artesian well and it flows freely from the tap.
So. Here goes.
Technorati Tags: diet coke, diet soda, aspartame, healthy drinking
At different times in my life I too have been addicted to DC. In fact my DC addict friends and I have had discussion about which fast food restaurant has the best DC (McDonald’s) and have jokingly referred to DC as both the source of our happiness and cause of our (mild) health problems. I am currently off my habit thanks to a pregnancy. I swear I won’t go back — but I’ve made that promise before and somehow I always wind up with a case of DC in the basement fridge at about 3 weeks postpartum. Sigh!
Iced tea is supposed to be good for you. Hope that helps with the “edge”.
You can do it!!!!!
I love regular Coke, always have since I can remember…which doesn’t say much for my childhood…I stopped for years due to monetary restraints, but recently started allowing myself one coke a day…it made me think though when I spilled some on the driveway yesterday and it started to eat away the very top layer of pavement…hmmmm…maybe I should go back to saving more money…maybe use the money I save for something I’ve been wanting for a while…that could be a motivation.
I am there with you! I always excuse myself by saying “this is my only vice!” I stop when I am pregnant and limit during nursing…but then I make up for lost time afterwards….lol
I always give it up for lent, because it is the hardest!!! My Granddad who was diabetic always had to drink it instead of coke, so he always told me he would rather me drink DC then real coke.
I love water, but I have to have taste too…..I haven’t found a substitute with out a ton of sugar….any suggestions out there?
I recently gave up Pepsi products after learning that Pepsico supports some groups I find objectionable. Bought Coke instead. Not the same. I find that I’m losing my taste for soda. I’ve been enjoying water, iced tea and lemonade a lot more. WAY more refreshing, too!
“Sun tea” is fun for kids to make.
Just a quick add on – I think I renew my DC addiction when I am trying to lose weight post baby. I usually join Weight Watchers and when I start counting points the Diet Coke – being point free and all – looks really attractive.
Congratulations Danielle, and good luck.
Just think of all the wonderful lessons that you are teaching your children by doing this. Not only are you doing something good for your body and soul, you are teaching your children a very important lesson.
By your example you are teaching them to recognize a disordered behaviour ( and here I mean disordered in the spiritual sense, ie the only thing we NEED is God) but also about where to find the courage and strength to conquer that behaviour. And of course we find those graces in God.
You go Girl!
Cool, Danielle. Clearly, that’s a common addiction. Best wishes on breaking it.
Personally, I never liked the stuff (had to go with the non-diet version); but I’m one of those who’s convinced that soft drinks are pretty bad for you regardless. I think you’re probably right about caffeine not being the issue so much — the main issue, as with all refined carbs, is the body’s exaggerated insulin response (which tends to lead to weight gain and a variety of health problems).
Unfortunately, there’s evidence that this response can be caused even by artificial sweeteners (though the sensitivity varies from person to person).
Anyway, for anyone who may be interested, Gary Taubes’ recent book is well worth reading. I think it stands alone among the many books on diet/nutrition/disease in terms of its scientific quality.
Michele,
Try putting a slice of lime or lemon in your water. Or a veeery thin slice of fresh ginger.
Of course it isn’t the same a sweetened drinks, but the point is to change your expectations, not to just substitute.
I’m with you Danielle. I stopped drinking Diet Coke a couple of weeks ago. I’m starting my mornings with tea these days. And, really, I haven’t missed the coke. Much.
I have no interest in diet Coke but in response to Michelle who is looking for something with taste. I personally like seltzer water (I think Poland Spring Sparkling is the best) mixed about 2/3 water to 1/3 juice. I find that the stronger juices, particularly the real cranberry blends give the most flavor. I know they are more expensive, but they are MY juices and none of the children can have them. Mixing it with bubbly water (or even just plain ice water) makes a bottle last for over a week. Just my 2 cents.
To steal a phrase from yesterday (or yesteryear) – “you go girl!” I’ve cut down to two cans per day, and I think that’s OK (I hope!). While I don’t think DC is chock full of good stuff…I also have doubts (and I’m sure the researchers do too) as to whether it is inherently “bad” for you. I think it’s likely the behavior associated with DC drinkers. I’m wondering that if one were to look at a cohort of people drinking diet sodas what would one find? Probably more people struggling with their weight and struggling to work out. Probably more people using diet soda as a way to save calories in one area, in order to spend them in another. Sort of the chicken and the egg thing. I think weight gain, poor health (even metabolic syndrome) likely came first – and then diet coke came later. Which is not to say that diet soda can’t aggravate the problem. It probably gives people a false sense that they’re doing something good for their health. And, I did read once that people actually crave more sweets when drinking diet sodas. This may just be anecdotal…but it’s certainly true for me!
I think that giving up diet soda (or cutting back) as an overall part of a better approach to health (i.e. better diet, exercise) is great. But probaby – as I’m sure you know – diet soda itself is not the culprit here. It’s sort of just along for the ride.
I have had an addiction to Diet Pepsi for many years. I have quit only to restart a month or so later. I now limit myself to two or three cans per day. I am very ready to give this up. My kids take regular hits off my soda can and they are starting to request their own( I don’t give them their own cans.) I just can’t bring the “stuff” in the house anymore. So, I’m in on this one.
I don’t know how much you go in for weirdo hippy sort of things, but someone suggested I try “brewing” kombucha tea to wean myself off non-Diet Coke. I didn’t have anything to lose, so I tried it and it really cut the cravings like nothing else. I would actually sometimes crave the tea instead of a Coke! The taste is something like carbonated apple cider. It’s very difficult to describe.
Anyway, you’re mileage may vary, but at the least, it would be an interesting homeschool chemistry experiment! It’s easy to google information for directions, and I got my starter from eBay.
Happy Belated Birthday Danielle! A tall glass of water with a slice of lemon can be really refreshing (and has great health benefits)! Congrats on your goal to “kick the can”!
I am so addicted to Diet Coke, but have cut back significantly. I tried to drink just water or water with lemon, but I missed the fizz of the soda. Now I drink a generic brand of lemon-lime selter water that Giant stores sell. It is calorie free, caffeine free, and sodium free. It taste good and I get the fizz!
Michele,
I’m with you — I have to have taste, too! Luckily, I’m not so hooked on soda (or pop) that I feel like I have to give it up. (I probably drink 1 can of regular stuff once every 2-3 days, though I do make a point of having one when eating pizza!)
I’m currently pregnant with my 6th child, and, as usual, my doctor is constantly reminding me to drink more water. (He’s recommending 1 gallon a day!!!!) But I just can’t do it, even with the addition of lemon or lime slices. So I cheat and make decaf iced tea with no sugar, which I’m convinced is really just flavored water. (And please don’t tell me if I’m wrong! Ignorance is bliss!) Sometimes I’ll even toss in a decaf raspberry- or peach-flavored tea bag when I’m brewing my tea, just to give it a different taste.
Best of luck! I am hopelessly addicted to Pepsi. I love the stuff, and crave it, much the way I would think an alcoholic craves their drink of choice.
I know it’s not healthy for my body or my wallet, but I can’t seem to stop!
Please keep us posted! Maybe you’ll inspire me to Kick The Can as well!!
Hi Danielle! A belated Happy Birthday!
I stopped drinking diet Coke, which I was very addicted to, on my dh’s insistence since there may be a link to the aspartame in it and autism. I was stupid in my first pregnancy and drank it throughout. My oldest child is autistic. I know that doesn’t mean anything and there were plenty of other things that probably contributed, but the notion that there’s a link is enough to scare me away.
Good luck!
I talk to so many people who drink Diet Coke, and not any other diet drink, that I am beginning to wonder if there really is something addictive they put in there. I’d have to question the research, a little (I couldn’t link to the second half of the article, if there was one??). Of course he’s just one person, but my dad has been a diabetic for more than 40 years and always took really good care of himself. He drank/still drinks diet soda (I think usually Diet Pepsi) on a regular basis — no more than one can a day, though — and has always been at a completely fit weight. The only thing is, he takes anti-seizure medicine because he experienced some a little more than 10 years ago (in his 60s). We wonder if that isn’t tied in to the NutraSweet/aspartame he’s consumed. No other problems with heart disease or the like, though. I also have to wonder why so much attention is paid to diet soda, when there are a whole host of other things with preservatives and dyes and all that we put into our bodies that are probably equally bad for us.
All right, Danielle. I’m sufficiently impressed and equally inspired. I have actually been giving this some serious thought (last effort lasted 27 hours, I think) and knowing you are doing this makes me think I should try too!
I agree – sometimes I just need flavor! I am now hooked on Vitamin Water. It’s delicious, and while not as healthy as plain water, I’m hoping it’s better than soda pop.
I gave up DC cold turkey almost 2 months ago. I’ve been addicted to the stuff since childhood because it was my mom’s drink of choice. I agree that going back to it makes you realize how yuck it is, but still, I kept at it.
I have two very specific situations in the lives of people I love that need lots of prayer for a long time. One day it hit me that giving up DC would be an incredible way to pray for these people. That was it. I never went back. Now when I crave it, I pray for my precious friends.
So proud…my MIL is also working on this…she drinks a LOT less than she used to. I have also noticed that of all the diet drinks, Diet Coke seems to be the one most people are “addicted” to. I’m glad that I can’t stand it.
Good luck, Danielle! I recently cut down my DC habit to one can a day and sometimes not even that, so I am pretty darn proud of myself. I am not sure I am ready to absolutely and completely give it up……..
When I was drinking it a ton more in college, I gave it up completely once for Lent myself and I think the withdrawal headache lasted the ENTIRE Lent. That was darn rough.
My best to you! I know you can do it!
Way to go, Danielle!
To add to what others have said:
A woman I worked with went nearly completely blind. The reason for the blindness? Her doctors blamed aspertame. Fortunately, after a number of months of being off of it, she did regain most of her sight. The doctors had said it was possible that she wouldn’t have regained it at all. Can you imagine?!
I pretty much stick to products containing splenda or water. Anyone heard anything negative about splenda? I know that the whole sweeter than natural thing exists, but that is a matter of proportion – you use 1/2 the amount as you would sugar.
Good luck, Danielle. Peace. ~~~mary
Good luck! I was a huge Diet Pepsi drinker until I got married – my husband is a giant DC fan. Not wanting to spend money on two different flavors, I “gave in” and became just as big (if not more so) a DC addict. I knew I needed to ditch this addiction. Easier said than done . . . however, whenever we went out to eat (not often with the 6 kids), I almost always chose iced tea. I love it – when it’s BREWED. I can’t stand the sweetened, bottled or mixed teas. YUCK!!!! Too sweet for my liking. My uncle turned me onto a brewed blend. You can experiment and see which flavors you like best. I brew a 12 cup pot of Lipton Red Tea with Harvest Strawberry and Passion Fruit, add it to a gallon container, brew another 12 cup pot of Luizianne (specially blended for Iced Tea), fill the remainder of the container (if needed with water), shake and thoroughly enjoy with ICE. YUM!!!! It’s sweet – but not too sweet. Fat free – 0 calories, no carbs. I just use my cleaned coffee maker. I won’t buy a special “iced tea” maker as it looks pretty identical to the coffee maker to me. I’m hooked and my DC habit is GONE! Something to consider anyway . . . good luck!!!
Love this topic! I have been wondering for a while how to move on from DC. I mean, really, do I NEED it? Anyway, I love the suggestion of sparkling water/juice. Certainly not as easy or cheap as grabbing a can but worth trying.
You go, girl!
Diet Coke has a hold on me, too. I am trying to wean myself slowly, but I think cold turkey might be a better way to go.
I’ve been making sun tea; so far, so good. I’ve been using my plain black tea bags, but may switch to some different teas if I get bored (there are some Tazo ones that make great iced tea).
Today I bought a package of 100 bags of black tea. It should make 20 jugs of sun tea for less than the price of one 12-pack of Diet Coke.
Diet Coke makes me eat more. We have pretzels with lunch several days a week. I always eat more of them when I have Diet Coke with lunch. There’s something about that salty snack/Diet Coke combination.
Good luck!
AHH! Dr. Pepper is my vice! Can’t even tell you how many empty calories I consume in a day! I was thinking of doing the same thing this summer, but haven’t been able to actually make myself do it! I am afraid of the headaches I know I’ll have for a few days! Once again, you inspire me more than you know! I’ll go have another Dr. Pepper and consider joining your mission!
I don’t drink any type of soda. If I do, I get a bladder problem (a curse and a blessing). However, I’m addicted to coffee (half-caff.) so I know the feeling. Now I know you are not overweight…..but perhaps this article will give you some inspiration to “kick the diet soda habit”.
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/371/skip-the-diet-soda/
To Mary-about splenda… Dr .Mercola has a number of articles concerning splenda. He also discourages any soda drinking. (http://mercola.com) Good luck Danielle, and you others.
Iced tea is the way I kicked the can.
God Bless!
Ever wonder why you are addicted? My best guess is that the companies want you to “think” you need it and keep coming back – so yes it is addictive (and I don’t think it’s just the caffeine). I gave up Coke in an effort to get my crabby baby to be calm. It helped although I’m back at it again and I agree completely that one sip after being gone, tastes awful but it sure doesn’t stop one from continuing. Hopefully this will give all of us a good reason to quit too! Thank you!
I finally gave it up with my 4th pregnancy. That baby is now almost 1. I finally realized that every can made my stomach growl like a lion and I began to eat uncontrollably. It’s a weird reaction that not everyone has, but for me, it made for massive, uncontrolled food consumption. Best of luck~
Wow, good luck!
Also, I’d be interested to know if you find that you crave sweets / carbs any less once you give up Diet Coke.
I read somewhere that since diet drinks cause an insulin spike but there’s no sugar for the insulin to put into the cells, your body gets the message to go eat something sugary to give the insulin something to do. I figured there wasn’t much to it…until I realized that the only time in my life that I ever had a major candy/sweets addiction was when I drank Diet Coke regularly.
Anyway, I have no idea if you regularly crave sweets now, but if you do I’d be interested to hear if you notice a change there.
Best of luck!
I learned in a Psych of Addiction class that the body gets over the physical addiction much quicker than the mind gets over the emotional attachment.
When someone quits smoking, the nicotine addiction is not nearly as painful as not having a cigarette to smoke anymore, as breaking the habit of doing it, not so much “it”. Does that make sense?
Being a smoker is like being in a club, you go outside at certain times and see people there; you have a cigarette after a meal; you smoke while you have your first cup of coffee; you light a cigarette during a tense meeting or confrontation–those are the things that do in a habitual smoker (drug taker, soda drinker, gambler, etc.)
You can do it, Danielle! I gave up soda when I was pregnant for the first time 5 years ago. I was a two a day girl – one in the am and one after lunch. I have never gone back except for a Sprite or something with pizza. Just carry a water bottle with you and take a swig whenever you used to have your DC. I have to say that if I ever take a sip of my husband’s DC my teeth and mouth just feel terrible afterward and I’m reminded why it was good to stop in the first place. I’ve been off caffine entirely for 5 years and I’m thankful. Just get it out of the house – convenience will become your undoing! Good luck!
Never had an addiction to DC, but have an addiction to coffee. Evidently I am caffeine sensitive because I never drank more than one cup a day, but if I didn’t have it, I went haywire. Anyway Danielle, may I suggest you make a pitcher of peppermint tea? It is so refreshing in the hot weather. put a little lemon in it to give it that really special flavor. I make it in the fridge. To each pitcher of water I add 2 or 3 peppemint tea bags. Let it sit for a few hours, remove the bags and it’s ready to go! I’ll be praying for you Danielle, this is not going to be easy for you. I know many people who are or were addicted to DC.
Jennifer — to add to your comment… this is a simplification, but excessive insulin causes the body to sweep glucose from the bloodstream into fat cells for storage, making the glucose unavailable to the rest of the body for energy and leading to hunger. Thus, excessive insulin production (commonly caused by regular consumption of sweeteners and other refined carbs) can make you hungry while simultaneously tending to cause weight gain.
two suggestions to take the “edge” off. i love crystal geyser (sp?) sparkling water with lime or orange (don’t like the lemon version.) also, try pellegrino sparkling water with a slice of lime in it. much healthier versions of the “soda” addiction. i gave up diet coke long ago when my kids started to ask me for soda. i do drink it once in a while…like once a month if we stop at carl’s jr or something. but i don’t want cans of soda in the house for my kids to bug me about.
My friend from Sweden adds sliced cucumber to her water. Very refreshing and oh so different.
I, unfortunately, when I was pregnant with my now 2yo daughter started drinking Code Red Mountain Dew. My OB told me when pregnant and if you get a migraine to take 2 tylenol, 1 Benadryl and 1 Mountain Dew. Needless to say, I didn’t like the taste of regular Mountain Dew so I tried the Code Red (cherry flavored) now I’ve been buying it fairly regularly and I drink one at lunch for my “pick me up”. That’s it, one a day, (sometimes not EVERY day) but now I seemed hooked!
I think it’s great that you’re wanting to do this. I’ve felt pretty much the same way about my Diet Pepsi for years. Once I calculated how much that my husband and I have spent over the last 20 or so years on pop at the rate of two cans a day per person (which is likely a low estimate) It was several thousand dollars.
Michelle, I am addicted to Vitamin water too! Especially the orange. calcium+vitamin C. Very refreshing.
I have never been addicted to any diet sodas. Yuck. But, when I was working as an English tutor at a Community College during my senior year in High School, I always had to have a huge orange crush at my side. I gave it up that lent (SO HARD to do!) and never went back.
It’s the fizz, I’m convinced. It feels so refreshing, until I drink it all, and then I just feel full and bloated.
I don’t keep soda in the house. My 5 kiddos love it, and I can’t have that battle every day. (we have enough battles around here lol) We do buy it for special occasions, but only the non-caffeinated stuff.
Good Luck, Danielle!
Good for you. I am a former addict. I only drink it socially now. I am lucky that the occasional drink is enough. Not buying it for home consumption helps.
Do you ever find that you just want something carbonated? Aside from the caffeine, which you eventually come to need, there’s something about those bubbles that make it go down easy in large quantities.
Word to the wise: do not start drinking McDonald’s Iced Coffee. I’m sure it contains crack cocaine or something.
I drank Diet Coke when I was young and foolish, and only for a little while. Now I drink regular Coke (and not Pepsi or store brand yucko stuff) on occasion. When I get a hankering for it, I substitute unsweetened iced tea, using my yummy English PG Tips. That satisfies my urge for “more than plain old water”.
Good luck kicking the DC habit…there are tons of good reasons to kick it! Something that might help is to fast from it for a special intention…one of the kids or your husband (or for my husband!). For me, fasting is ever-so-much easier than just not having.
Diet Coke has never appealed to me; I think Diet Pepsi has much more flavor! Sorry, you die hard Coke fans! I keep DP around for a couple of reasons……I only drink it occasionally (a can or two a week) when I really need a hit of caffeine. I do not drink coffee, never have, and somewhere around mid-winter I really need a hit of caffeine during my long home schooling days. Not every day, just now and then when I’m dragging mid-morning. I’m a faithful morning exerciser and afternoon napper, but I’m still the mother of nine home schooled kids and at age 43 just don’t have all the energy I need sometimes. I wish I could have caffeine intravenously sometimes!
The other reason DP is sometimes soothing to me is what someone else mentioned – the feel of the carbonation on my throat. If I have a sore throat, it just soothes it like nothing else – cold and bubbly.
We keep the cans in the “other fridge” and the kids know it’s off limits. Period. They can have pop at parties, or when we eat out, etc. Mom’s pop is for medicinal purposes
.
I have been telling my older kids that we need to try “sun tea” this summer – we have a great bed of mint that has somehow come up in our yard. It smells so lovely and reminds me of days long ago when we’d take a big glass jar and put water, tea bags, and mint leaves in it and put it on the deck in the sun all day. I don’t think we even needed to add sugar to it. So maybe I’ll try that over the summer instead of the DP.
There are so many great replies here! Thanks to all who gave me great advice on what else to drink
I have a friend who recently had that surgery that makes your stomach the size of a walnut. One of the post surgery guidelines is that she is NEVER allowed to drink any soda for the rest of her life. No joke. She said the carbonation stretches out your stomach. Perhaps this is why most of America is overweight – carbonated drinks have stretched our stomachs, making it take us longer to feel full!
I’ve been trying to get to my goal weight for months, and I occasionally go on DC-free spurts. Nothing has helped me steer clear of soda more than the thought of my stomach stretching out with each sip! Call it vanity, but it has kept the temptation under control!
Congratulations on giving up the DC–and good luck in keeping that resolve! It’s gonna be hard–what isn’t??–but well worth it in the end! Water is the best–with a slice of lemon or lime (or both–my personal fave!!) or even just splashes of lemon or lime juice! Herbal teas are wonderful hot or cold (iced). The current green tea craze is satisfying, too–my 27 year-old son got me hooked on that!! And there is always lemonade and limeade in their infinite variations (strawberry, raspberry, etc….). There are probably myriad other suggestions, these are but a few to get you started and to use as a jumping off point. Water is the best, iMHO, though–most anything else can leave you thirstier than you started out, and less refreshed! You CAN do this–and MUST for your health and well-being–you’ve got kids depending on your being around for a VERY long time! Keep us posted on your progress!! Good luck!–Diane
I was always led to believe that the carbonation in soft drinks takes calcium from your bones; but I checked it out and found this information. It’s not the carbonation, but there are still bone consequences from drinking sodas:
“. . . it is a common misconception that carbonation pulls calcium from your bones. . . It’s actually the phosphoric acid that many sodas contain, and possibly the caffeine, which have consequences for the calcium levels in the body. In general, only dark cola drinks contain both phosphoric acid and caffeine, while the iridescent green ones have just caffeine, and the clear citrus sodas and seltzers include neither.
“The negative effect of phosphoric acid on bone health is pretty well established, especially in children. Quite a bit of research has concluded that cola drinks consumed by kids seriously increase the likelihood of fractures, while consumption of non-cola carbonated beverages do not. Most of this research was done on pre-teen or teenage girls and the effect was considerable even when consumption was less than one cola per day. Toward the other end of the time-line, similar studies of postmenopausal women have almost equivalent findings. The issue of caffeine versus calcium levels, however, is not quite so clear-cut. . .”
( By Dr. Ed Rabin, chiropractor at:
http://edrabin.blogspot.com/2005/11/hop-on-pop-carbonation-and-bone-health.html )
You should put all the money you save in some kind of fun fund. IMO, it will be easier to kick the habit if you have some tangible reward to look forward to.
I have to treat diet cola like an recovering alcoholic treats alcohol. I can’t have a drop. I was drinking almost 2 liters a day. Caffein-free diet Coke or Pepsi. I don’t know what makes the darn thing so addicting but it sure is. I gave it up when I got pregnant. Then after losing the baby, I never started back. Now I drink tons of water. Occasionally I’ll drink a homemade smoothie or a smoothie I get from the gym. All fruit/juice with protein powder thrown in. Sometimes with non-fat vanilla yogurt. I’m not thin. I’m just trying to get thin. (smile).
Good luck, Danielle. It’s not easy. Lord knows I couldn’t give it up until I got pregnant. It’s better without the stuff.
Why not try Sr.Pat’s novena ?
I know “it’s only soda” but it has become a problem and an addiction for you.
It might take awhile BUT you will be happy with the end results.
Peace
Diet Coke is your biggest “vice?” Mine too. So what? The funny thing is, when I was pregnant, I couldn’t stand the sight of it so it was no big sacrifice. I drink the caffeine free and would not trade it for Diet Pepsi or anything else. What’s a little treat now and then? It’s not like you drink 17x/day, do you? Me either, only 2. :0)
I used to work for the Coke company many years ago. I am not using my real name for obvious reasons. To begin with, diet drinks are more harmful to you than regular softdrinks. People seem to think that because it is “diet” it is less harmful, not true. The reverse is what occurs. Diet drinks do far more harm to your system than regular softdrinks.
as for diet coke itself. Yes, it is highly addictive although the company would never admit it. It is not that any addictive item has been placed in the drink. It is the way the drink is made that makes it addictive. First off, it is literally saturated in caffine and the syrup that is used to make it is like molasses, literally. these two conditions plus the high content odf sugar or artificial sugar makes this product very highly addictive.
If you as a person like softdrinks, you should try sasparilla. It is good for you and it is not addictive plus it tastes wonderful. What you may ask is sasparilla. It is Root Beer. I drink this myself and you know, I can take it or leave it. some days I have one or two and then I can go for days without it.
I can not stand the taste of DC, so it is not a problem for me. I don’t drink any carbonated drinks, just unsweet iced tea, which I brew myself, and enjoy very cold and also with lemon, but it isn’t required. My friend, who has been drinking DC for years, has recently decided that this is the cause of her weight gain and not being able to lose. She has never liked to drink water her entire life, but now is adding the Crystal Light flavors that are for one bottle of water. I have not tried any of these, but she seems to enjoy it very much.
Good luck, Danielle, with kicking your DC habit.
I stopped buying DC some time back but always drank it when out to eat – especially at McD – free refills. Recently I got hooked though on McD’s Sweet Tea – $1.00 for a large in an insulated cup – great for those hot ball games. But now all my kids want one too. Why did I even let them taste it??!
I need to make up a batch of spiced ice tea – simmer with cinnamon sticks/ whole cloves, sugar. mmmm
There was a lady on TV last night who had to have all her teeth removed in her mid 30s from constantly drinking lots and lots of Diet Coke – I think it was due to the sugar content – so good luck with the giving up! Every time you think about having a Diet Coke, think about having to take your dentures out every night before going to bed!
Good for you, Danielle! Hang in there…
I have to tell you that aren’t alone — but we can already see that from the practically billions of replies you’ve received. Many years ago I had a friend who was a Third Order Secular Franciscan. Her addiction was Pepsi and she absolutely HAD to have it. On camping trips one would think that cans of liquid might be a bit heavy to cart along. Nope. Not only did she take them in her back pack but she stood one up right beside her sleeping bag at night. First thing in the morning it was down the hatch with the Pepsi! Oh…ugh!
Try the mandarin orange seltzer!!
SPARKLING WATER. It will heal your DC Blues (literally [I'm pretty sure that's the correct usage of "literally"
]) I just posted on Rachel’s blog that my personal favorite, and who can argue this, is Pellegrino. But budget’s tend to not allow this one on a regular basis. La Croix is a wonderful, cheaper substitute, especially the lime one, and Poland Springs is cheaper still (but not quite as good). A great way to pep up your water and make it delicious and not so blah!
[...] I give up diet coke for a while? Should I give it up for good? Danielle Bean, another blogger, gave it up for the [...]
Thanks for the post. I had decided to post this before finding yours.
Are you back on Diet Coke?
Interesting, well worth reading.