Effective Tips for Quitting Soda

Drinking excess soda can lead to unwanted weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure and tooth decay.

Just one 12 oz. can of cola contains 139 calories, all of which comes from sugar. While that may not seem like a lot, consider this: liquids don’t make you feel full. Plus, the calories from soda provide zero nutritional benefit.

Of course, quitting soda is a great way to improve your health. But the combination of caffeine, carbonation and sugar can make quitting hard. That’s because soda is formulated to stimulate your brain’s dopamine response—enough to trigger cravings.

 

Tips to quit

Thankfully, there are methods you can use to transition away from soda.

1) Start by reducing the amount of soda you drink. For example, if you average two cans per day, aim for just one can per day. Then down to half a can per day.

2) If you drink soda for the caffeine content, try switching to coffee or tea. Doing so can help ease your soda-free transition.

3) Start doing simple exercises, like walking, and pay close attention to how being soda-free makes you feel. It might help to start a soda-free journal to keep track of your progress.

4) Another strategy is substituting another beverage for soda, such as sparkling water or seltzer. If you normally drink soda during a meal, try replacing it with sparkling water.

5) Going caffeine free may help you quit because it eliminates the need to drink soda just for the caffeine.

 

The Online Health Coach

Quitting soda is a big step toward taking charge of your health, and FEP has the tools to help you along the way. The Online Health Coach is a great resource to use to set goals, create a plan and stay accountable.

 

Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30889593/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31034345/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-ways-sugary-soda-is-bad-for-you