Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Imagine why you want to quit
• Part 2 of 3: Finding a replacement
• Part 3 of 3: Keep an eye on your soda consumption
• Tips
• Warnings

If you drink more than eight glasses of soft drinks a day, instead of eight glasses of water, then it is time for a change. Sweet drinks are a major culprit when it comes to obesity as there are tons of calories in soda. You take in a lot of calories, but you don't feel full. Because diet drinks are also not as healthy as previously believed, more and more people are deciding to stop using soft drinks altogether. Read on if you want to take the step to become healthier and ban soda from your life.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Imagine why you want to quit

1. Decide why you want to quit soda. There could be all kinds of reasons, each of which makes living without a soda an attractive option:
   • get less caffeine
   • get less sugar
   • get less fructose syrup
   • get less carbon dioxide
   • get less artificial sweeteners
   • less acid intake - the phosphoric acid in most dark soft drinks such as cola is bad for the bones and weakens tooth enamel
   • spend less money - if you add up how much money you spend on soft drinks per month, you have enough to start saving for retirement

Part 2 of 3: Finding a replacement

1. Stock up on replacement drinks. Water is the healthiest and cheapest substitute for soda, but if you quit soda all at once and start drinking only water, your attempt may fail. The best way to stop is to take it easy, but be careful. Some fruit juices have even more calories and are more expensive than soda, so you may miss your goal. Here are some possible substitutes:
   • flavored water
   • juice
   • sparkling water
   • spa with fruit juice
   • iced tea or hot tea
   • water with mint and lemon
   • milk substitutes (soy, almonds, oats, rice, etc.)
   • water with stevia (a healthy sweetener)

Part 3 of 3: Keep an eye on your soda consumption

1. Keep track of how much soda you drink. Estimate how much soda you drink each week (this is very important for the next step). Do you drink it at work? Between classes? When you sit in front of the TV? Calculate how many calories you consume per day with just soda; to get an idea of ​​how it affects your weight, you can calculate how many calories you should be eating per day, and how many are already in soda. For many people, this already gives enough motivation to quit this bad habit.
2. Make a schedule to quit. No matter how much soda you drink, drink 25% less the first week, 50% the second week, and so on.
   • Gradually drink more and more to replace the soda.
   • Make sure you are still getting the same amount of liquid, or you may end up dehydrated and make it even harder to quit.
     
     
3. Buy less soda every week. Drinking soda at home usually makes it so much easier. If you don't buy it, you can't drink it.
   • If you often get soda from vending machines, make sure you don't have any change with you. Buy other things from the small change that you still have in your wallet, then you can no longer get soft drinks.
   • If someone else in the house also likes to drink soda, ask if he / she wants to hide it so that you are not tempted. It may sound strange, but it does help.
   • Buy smaller cans or bottles. Then you can reduce the amount you drink more easily. Do not buy 2 liter bottles anymore. Then you automatically start drinking more than you want.
4. Prepare for caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Don't underestimate the addictiveness of caffeine. If you mainly drank cola, you may get a headache if you stop drinking it. You may also feel more tired because you consume less caffeine and less sugar.
5. Do it gradually if necessary. If the symptoms are too severe, change your schedule a bit so that withdrawal is a bit more gradual.
6. Constantly remind yourself what your goal is to make it easier. Write notes to yourself with "Drink water" and stick them where you often see it. Avoid negative messages such as "Don't drink soda". Just tell a three-year-old what not to do to find out why that doesn't work. A sentence that says what not to do makes your brain want to do it!
   • Remember that a 600 ml bottle contains 17 teaspoons of sugar. Fill an empty bottle with that amount of sugar to remind you and place it where you normally drink soda (on the couch, by your desk, etc.).
   • If you normally drink soda cans, find out how many spoonfuls of sugar are in there, put it in a plastic bag, and stick it on an empty can. The sight of that amount of sugar can remind you why you should stop.
     
     
7. Calculate how much sugar is in a particular bottle or can: look at the ingredients list for the number of grams of sugar per serving. If you have scales, weigh that amount of sugar; you can also calculate it if you know that a teaspoon is about 4 grams of sugar. Repeat for every serving in the bottle or can, then you will know how much sugar you are taking in when you have finished the whole bottle or can.

Tips

• Drink water more often. If you always drank soda with dinner, replace it with a glass of water. This is how you start a healthier habit.
• Don't drink energy drinks, as they are just as addictive and unhealthy.
• Buy a refillable water bottle. If you always have a bottle of water with you, that saves a lot!
• If you tend to want to drink soda, do something constructive so that time flies until you're thirsty enough to want to drink water or tea.
• Don't stop overnight. Then you can have withdrawal symptoms. Start by taper off slowly until you are no longer drinking.
• If you feel like sweets, have some fruit or a small biscuit. Fruit is full of healthy nutrients, and even cookies aren't as dangerous to you as soda.
• Remember that it is best to have a glass of soda every now and then. Everything in moderation.
• You can also fill a refillable water bottle with an herbal tea. You don't even have to cook it. Just put a tea bag in cold water and by the time you get to work you will have a delicious, healthy drink.
• Drink carbonated spring water as an alternative. It also has bubbles, but no unhealthy ingredients.
• Decaffeinated coffee can also be a good alternative. Research shows that coffee can be good for your heart if you drink it in moderation.

Warnings

• Although fruit juice is healthier than soda, you shouldn't drink too much of it as it contains a lot of sugar. The sugars in orange juice are better for you than those in soda, but you should drink it in moderation. A piece of fruit is much healthier.
• If you like to drink a sports drink you should also be careful. It is good for you after exercise, but if you have not exercised too many electrolytes are bad for you.
• Everything you between meals by eating or drinking feeds the bacteria in your mouth. When the bacteria have digested the nutrients, they secrete acids on the teeth. That will give you cavities! It is therefore preferable not to drink and eat too much between meals.