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Soda can be addicting but bad for your health. Here are 13 healthy alternatives to soda and tips that can help you kick the sugar habit
Soda can be addicting, but most people are aware that drinking too much soda can adversely affect their health. Here are 13 healthy alternatives to soda and tips that can help you kick the sugar habit.
13 healthy and refreshing alternatives to soda
- Sparkling water: Sparkling water is a good alternative to soda that has no added sugar but still has enough bubbles to satisfy your need for something fizzy.
- Fruit juice with sparkling water: If you are looking for something bubbly and sweet, try combining fruit juice and soda water. Avoid juice brands that add extra sugar.
- Kombucha: Kombucha is another great naturally fizzy alternative to try. Fermented from green or black tea and full of probiotics that promote healthy gut bacteria, kombucha is both tasty and beneficial to your digestive system.
- Fruit-infused water: Fruit-infused water can help you satisfy soda cravings. Simply add some fruit slices to your water and drink it throughout the day.
- Coconut water: Coconut water can help you overcome your desire to drink something sweet. Make sure to purchase a brand that contains solely coconut water.
- Maple water: Maple syrup contains polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals and is naturally sweet. You can add some to your water to sweeten it up.
- Vegetable juice: Drinking vegetable juice instead of fruit juice can help you reduce your sugar intake and control your soda cravings.
- Milk: Believe it or not, milk is quite sweet. The advantage, however, is that milk is not full of empty calories. In addition to cow’s milk, you can try soy, coconut, rice, or almond milk.
- Coffee: If your primary goal is to avoid soda because of the sugar but you still want the caffeine, switch to coffee. Just make sure to avoid adding sugar or creamers.
- Black tea: Black tea allows you to quit soda without getting a caffeine headache, since it contains a decent amount of caffeine.
- Green tea: Green tea, whether cold or hot, contains somewhat less caffeine than ordinary tea and is high in antioxidants.
- Herbal or fruit-infused tea: You can always add fresh fruits to infuse your teas and make a flavorful drink with no added sugar. Make some ahead of time and store it in the fridge so you don't have to wait to quench your thirst.
- Red wine: Drinking red wine in moderation may be a better option than drinking soda every day. However, make sure to limit your consumption to avoid doing more harm than good.
Why is soda so addicting?
Soda has just the right amount of sweetness, caffeine, and carbonation to get you hooked.
- Sugar: The sugar rush you get from drinking soda activates the same reward areas in the brain as drugs, causing the release of dopamine. However, the dopamine fades nearly as quickly as it arrived, leaving your brain craving more.
- Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant that increases mental alertness and also has the ability to activate reward circuits in the brain that involve dopamine. Caffeine can be very addictive, and those who become dependent on it may experience withdrawal when they don’t consume it regularly.
- Carbonation: Any drink with carbonation can be addicting because the bubbles contain a trace of acidity, which when mixed with sugar heightens the euphoric reward sensation.
- Calcium deficiency: If you are deficient in calcium, the phosphoric acid contained in carbonated beverages can further deplete calcium and magnesium from the bones. This sets off a vicious cycle of hunger followed by depletion.
Why you should find soda alternatives
Soda has been shown in studies to be damaging to your health, increasing your risk of:
- Weight gain
- Dental problems
- Diabetes
- Fatty liver disease
- Gout
- Dementia
- Heart disease
- Cancer
If you train your mind to perceive soda as a toxin, it can be easier to avoid.
How to kick the soda habit
Although cutting back on soda can be difficult initially, the longer you resist sugar cravings the faster your cravings will fade.
Instead of quitting cold turkey, start slow by gradually reducing the number of sodas you drink each week. To combat cravings, stay hydrated, eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
Once you are over your addiction, you can limit soda to rare occasions as a treat.
