"Whether
you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right." ~Henry Ford
Soda, pop, sodapop - you know it's bad for you, right? It's so bad that Congress is talking about taxing it to raise money for healthcare. No joke. That's right - sin tax, alongside cigarettes and alcohol. It won't happen because the beverage companies are too strong - they are arguing that it unfairly taxes poor people. Yup, people with less money don't have enough to contend with already so they have companies foisting unnatural fat drinks on them.
In case you were living under a rock and didn't know that pop is bad, here's a quick rundown of why it is on the MindfulEats Things to Avoid list:
- It's not a whole food. Pop is totally processed - there is nothing natural or nutritious about it. These calories have no redeeming qualities. Even the zero calorie stuff is still unnatural junk.
- It is loaded with sweeteners. In the U.S., most pop is made with high-fructose corn syrup. Even the higher quality pops that are made with sugar are still... made...of...sugar. It'll give you an energy crash, and cavities to boot.
- It can make you fat. Sweeteners make you crave calories. So even if you are drinking the unnatural diet soda that has fewer calories, it will leave you craving food.
Perhaps because of these bad things, pop can be incredible addictive. If you LOVE soda and drinking it makes you ineffably happy, just be moderate. I love junk food, but I've learned to limit it. You can moderate pop. Once you cut back, the intense craving will go away.
What to do - Drink Less Sodapop
- Be mindful of how much pop you drink. Keep a log.
- Cut back on it and drink something else for a couple weeks. Go halfsies - if you have a couple a day, make it one. If it's every day, make it every other day. Drink water, tea, coffee, coconut water, vegetable juice or milk. There's a lot of other things - try to make it unsweetened.
- Buy only the smallest bottle one at a time, and don't keep it in the house. Don't buy gallon or liter bottles! You'll just drink them.
- Cut your consumption in half again. Congratulations! You drank less than you thought possible. Keep cutting back until you have it once a week or less. Your teeth, skin and body will thank you.
What I ate: 10 oz. green juice, 1 latte, 1 grapefruit, 1 cup quinoa, spinach + watercress, 2 bananas, 1 orange, 5 squares dark chocolate, 2 cups coffee, 1 hard boiled egg, 3 oz. Mindful Mix, 2 oz. macadamia nuts, 1/2 slice whole wheat bread + 2T humus, 1T cottage cheese, 1 bowl Barbara's multigrain cereal, 1 cup hot chocolate, 50 oz. water
Exercise: Ran 4 miles
