There are plenty of health reasons for excluding soda from your diet, but you don't need to miss out on that refreshing taste in the process. Here are some great healthy alternatives to those typical store-bought brands.
Why You Should Consider Ditching The Soda
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Plastics
It has long been known that plastics are having a devastating effect on the environment. Plastic pollution like plastic bottles and bottle tops are some of the most common forms of plastic pollution that end up in aquatic ecosystems and shorelines across the globe. Cutting out your consumption of store-bought soda in plastic containers can help change this for the better.
Weight Gain
Soda lacks any real nutritional value and any calories it has only come from sugar. Furthermore, don’t be tricked into thinking that diet soda is any better. Diet sodas still contain loads of chemicals and artificial sweeteners and may not even make any difference in terms of weight gain.
Sugar Overload
An average can of soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than six teaspoons of sugar per day, and men no more than nine. Sugar in soda products is sometimes derived from high fructose corn syrup, which might be harder for your body to metabolize when compared to regular cane sugar.
Staying Hydrated
A nice cold can of soda may hit the spot on a hot day, but the caffeine in most popular brands will act as a diuretic. Diuretics cause your body to release more water through urination, which only leads to further dehydration. Plus, the higher levels of sugars and sodium in soda will only increase your thirst.
Teeth
Speaking of sugar, the high levels of processed sugar in soda is not going to do any favors for your teeth and gums. Long-term consumption of soda promotes tooth erosion and significantly increases the risk of cavities. These issues with your teeth could then inflame your gums leading to gum diseases like gingivitis if left untreated.
Best Ways To Stop Drinking Soda
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Shaking off that satisfying rush of cold bubbles and sugary flavor is not as daunting as you might think. Even if you drink soda every day, the transition to healthy soda alternatives is probably not as difficult as you would imagine, especially if you opt to make your own healthy soda alternatives at home.
Here are a few simple tips to help you get there:
1. Fight The Urge
If you feel like drinking a soda, go for a big glass of water instead. In most cases, once you have quenched your thirst naturally, the craving for a sugar-saturated soda quickly wanes.
2. Avoid Soda Entirely
If those cravings for a soda hit you, try to focus on something else. Take the dog for a walk, run a bath, or indulge in some hobby or pastime that will shift your mind elsewhere. Of course, not having it handy in your home or close by at your place of work will also minimize the temptation.
3. Avoid Getting Hungry
Hunger acts as a major influence on cravings and this includes your cravings for soda. Making sure you get your three nutrient-rich meals per day will alleviate some of this for you. Preparing your meals in advance will add some further regularity to your routine and you will be less likely to fall into the habit of opting for a quick sugar fix.
4. Choose A Natural Sweet Treat
Sugar cravings are incredibly common and the near-irresistible urge to drink soda can be warded off easily by opting for a sweet alternative like organic fruits or some organic yogurt. Just remember to forego heavily-processed and sugary fruit juices: they may offer slightly more nutrients, but their high added sugar content disqualifies them from being a healthy soda alternative.
Healthy & Sustainable Alternatives To Soda
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Just because you have now given up drinking soda, it doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of that refreshing kick when you need it. There are plenty of healthy low-calorie soda alternatives that you can make yourself that will definitely hit the spot.
1. Tap Water/Filtered Tap Water
It might sound boring, but the easiest and most obvious go-to when it comes to quenching your thirst is water. Nothing beats Mother Nature on those hot days you can keep your reusable water bottles nicely chilled in your refrigerator. US water quality is some of the best and safest in the world, but if you live in an older residence where aging piping might be a concern or you have an issue with treated tap water, you can pick up a water filter system cheaply and easily.
2. Fresh Juice & Smoothies
Whether you prefer good old-fashioned orange juice freshly squeezed at home or a nutritional banana smoothie, there really is no limit to what you can whip up in your own kitchen. A decent blender or juicer is good for almost anything – from refreshing berry and banana shakes with a dash of yogurt to apple, peach, carrot, or citrus juices.
3. Infused Sparkling Water
Get your hands on some bottled sparkling water (in something other than single use plastic) and just add a few slices of your favorite organic fruits for a fantastically satisfying soda substitute. Simple!
4. Kombucha
Kombucha has been quite the sought-after health alternative to soda for a few years now. You can even brew this delicious probiotic tea easily at home. The key to brewing kombucha is finding a good SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) to ferment your tea with. To find one, try hitting up sites like Craigslist; many people will be happy to give away their surplus SCOBY, quite often for free.
5. Ginger Water
Freshly made ginger water using organic ginger is a perfect morning pick-me-up and refreshing drink at any time. Full of beneficial vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, and vitamin C, ginger water is a great alternative to soda. You should give this great ginger water recipe a try.
6. Water Kefir
Much like kombucha, you can source kefir grains on Craigslist from someone trying to unload their surplus. Packed full of healthy probiotics, kefir water is best served chilled, and you can even add your favorite organic fruits or berries for added flavor and sweetness.
7. Cucumber & Mint
Fantastic in the summer months especially, this simple and healthy alternative to soda can be mixed up in next to no time. Just grab some fresh organic cucumber and mint leaves, slice, and let the ingredients infuse into your water. Serve it chilled or on ice for that added refreshing hit.
8. Fruit Tea & Herbal Tea
There is a veritable universe of organic fruit teas and herbal teas out there to explore – delicious served hot or cold – and every one of them is an excellent healthy alternative to soda. Given that you are truly spoilt for choice, finding your favorite tea should be easy. If you’re looking for a place to start, try making sage tea, cinnamon tea, or dandelion tea. To help support the environment, don’t forget to use your own DIY tea bags!
9. Sparkling Green Tea
There are several companies producing sparkling green tea, but it’s easy to make your own at home. Green tea mixed with sparkling water has much less sugar than soda and provides all the health benefits that green tea is renowned for.
10. Coconut Water
Though not free of calories, this natural beverage is still a much healthier choice than sugary soda. Unfortunately, many bottled brands available at the store can be expensive, but you can try sourcing real coconuts from a local supplier, if available, and extract your own fresh coconut water at home. Plus, you get to eat the rest of the coconut!
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