Soda will make you POP:

Today my sister and I met up for lunch at House of Hunan in Fairlawn. From time to time we like to catch up over a flight of sushi and today was no different than any other sushi-gorge-fest.

Surprisingly though, my sister who although a decent eater- but by no means a health nut- told me that she realized recently that her headaches and neck pain may be a result of her diet Coke addiction. She has at least two cans a day to "keep her going" but always ends up feeling worse and tired later.

This made my day. My little sister is actually considering cutting out soda-pop! Being a former Pepsi addict myself I know how hard this can be, so I thought maybe a list of how to cope with out your go-to beverage would be a good idea for todays post!


^^this is an image I found that makes me giggle so hard because now I will never not see this again.^^
In case you are interested it came from a 2 week soda free challenge and a lot of the testimonials are very inspirational! check it out here.

My Tips For Weaning Off of Soda-Pop

1) Decide whether or not this is something you are serious about. If you aren't serious about changing, chances are the changes aren't going to be so serious about you. Inform yourself about how much sugar and artificial flavors are in the liquid of your choice.

2) Access the situation. How much soda are you consuming on a daily basis?

3) Don't worry about cutting it out completely at first! It will lead to you feeling stressed out and more likely to reach for the soda-pop you want to cut out in the first place.

4) Find a balance between cutting back, but not feeling like you are missing out. Do you drink 3 cans of soda a day? (I know 3 sounds like a lot, but one of my best friends has at least that much or more a day!) Consider just removing one of those cans a day for a week. Think of the difference even one would make. When that starts to get easier cut back another until you are down to zero!

5) Search for replacements to drink. Of course water would be ideal, but at first you are craving the sweetness and the rush that it gives you. So why not get some organic apple, grape, orange, cranberry juice without added sugar in it? It will be high in sugar because of the fruit, but it won't have all of the crappy weirdo ingredients. You could even dilute the juices with water/coconut water when you start to  completely get rid of your cravings for soda-pop, that way it will be an easier transition to water!

Hopefully this helps out! Good luck in your food adventures, whatever they may be.

Always,
-k