Drink This, Not That…
Drop the soda. Drop the sweet tea. Drop the juice. And never drink the Kool-Aid!
*This is brought over from my previous blog site.*
Coca-Cola, Pepsi, sweet teas, fruit juices (yes, I said fruit), and every other sugar-laced drink you can think of line the grocery store shelves. That fizzy, syrupy goodness speaks to a lot of us with those tiny bubbles that tickle our noses, and whisper sweet nothings straight from the can, and/or that jolt of caffeine that gives you a boost at the end of a day when you need it most. Like many things that aren’t good for us, these drinks are EVERYWHERE and a lot of us consume them often and regularly. Companies want you to spend money on their products, so they spend time and energy making them look as appetizing and refreshing as possible. After all, they’ve become part of American tradition.
But if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain a healthier lifestyle with more energy, then these are probably one of the first things you need to cut out of your diet because for something so heavily publicized and utilized, they’re partly responsible for rising disease in this country (diabetes, obesity…). If you’re trying to be fit, live cleaner, or just want to lose a few pounds, stop buying these drinks and put them where they truly belong…with your other cleaning products (the soft-drinks at least). Go ahead, google it. I’ve watched videos online of people making their toilets sparkle after the application of Coca-Cola. I’m exaggerating. Vinegar is a great cleaning product too, but I use it in my salad dressing. All kidding aside, I’m worried about the carbs here…all that sugar coursing through your veins and screwing with your beautifully designed internal organs. And if you think it’s just one tiny, cute can…THINK AGAIN (ominous voice).
If you love these drinks, then you’re probably asking yourself, “What am I supposed to drink then?! Water is gross!”
That’s what this post is all about…what to do instead. I don’t like problems without solutions, so, I’ve got a few alternatives to soft drinks I think you should try.
I’m not saying this won’t be hard if you’re a heavy soft drink drinker. I was once one myself, but when I started getting real about my health, I let them go. Now, I don’t really miss them. Maybe on the rare occasion, I have a little craving, but I guarantee if I were to drink even a sip now, it would be sickly sweet and not nearly as good as I’d built it up in my head. Habits are habits, and good ones are just as easy to maintain as bad ones are…once they become routine.
My first instinct is to tell you to stop drinking these drinks now, stop them fast, and never go back. But that’s not really practical, and it probably won’t stick, so slowly cut them out. And slowly phase in the drinks that are better for you. (And then, don’t go back!).
It’s okay to go slow. Start with drinking half sweet, half unsweet tea. Drink 1 instead of two sodas a day (or 3 instead of 4) for a while until your ready to scale back again. Then maybe, every other day, and keep doing this until you reach zero or at least zero on most days.
And if you’ve already let go of sodas and sweet drinks, good for you! Keep up the good work, but you still might benefit from the drink list.
I’ll preface this list with the following warning: I’m NOT a fan of diet drinks. I don’t drink them because I hate the taste and some of them give me a headache. If I’m going to do sweet, I’m going to do sugar, but I’m not going to do sweet often enough for the sugar to be a big deal. Depends on your sweet tooth. Diet drinks with alternative sweeteners are around too, and you could definitely check them out. Lots of people enjoy sweeter things this way, but I’m not convinced they’re a healthy alternative (I’d need to do more research), so artificial sweeteners won’t be highlighted here.
Let’s talk alternatives…
Citrus water. (KETO friendly) I LOVE me some lemon or lime water. It’s still water, but it’s kicked up a notch. It’s all about presentation here too. If something’s pretty, you’ll drink it better. Get a fun glass or straw or make a pitcher of water with sliced lemons or limes floating in it. You’ll feel like you’re at a luxury resort, sipping the nectar of the gods. Am I pushing too hard?
Need those bubbles? Try sparkling waters. But these are not created equal. I recommend perusing the water AND the soft-drink aisle at the grocery store and buying naturally flavored, UNSWEETENED sparkling water (no calories) (when they’re BOGO). There are many brands. (Also KETO friendly) My personal favorite is BUBLY (yes, only one “B” pic below) sparkling water. The cherry flavor tastes like an unsweet Dr. Pepper, the lime tastes like unsweet Sprite, and the strawberry is just delicious. Another favorite I’ve discovered recently is Spindrift, a sparkling water with a dash of REAL fruit juice in it, which means it does have a few carbs per can, so if you’re going full-on Keto (where every carb matters), these may not be for you. But if you’re just trying to kick a soft-drink habit or just trying to remain low-carb (under 100 grams of carb per day), these are a win.
Kombucha. (Pic below). Let’s spend a few minutes here, shall we? Because this is…different. This fermented, bubbly tea drink has become more popular in the US recently, partly because of its health claims. Honestly there’s not a lot of hard-core research out there on the benefits of the beverage, but while the research isn’t there for Kombucha itself, there is a lot of data on the benefits of fermented foods and tea. Kombucha has been around for nearly 2,000 years, originating in China and spreading outward, now heavily prevalent in the refrigerated section of grocery store produce departments.
Fermented foods are a good source of probiotics which may help your guts establish an equilibrium of sorts. As in the process of cabbage becoming sauerkraut or milk transforming into yogurt, yeast and bacteria turn this regular, old, sweetened tea into a whole new beast that might provide an easier transition (and healthier) from soft-drinks.
Kombucha is sweet and carts a few carbs, but it’s significantly less than alternatives and if made from green tea, has antioxidants (keeps cells from being damaged. And this drink might just help fight diabetes, depression, cancer, and many other health conditions as well we help you lose weight. A soft-drink will never do that.
You can make this drink at home, but it’s a finicky process that, if not done properly, can make you sick! Unless you really know what you’re doing, leave it to the experts and buy it pre-made.
This is only Keto-friendly if you’ve had a very restrictive carb day.
Unsweet tea. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I’m not talking just plain black tea here. Consider a loose leaf. I love lavender and jasmine loose-leaf tea. These can be found in the tea aisle, but you might have better luck online. Brewing tea leaves takes some getting used to, and you can’t just open a can, but it’s worth the small amount of effort. And depending on the type of tea, you’ve got other potential health benefits too. (I love tea so much, I could make a whole post on tea alone.)
Coffee. Nuff said, right? A caffeine source with potential health benefits too. And if you add a dash of cream (who am I kidding, a whole lotta cream for me), then you have another unsweet beverage that you can sip hot or cold that isn’t water. If you want to take it to another level, add spices (cinnamon, allspice…) or extracts (vanilla, almond, peppermint…) to the grounds in your coffee pot or French press. It becomes a TREAT.
Who needs sugar??
Hopefully one of these options speak to you. There’s so much out there. Challenge what you’ve always done and incorporate new into your life. You might be glad you did, and at the very least, your body will thank you.
Until next time,
Melissa
