cut out soda?

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  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    The issue with any carbonated beverage to me is the sodium. Too much sodium is not good for the arteries and can help you retain water. If you like fizz look for low sodium mineral waters. The naturally carbonated ones are the best. If you are not concerned about sodium, aspartame, caffeine or food acids - keep having your soda in moderation. :smile: Everything in moderation is my motto.

    There are 70mg of sodium in a 20 oz. bottle of Coke Zero. I wouldn't call that problematic unless you drank massive quantities of it.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I stopped diet coke for a while just by replacing it with an extra cup of coffee or two (I like it black), as well as more water.

    Once I was out of the habit of drinking it as much as I was I let myself drink it again, just less.

    Obviously, I didn't really change the amount of caffeine I was drinking and am not bothered by that, so this may not help you. I just wanted to stop thinking of diet coke as my default source of liquid (it's free at work), not quit it permanently.

    The only time I've ever tried the caffeine pills was in school years ago and I had a weird reaction. I'm sure it's either just a freak thing or because I rarely had caffeine then, but as a result I'm sticking to coffee if I'm mostly just after caffeine quickly.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Diet Mountain Dew has both caffeine and aspartame. For the caffeine a reduction method I used was to take an excedrin (containing aspirin and caffeine), and cut it in tiny little pieces. Half a piece smaller everyday. This forestalls the caffeine headache. Then eventually you forget to take it. There are many on this site, who are adamant that junk foods, or nonnutritive comfort food of their choice, is necessary to their sanity. Whatever works for you. But everyone is different and we all have distinct goals. Personally, I have liver disease, and I don't want any crap clogging up the works. There has been some evidence, unsubstantiated, that aspartame can become formaldehyde if exposed to UV. So don't drink it outside, LOL. Also, aspartame has been linked to depression. I used to stare at the "sugar" bowl at the restaurant and think, "fat, cancer, crazy" what's my poison today. Now I just order herbal tea. It's easier on my liver and on my spirit. Good luck. :flowerforyou:


    I was waiting for SOMEONE, so I had it ready!!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1308408-why-aspartame-isn-t-scary

    There seems to be a basic disconnect between what people think about the definition of fitness on this site. To some it means health, mental, physical, and spiritual. To others it seems to be the easiest way to lose a minimum of pounds (always less than 50) while maintaining as much of their lifestyle choices as possible.
    I am also a biologist, and while I didn't say that aspartame is related to cancer, even your author relates that it is made of phenylalanine which is problematic for some people.
    We are not all the same. And, a great deal of research has been done since 2004 on the effects of chemicals which we were not evolved to digest, especially on certain groups: autistics, depressives, morbidly obese people etc.
    The problem you seem to be having is that you need to convince people that you are right. I follow the maxim you can be right or you can be happy. I wish to be happy, so you can be right.
    As I said if it works for you, great, I go out of my way to make life easy on my liver as I have limited function left and OP states that she wants to wean herself off diet sodas and asks for help. I gave her some.
    Do you think there is anyway we could make MFP a safe place where people could discuss things without "the mean crew" piling on to prove their point?
    Have you ever wondered how many people you have motivated to deactivate in your pursuit of "winning" a debate that nobody is having with you?
    I am used to a twelve step environment or a seminar environment where people work towards consensus in safety. I thought this was a fitness site, am I wrong is this just "Facebook for the Vain"? :wink:

    I don't know, I think claiming that people who occasionally drink diet soda must not be interested in being healthy is more mean-spirited than telling the OP that there's no need to quit diet soda to be healthy or to lose weight, for most people, given that there's lots of false information floating around and she said she liked it. No one was insisting that she keep drinking it.

    There are plenty of foods that I personally choose not to eat for my own reasons (I just haven't banned anything based on a view that it was necessary to lose weight--for weight loss and health I generally prefer to focus on what I DO eat, to get good nutrition). Despite this, no one has ever given me a hard time about it. If I did have the idea that I HAD to cut out something I liked or do a low fat diet or some such, I'd appreciate being informed that that's not so, although I'd of course still weight the evidence and my own personality and results and try what seemed best for me.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,998 Member
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    Diet Mountain Dew has both caffeine and aspartame. For the caffeine a reduction method I used was to take an excedrin (containing aspirin and caffeine), and cut it in tiny little pieces. Half a piece smaller everyday. This forestalls the caffeine headache. Then eventually you forget to take it. There are many on this site, who are adamant that junk foods, or nonnutritive comfort food of their choice, is necessary to their sanity. Whatever works for you. But everyone is different and we all have distinct goals. Personally, I have liver disease, and I don't want any crap clogging up the works. There has been some evidence, unsubstantiated, that aspartame can become formaldehyde if exposed to UV. So don't drink it outside, LOL. Also, aspartame has been linked to depression. I used to stare at the "sugar" bowl at the restaurant and think, "fat, cancer, crazy" what's my poison today. Now I just order herbal tea. It's easier on my liver and on my spirit. Good luck. :flowerforyou:


    I was waiting for SOMEONE, so I had it ready!!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1308408-why-aspartame-isn-t-scary
    .........

    I am also a biologist, and while I didn't say that aspartame is related to cancer, even your author relates that it is made of phenylalanine which is problematic for some people.
    ........

    Phenylaline is problematic for people with PKU disease.
    PKU disease is a genetic disease whereby people have to follow a VERY strict diet from infancy.

    Nobody has PKU disease without knowing it so this issue is totally irrelevant to everyone else.

    Certainly OP does not have PKU disease or she wouldn't be posting this thread in the first place.

    For a biologist, you omitted crucial information about Context in your assertion.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
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    also re: Dew/Diet Dew in particular, there's some funky stuff with brominated vegetable oil that may or may not be a concern to you.

    Pepsi is working on removing it (Associated Press, "Coke, Pepsi Dropping Controversial 'BVO' from All Drinks.", USA Today, 5 May 2014.) (it's already out of Gatorade) but still there for now.
    http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/bvo.asp
  • bigT24chiefs
    bigT24chiefs Posts: 50 Member
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    Try the lower calorie soda..then alternate with water with fruit etc
  • krmthomas
    krmthomas Posts: 34 Member
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    I would do my very best to get off the mountain dew as fast as possible. Watch the youtube video below. Shocking how damaging it is. I would try coffee of sweetened tea to help with the caffeine switch. Stevia would be the only sweetener I would recommend because of all the dangers associated with the artificial sweeteners on the market. I too crave a soda once in a blue moon. I found Zevia is pretty decent and makes most flavours though i don't know off hand if they have a mountain dew equivalent. See if its available in your area for those times you NEED a soda, for me its popcorn night only. Best of luck to you.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syUwFmYeSVw
  • RussellG67
    RussellG67 Posts: 24 Member
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    ok so my main issue I believe is the fact that my whole household (including myself) is straight up addicted to soda. myself I love Diet mountain dew.

    What issue do you think a zero calorie soda is causing? If you're staying at or below your calorie goal, it doesn't hinder weight loss.

    Hehe honestly I give up. Some people will do anything to convince themselves they are healthier than you. Including apparently considering caffeine, the only difference between diet soda and flavored sparkling water a dangerous substance.

    I agree about the "vitamin water" thing. If you read the ingredients wow. But sparking water like Pellegrino for example. Is good for you. It's mineral water. Then add a twist of lime or lemon. If you want to a little more flavor, add a shot of apple juice or orange juice. Like 1 OZ to a 16 ounce bottle.

    Wake up people just cos its labeled vitamin enriched super water in the store doesn't mean its any better for you than diet coke. It's a marketing gimmick.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    also re: Dew/Diet Dew in particular, there's some funky stuff with brominated vegetable oil that may or may not be a concern to you.

    Pepsi is working on removing it (Associated Press, "Coke, Pepsi Dropping Controversial 'BVO' from All Drinks.", USA Today, 5 May 2014.) (it's already out of Gatorade) but still there for now.
    http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/bvo.asp
    Mayo Clinic appears to indicate the issues are only reports, in some people, and those people are also drinking more than 2 liters/day of Diet Dew or other BVO-containing sodas:

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/bvo/faq-20058236
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,998 Member
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    I would do my very best to get off the mountain dew as fast as possible. Watch the youtube video below. Shocking how damaging it is. I would try coffee of sweetened tea to help with the caffeine switch. Stevia would be the only sweetener I would recommend because of all the dangers associated with the artificial sweeteners on the market. I too crave a soda once in a blue moon. I found Zevia is pretty decent and makes most flavours though i don't know off hand if they have a mountain dew equivalent. See if its available in your area for those times you NEED a soda, for me its popcorn night only. Best of luck to you.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syUwFmYeSVw

    Oh dear.

    YouTube is not a credible scientific source, you know.

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