Pop (or soda): should I cut it out of my diet?

Good choice for something to save a few calories but why not simply drink diet Mountain Dew?

I kind of like Monster's Rehab tea/lemonade. It's got only like 25calories a can, and fills that soda void for me.

You don't have to give up anything. Just moderate and fit your favs to your goals. If that is hard than finding low/no cal alternatives is an option. Saying that I almost gave up beer completely and it's now a bottle is a reward. At most 2 bottles a week. The also need to fit my calorie goal.

Have you tried caffeine pills instead of the tea or coffee?

I like the fizz, so I drink soda water (club soda) with a squirt of lime or lemon juice. I also drink Coke Zero or Pepsi Max a couple times a week.

Diet version of whatever you like if you're just looking to reduce the calorie intake from it. I drink sparkling water most of the day but have a diet coke with lunch and sometimes a second in the morning or afternoon if I am feeling particularly bleurgh as I don't like normal tea or coffee.

I drink lots of diet Dew or the caffeinated Mio. It took a little time to get used to, but I prefer it now.

That's up to you. Some people work it into their calories. Others (myself included) switch to diet.

I would make the switch to diet (trust me after about a week, the weird taste is no more and it tastes normal), but I would HONESTLY still cut back. I am a diet Mt. Dew junkie, but I only have like usually one a day and that's usually with dinner. Diet Dr. Pepper is pretty good as well. I hate diet Coke but that's just me. Coke Zero isn't half bad though. I find that most stores' versions of diet soda are pretty good. I like Harris Teeter's and Publix's diet versions. But I mostly drink water now to avoid as much sweeteners (real or artificial) as possible.

I cut sodas out as well a little over 2 months ago. Havent had 1 sip since. The reason I personally did not just drink diet soda is because i dont like the tastes and knew it would lead me back to regular pop because of it. So for me the option was to drop them entirely. It sucked the first 2 weeks or so but after that its been a breeze.

Regarding your migraines: you say that you've tried coffee and tea and the caffeine in them just doesn't work as well. Well, caffeine is caffeine. Granted, tea has much less than coffee or Mountain Dew, but if it was the caffeine that helped (and it does), then coffee would work. I'm going to venture out and said that it is a combination of caffeine and high sugar that works on your migraines. I think that is a known fact. I had one once and tried stuff all day long (water, Motrin, eating) and the only thing that worked was a large Coke. Anyway, based on that, I don't think a Diet Mountain Dew would work for you. But it's certainly worth experimenting on.

Or you could just say, hey, the Mountain Dew is just something I cannot give up and I'm going to work around it. I've essentially done that with my sugary hot tea. You'll just get less to eat. If you're not doing a strict low-calorie diet, it should be manageable.

Low blood sugar can also precipitate a migraine.

Ref: https://www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/trigger-factors/hypoglycaemia/

What I found was that by eating differently (paleo / keto)-ish my blood sugar was way more even though out the day and while I still have weather related symptoms (feeling like I am going to pass out, balance issues, popping in the ears, pains under / behind my eyes) I have not had a full blown / whole body migraine with the lights, sounds and nausea since about November of last year.

I cannot imagine not eating this way pretty much forever. I am not hungry. I seem to be able to stay within my nutrition / calorie goals and I FEEL better. No aches, pains and I have lost almost 40 lbs almost without trying. (And, I am not always strict about eating no carbs -- I still occasionally allow myself some of the things that I like, {{{FRENCH FRIES}}} - just not more than once a week)

I started by making incremental changes last November (one meal at a time), with the end goal being that I would hover around 1400 calories because as an older woman my skin doesn't bounce back as it did when I was younger. By losing the weight slowly, I have minimized the sagging skin.

It took several months of tweaking before I finally found my "sweet spot" in terms of balance between carbs and protein and (since November I have lost about 40 pounds and 4 inches). And... I am only complaint calorie wise about 75% - 80% of the time. I have some health issues and can't really exercise. Despite this and being tied to a desk all day, I have lost and continue to lose weight.

I encourage you to look at food differently by thinking about high protein/fat/fiber and low carbs/sugar meal planning (Paleo or Ketogenic).

See this website for a list: http://paleoiq.com/best-paleo-diet-blogs/

Another excellent website: https://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/thumbs-up-reviews/brain-maker-by-perlmutter-loberg/

Discusses the gut (stomach, intestinal, colon) / brain connection and how many of our body ills actually originate in the gut when it is not populated with the correct beneficial bacteria. This cannot be accomplished by just eating yogurt or taking a probiotic, especially if you have yeast overgrowth -- a real possibility if you are drinking "pop". BTW, a number of studies indicate that artificial sweeteners are antagonists to the brain and contraindicated in people with migraines.

Getting your gut healthy is a long process that includes decreasing sugars and simple starches (white flour) and creating the proper environment to repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria.

To create the "best" bowel milieu you have to think of it like a compost pile. Without beneficial microbes your compost rots...

I use psyllium seed powder, rice bran powder, fermented veggies (kimchi and miso paste) blended with onions garlic, raw unpasteurized vinegar, good quality olive oil, parsley, cucumbers. It's a soupy kind of thing that tastes like a liquid salad.

In my high fat greek yogurt I also add American Health Probiotic Acidophilus Liquid to boost the probiotics and let it sit overnight in the fridge.

Sodium Butyrate (smells like stinky feet - but is awesome also).

Ref: https://selfhacked.com/2016/05/07/health-benefits-butyrate-derivatives-sodium-butyrate-phenylbutyrate-trybutyrine-butyric-acid-butyrate-prodrugs-butyrate-producing-bacteria/

Check out: https://www.westonaprice.org for more interesting gut nutrition info.

I have conditioned my taste buds to drink coke zero or diet dr pepper. I mainly drink coffee and water but I do allow myself a fizzy drink about 2 or 3 times a week. If a place only has diet coke (blech) - I will mix half diet coke and half regular. If you really want the full calorie drink, just work it into your day and have it. Good Luck

stanmann571 wrote: »

Do you know what else is okay for you... aspartame and sucralose.

I guess Aspartame is safe as long as you don't have phenylketonuria. I avoid it myself. Would like to see further studies on it. I'm on the fence with Sucralose, but DO use it in moderation.

For me though, one thing is clear; more studies need to be performed on all types of sweeteners. This is a case where moderation is truly the key. Though it may be (or not) healthier to lean towards the more natural sweeteners, when in doubt, practice moderation or avoid sweeteners entirely.