The one step that changed my life forever.

I’m a little embarrassed by what I’m about to tell you, so just a fair warning this subject is a bit sensitive to me. It might be something you’re struggling with too.

There was a time when I drank a can of Coke every hour. That’s 10 Cokes a day at least. My wife was a Pepsi drinker, but she didn’t drink that many compared to me.

That’s when I learned drinking soda wasn’t so bad. The problem is continued consumption over time. So when I was little, and I only drank soda once in a while at a friends house, I didn’t have any issues.

But then, when I got older, I started drinking them more and more. You can say I was hooked. I was looking into ways to generally get healthier and more mobile, so one of my friends suggested cutting back on soda pop, and that he’d done it a few months back.

So I tried it! And at this point, I only drink Coke once in a while, when I’m out to dinner or at a friend's house. The benefits have been incredible! I’ll share my personal experience with you, but first I want to talk about the proven benefits of reducing your soda intake.

Benefits:

A study showed that lower consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage intake in US adults was not correlated with knowledge of the bad side effects and health conditions associated with excessive soda consumption.

That means that knowledge of the bad health conditions soda drinking has DOES NOT persuade people to stop drinking it. I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to wait until it’s too late to start introducing healthy habits into your life. BEFORE you’re forced to by your doctor.

I found the following benefits on foodrevolution.com.

Help your kidneys stay healthy

In an 11-year-long Harvard Medical School study, including 3,318 women, researchers found that diet cola is linked with a two-fold increased risk for kidney decline.

Decrease your diabetes risk

High levels of sugar in soda places a lot of stress on your pancreas, potentially leaving it unable to keep up with the body’s need for insulin.

Stay hydrated for a healthy body

Caffeine is a diuretic. Diuretics promote the production of urine, causing you to urinate more frequently. When the body’s cells are dehydrated they have difficulty absorbing nutrients, and it also makes it more difficult for the body to eliminate waste.

Reduce your calories and slim down

A 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola contains 17 teaspoons of sugar and 240 calories… empty calories devoid of any nutritional value.

It would take the average adult over one hour of walking to burn off the 240 calories in a 20-ounce soda.

Reduce your risk of heart disease

Each soda consumed per day increases the risk of heart disease by 20% in men.

Keep your teeth!

Lab testing on soda acidity shows that the amount of acid in soda is enough to wear away dental enamel. pH levels in soda can be as low as 2.5, as a frame of reference battery acid has a pH of 1, water has a pH of 7.0.

Reduce metabolic risk factors

According to Ravi Dhingra, M.D., lead author of the study and an instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School states “If you are drinking one or more soft drinks a day, you may be increasing your risk of developing metabolic risk factors for heart disease.”

The Framingham study included nearly 9,000 individuals, over a four year period. Researchers found that individuals consuming one or more sodas a day had a 48 % increased risk of metabolic syndrome compared to those consuming less than one soft drink daily.

Diet sodas are not healthy options

A University of Texas Health Science Center study found that the more diet sodas a person drank, the greater their risk of becoming overweight.

Consuming two or more cans a day increased waistlines by 500% greater than those who do not consume diet soda.

Keep your liver functioning

The 2,634 individuals in the study completed a CT scan to measure the amount of fat in the liver. They saw a higher prevalence of NAFLDamong people who reported drinking more than one sugar-sweetened drink per day compared to people who said they drank no sugar-sweetened beverages.

From foodrevolution.com

How did I quit soda?

First, we stopped buying it at the store. This was the easiest way for me to stop because even though I was craving a soda, I didn’t have easy access to it. It was much easier for me to choose not to buy any while I wasn’t craving it than when I had it in the house or office.

That’s the number one tip I have for you.

How did I get through the cravings? Honestly, it was hard. I didn’t realize I was addicted to soda. I would tell you to switch to sparkling water instead, but I’m saying to you now that will be worse because there is no substitute. Just try not to think about it and drink water or unsweetened tea instead because you WANT to, not to substitute for the soda.

There will be side effects that you go through while weaning off the drinks, but I promise it will be worth it in the end! Now I only drink soda about 2-3 times a month.

So what’s your story?

Have you already decreased your soda consumption, or are you still gulping it down like I was? I believe in you! The question is, do you believe in yourself?

Share your story with us on Facebook.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results not typical. Individual results may vary.