How I Broke My Soda Habit

Soda, pop, coke, whatever you call it- it's not a healthy drink. Don't even get me started on "diet" versions! Regular pop has a lot of sugar (41g in 12 oz of Pepsi), a lot of empty calories (150 in 12 oz), and sodium that no one really needs because we get enough from our food.

Up until recently, I have been a one-pop-a-day drinker. The size of that pop varied depending on how much caffeine I felt like I needed that day ;-) but I have always had to have a pop in the afternoon to keep me going. I was so addicted that if I hadn't had a pop by 3pm I'd start to get a headache. Yikes.

I know better!

I've been on this journey to a "healthier me" for a while and I have made so many improvements to my lifestyle over the past year or so. I knew it was time for me to stop my pop habit.

So, I started contemplating alternatives. I knew I still needed the caffeine, but I didn't like the idea of having more coffee- that's more caffeine than I needed in the afternoon. I don't like iced tea- I end up making it too sweet and less sugar is one benefit to letting go of pop. I was also worried because, at this point, I craved pop. Finding an alternative would be difficult. I was ready to make a change, I just needed to find something I loved as much as pop.

After much R&D I have replaced pop with...

Starbucks Via Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade (6g of sugar, 0mg of sodium, and 35 calories for half a packet)

• I only use half a packet in my 16oz cup and I usually fill the cup half full with ice.
• I love the flavor. It's sweet and slightly tart. 
• The caffeine comes from green coffee extract- this is also the stuff found in popular drinks like Plexus.
• Since the powder is added to water- I'm also drinking more water, always a good thing!

I went for a whole week without a single sip of pop and never had an issue! I didn't even crave it. I have one half-packet of refreshers per day (two if I'm super run down) and I'm good to go.

Now that I've broken the habit, I'm determined to keep this up. Just to make sure I don't fall into the pit of deprivation, I do still get pop when I eat out- but that's rare so it's more of a "treat" than a "must have".

Taking on unhealthy habits one at a time is a manageable way to make lifestyle change.

What's an unhealthy habit you wish you could break?

**This is not a sponsored post, just my story**