Sun & Shower

If you’re like me, Diet Coke is a staple in your diet. Well, it used to be for me. I used to drink up to 100 oz. of Diet Coke per day! I’d get a “big pop” for breakfast, lunch and the ride home from work. Each one was a 44 oz. cup filled with about 2/3 ice and the rest Diet Coke. Some days I’d even chug down a few additional cans of soda.

Then one day, in December of 2004, I was sitting at my desk and my heart started racing. Next thing I knew, I was cold and sweaty. I could barely breathe. I really thought I was having a heart attack! I had read that you should cough so that’s what I did, along with some focused breathing I had learned in yoga class. Pretty soon, I returned to normal.

Scared out of my mind, I immediately scheduled an appointment with my doctor. He said I wasn’t having a heart attack. I was having a panic attack. I had two choices – go on medicine or cut out caffeine. As someone who doesn’t think a pill will fix all problems, I didn’t want to go on medicine for the rest of my life. My doctor and I agreed I should cut out caffeine.

And that was it. I switched to Caffeine-Free Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, and I never looked back.

So that took care of the caffeine but isn’t soda in all forms bad for you? The answer, it appears, is yes. Not only does soda put avoidable toxins in your body, but it also leeches calcium out of your bones. As a woman with a family history of osteoporosis, this discovery was alarming! I thought, “If I don’t drink soda, what will I drink? Water?” The answer, of course, is yes.

Quitting caffeine proved to be easier than quitting soda for me. With caffeine, I was able to trick my brain into thinking I was still getting caffeine by drinking nearly the same tasting sodas. That wasn’t going to work for giving it up all together though. In the spring of 2006, I decided to give up soda for Lent. It was brutal! I craved the sweet, fake, sugary goodness of a Caffeine-Free Diet Coke.

Over the course of the 40 days, I never gave in. And on the 41st day, with a fresh soda in hand, I realized I didn’t want it. By flushing out the toxins and letting my body heal, I was able to discover how great I felt without soda in my life.

So what do I drink now?

• Water – 64 oz. minimum per day.
• Cranberry juice -fill a large glass with ice, add 1/2 juice and fill the rest with water. It cuts down on the sugar but still adds a natural flavor to the water. I learned this trick recently from Mariel Hemingway.
• Iced Tea – I particularly like Unsweetened Nestea out of a soda fountain because it’s cold and watered-down. It adds a different flavor to water when you want a break from sweet. I should note: iced tea does have some caffeine in it.
• Hot Tea – This is especially great for recovering coffee drinkers. It’s hot, tasty and some teas have caffeine. Plus, many herbal teas have additional health benefits.

I would have never guessed it a few years ago but it’s true. There really is life after Diet Coke.