The Importance of Weaning Students off of Soda

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Guest Post by Angelita Williams…..

Soda—it contains more than 39 grams of sugar and 140 empty calories per 20 oz can. But despite medical experts constantly reminding consumers that soda is essentially liquid diabetes in a can (not to mention one of the leading causes of weight gain and obesity in children), Americans still drink more than 13.8 million gallons of soda each year. In fact, headlines show that a woman died from soda consumption in April. Her intake was excessive yes, somewhere around a liter of soda a day, but she did die of hypokalemia –a condition where soda depletes potassium in the body.

In short soda is one of the unhealthiest drinks one can consume. But students, those ranging from grade school to grad school, still typically make it their beverage-of-choice. Some drink it to stay awake, others just like the taste. But it needs to be cut from their diets. If you think you’re ready to help your child adapt to a healthier lifestyle without soda, or if you want to cut the drink out of your life for your benefit, continue reading below.

When eliminating soda from their diets, some people choose to go cold turkey. But this can actually be a hastily move—some drink it so often that abruptly eliminating it from their system only causes them to suffer from caffeine withdrawals. Symptoms may include but are not limited to:

Headaches IrritabilitySleepinessDepressionConstipationStuffy Sinuses

So if you are a heavy soda drinker and consume about two to three cans of soda a day, try limiting yourself to just one a day. Then work your way to limiting your weekly amount. In the meantime, choose water as your main beverage. Water doesn’t have any calories and helps flush out toxins that can harm the body.  If you’re not too crazy about water, there are some ways you can liven it up, which leads us to our next tip—

For most soda lovers, water is just too bland. But there are some ways that you can spice it up a bit. Try adding some lemon juice to give it a citrusy flavor or other fresh fruit like cucumbers, oranges, or strawberries to create fruit-infused water which is a tasty summer beverage. You can also try adding a packet of low-calorie Crystal Light; or add some ice cubes with mint leaves locked inside. Making water interesting might take some creativity, but it’s well worth it.

Many love soda because of the carbonation—most crave the “burn” that comes with the fizzy drink. But if it’s the bubbles you miss, opt for sparkling water instead. It can give you the same feeling as drinking a soda but it’s healthy for you. If you want a little bit more pizzazz, stores do offer flavored sparkling water as well.

Caffeine is what usually gets people hooked on soda, especially older students that need it to stay awake. But there are other beverages with hints of caffeine that actually help strengthen your immunity and burn fat, like green tea. Whether you drink it hot or cold, green tea has been linked to increasing metabolism and as well as helping the body fight off certain cancers if consumed at a regular basis. And since you’re essentially just drinking herb-infused water, you’re still working to meet your goal of six to eight glass of water a day.

Last but not least, the easiest way to refrain from drinking soda is to not make it so easily accessible. Don’t have it in the house, at all. Don’t order it at restaurants. If you’re really craving a soda, then the best way to deal with the situation is to treat the sugary drink as “dessert” for special occasions only.

This guest post is contributed by Angelita Williams, who writes on the topics of online courses.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: angelita.williams7 @gmail.com.

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