Soda alternatives?

[OnionRings]

So I am a really big soda drinker. Like we're talking 3-4 cans per day, and frankly I'm getting tired of the weight gain from it, the rotting of my teeth is starting (I'm 22 so its too early for that shit), and soda makes me feel lethargic. I guess the lethargy comes from the lack of water my body gets, and the sugar.

 

Anyway the point is I am asking for alternatives, what do you drink? I don't mind plain water sometimes but at other times I just crave something flavored to drink. I tried those like powdered flavor packets but they leave a terrible burning sensation in my throat.

 

I've been getting ads for cirkul, has anybody here tried it? Supposedly some sort of 0 calorie flavored water, they'll send the bottle and 2 test flavors for 8 bucks but then you have to keep buying the flavor packs and im guessing they aren't cheap.

 

I enjoy smart water, but that shit is expensive.

 

Juice is out of the question as its no different then soda really, still sugar and acid...

 

Any tips, advice, or recommendations welcome. Cheers.

 

Edit: Big no go on the cirkul http://prntscr.com/pe5ld8 27$ for 8 flavor packs? That shit better be the milk from gods nipples for that price.

[Nup]

Tea, man.

You can have it any way you want, sweet, or fruity or bitter, with milk and sugar, hot or cold. 

There's literally every kind under the sun. 

[OnionRings]

1 minute ago, Nup said:

Tea, man.

You can have it any way you want, sweet, or fruity or bitter, with milk and sugar, hot or cold. 

There's literally every kind under the sun. 

Wouldn't you need sugar to make it sweet? I've tried non sweet tea. Too earthy for me.

[Nup]

 

1 minute ago, OnionRings said:

Wouldn't you need sugar to make it sweet? I've tried non sweet tea. Too earthy for me.

Yes, or non-sugar sweeteners. 

There are other kinds too, just herbal stuff, less earthy maybe. 
Anyway seemed like a good suggestion! 

[Gegger]

citrus tea.

as much as i don't drink it, it's still pretty good.

[OnionRings]

12 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

What helped me was flavored seltzer water.

That could be a good idea, the bubbles could remind me of soda, make the switch easier.

[Bananasplit_00]

tea has my vote, probably a pain to drop all the sugar at once as its addictive af but its a lot nicer than water. Roibos is usually sweet-ish but flavor can also depend a lot on how your tap water tastes. My tap water where i live now is fairly sweet so tea comes out way too sweet for my taste sadly

[DoctorNick]

You could do as I do and ALWAYS drink water when whatever i'm having. I like coffee though. Sometimes with a little sugar. If you need a kick and don't like coffee try macha or some blend with macha in it. 

[OnionRings]

35 minutes ago, comander said:

Hint water. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/curtissilver/2017/06/06/how-hint-water-has-become-the-de-facto-official-drink-of-silicon-valley/

I drink 5-10 bottles a day. It's free for me though. 

 

 

The damn hippies are trying to take it away though because it's not "environmentally friendly". 

 

I wouldn't buy it for myself (I'm fine with tap water and often skip making a trip to the water filter due to laziness) but if you're having issues with weight gain it could be useful. 

I'll check it out on my next pay check. Doesn't seem to be any more expensive than life water, and its flavored.

[Arika]

get a Sodastream and stock up on diet/zeros (depending on country) flavours.

[RejZoR]

Buy bottled lemon or lime juice and then mix it with water. You can also sweeten it with a bit of honey (real stuff, not that liquidy cheap corn syrup infused crap). Just be aware that citric acid also attacks teeth enamel...

 

There are also tea blends that include sweet roots which are not super sweet, but give tea a mild sweet aftertaste.

 

And if you want to avoid artificial sweeteners, there are 100% stevia based ones. Just be prepared for a specific sweet aftertaste it has...

 

Personally I'm a lemon and lime juice fan for hot days and honey sweetened for cold days.

[WoodenMarker]

I had a similar problem in the past. Having two cups -- water and juice was a helpful transition. Eventually, I just stopped drinking soda and juice regularly. 

I think getting away from the routine is what helped me wean off -- similar to chewing gum. 

[TheKDub]

2 hours ago, OnionRings said:

So I am a really big soda drinker. Like we're talking 3-4 cans per day, and frankly I'm getting tired of the weight gain from it, the rotting of my teeth is starting (I'm 22 so its too early for that shit), and soda makes me feel lethargic. I guess the lethargy comes from the lack of water my body gets, and the sugar.

 

Anyway the point is I am asking for alternatives, what do you drink? I don't mind plain water sometimes but at other times I just crave something flavored to drink. I tried those like powdered flavor packets but they leave a terrible burning sensation in my throat.

 

I've been getting ads for cirkul, has anybody here tried it? Supposedly some sort of 0 calorie flavored water, they'll send the bottle and 2 test flavors for 8 bucks but then you have to keep buying the flavor packs and im guessing they aren't cheap.

 

I enjoy smart water, but that shit is expensive.

 

Juice is out of the question as its no different then soda really, still sugar and acid...

 

Any tips, advice, or recommendations welcome. Cheers.

 

Edit: Big no go on the cirkul http://prntscr.com/pe5ld8 27$ for 8 flavor packs? That shit better be the milk from gods nipples for that price.

I went cold turkey on soda back in late 2016 and haven't had a drop since. Is it tempting to start drinking it again? Yes, however doing that would break my three year long streak of no soda D:<

 

Pretty much the only thing I regularly drink is plain water (filtered the majority of the time). I've thought about trying coffee or tea, but haven't gotten around to it.

 

You could use fresh fruits and/or veggies to flavor your water. I've known people who put stuff like cucumber, lemon, oranges, kiwi, berries, etc... in their water to add some flavor (and nutrients). It's a much healthier alternative to typical store bought juices.

 

Best of luck!

[cafe]

sparking water no added things but flavor, 0 calories 0 sodium 0 sugar

actually not bad, then you can ween off those if you want and just go to plain water (which is the real based drink)

[dizmo]

Soda is mostly water, so it's not a lack of it. It doesn't matter what substance you get water from, you're still getting it. The lethargy comes from the massive amounts of sugar you're taking, and it's likely vastly outweighing everything else you're putting into your body. If we assume most cans of pop have around 40g of sugar, you're putting at least 200 grams of sugar in your body a day...that's about 4 times what you're supposed to have. Diabetes approaches.

 

The sugar in juices, if you pick actual juice, isn't as bad for you as the sugar in soda. IIRC the US still allows HFCS which is even worse than regular sugar.

 

I suggest trying out a SodaStream. You can still have pop when you want, and even the full sugar variants have vastly less sugar than what you're consuming right now. It can also make sparkling water, which can help you transition away from pop. They're also not that expensive in the long run, factoring in what you spend on pop.

 

Bottom line, you just have to change your habits, and that takes time. You'll have to work at it, there's no quick easy fix.

10 hours ago, OnionRings said:

Wouldn't you need sugar to make it sweet? I've tried non sweet tea. Too earthy for me.

Why does it have to be sweet? Flavor and sweet can be separate things.

Try adding honey, if you must have sweetness.

8 hours ago, Arika S said:

get a Sodastream and stock up on diet/zeros (depending on country) flavours.

Agreed, though even the regular flavours have way less sugar than pop. The diet/zeros might contain sweeteners that are worse for you than sugar.

[WkdPaul]

Cold-brew tea sweeten with stevia or xylitol and a dash of lemon juice.

[wasab]

Juice

[dalekphalm]

If you're having issues with your teeth - you either need to brush your teeth more frequently (eg: twice a day, morning and before bed - or three times a day, morning, after lunch, and bed time).

 

Or you need to wait longer after drinking soda before brushing your teeth. The reason behind this is because soda is acidic (note, so are things like orange juice) - which softens your enamel. It's normally pretty harmless on it's own, but if you brush your teeth while the enamel is still soft, it'll strip the enamel away.

 

Another tip: don't apply any pressure when brushing your teeth - just let the toothbrush rest on your teeth. Applying pressure will also strip away the enamel (and it's even worse if the enamel is already soft from acidic drinks). Ideally, switch to an electric toothbrush like the Oral-B Vitality - these things only cost like $30 CAD at Walmart (less in the US, probably), and the base will last for years - you only need to replace the head itself, which you can buy in bulk from places like Amazon.

 

Cutting back on the Soda is still a good thing though - 1-2 a day isn't that bad, though of course, weight gain from the extra calories is still a potential issue.

 

You could try flavoured water drinks, like Aquafina Plus (vitamin water) - they still have sugar, but it's a lot less than in a can of Soda. They also make sugar free versions, but I personally don't like the taste of sweetener.

[Intrafinesse]

Tea. (Black not green)

No milk, no sugar.

 

My favorite is loose leaf Darjeeling tea.  Assam and Ceylon black tea are also good.

I vary it with an occasional Mango Tea form Trader Joes, or a black tea (in a bag) from somewhere else.

 

Some of my Chinese coworkeers bring in red tea.  I can't read the writing (in Chineese) but its a red bad and says "Revivalist tea".

 

 

If you consume something with sugar (soda or candy) you should immediately rinse out your mouth with water.  Do this o prevent the bacteria from consuming the extra sugar (i.e. remove their food source).

[Intrafinesse]

17 hours ago, OnionRings said:

So I am a really big soda drinker. Like we're talking 3-4 cans per day, and frankly I'm getting tired of the weight gain from it, the rotting of my teeth is starting (I'm 22 so its too early for that shit), and soda makes me feel lethargic. I guess the lethargy comes from the lack of water my body gets, and the sugar.

Anytime you consume something sugary, like soda or candy or fruit, you should rinse out your mouth with water to remove the extra sugar (i.e. food) so the bacteria in your mouth don't consume it and grow and release byproducts that are harmful yo your teeth.  It's not just cavities, they will form deposits at the base of your gums and below that will harden over time and can cause gum loss over the years.

 

I like to take a mouthful of not cold water, swish it around for 5 seconds. And then do that again.  It's been many years since I've had a cavity.

[captain_to_fire]

Water, as in plain old purified water. 

• Processed fruit juices are filled with sugar. Even natural juices can be way too sweet like orange juice.
• Milk tea (aka bubble tea) is sweetened using high fructose corn syrup which is bad for the waistline and heart in the long run.
• Frappuccino is basically whipped cream + sugar.
• Soda can not only make you gain weight, it can make you feel bloated in the long run because of GERD.

If you want something sweet, try adding Stevia or use one to two teaspoons of palm sugar to coffee or tea. It's not just your teeth you're harming, you can harm your health in the long run by all of that soda. 

[BuckGup]

Have you tried La-croix? Bubbly? Or any other sparkling flavored water? Otherwise just drink water, milk, tea, or coffee 

[atxcyclist]

5 hours ago, BuckGup said:

Have you tried La-croix? Bubbly? Or any other sparkling flavored water? Otherwise just drink water, milk, tea, or coffee 

This type of flavored sparkling water got me to curb my soda intake significantly. That, and having several friends have their gallbladders taken out due to excess soda drinking. If I feel the need for caffeine, I'll drink a cup of coffee with no cream or sugar.

[Guest]

If you want flavoured water, then just prepare some yourself at home and let it rest overnight in your fridge.

Your body is craving for its sugar fix (yes sugar need is an addiction...) so instead use honey or stevia, (as suggested in a previous comment).
If you need the "pop", then use sodastream or any bubbly water you like.

 

For flavoured water you can use watever fruits you like and just let it rest for several hours. You have hundreds of receipes available for free on the internet, so just search in your favorite search engine.

 

"Smart Water" ?? Another Coca Cola Company ? So... Do you like them so much that you want to go on paying them for an overpriced product just because it's the hype thing of the moment?
 

[Nine Tailed Fox]

carbonation and sugar messes up your teeth so just try to drink plain water if you really care about your health