Days of Whine and Sodas
I’ve got a headache, I’m more irritable than usual and my soul is crying out of a nice tall glass of that bubbling brown poison.
But I ain’t giving in.
It seems fitting that I would address this particular personal demon on Halloween, except that Diet Coke is all trick and no treat.
Understand that you’re talking to someone who quite literally starts his day with Diet Coke. I drink a glass of the swill with my oatmeal in the morning and I keep going until it’s time for bed.
I’ve been drinking some form of diet soda or ice tear since college, but I think the problem really exploded when I came down with mononucleosis in the Eighties and began recklessly guzzling the stuff.
When I worked at a newspaper in Pennsylvania, I would routinely walk over to a nearby 24-hour place, grab the biggest cup they had, and pour myself a gallon or two. And then come back for more.
Now I must admit that every single year since the Eisenhower Administration, or so it seems, I resolve to swear off this carbonated crap once and for all.
And every single year I cave into my cravings and sink head-first into a two-liter bottle of this vile concoction, only to resurface a year later to make the same empty promise.
So why should this attempt be any different?
Well, this time around I have what is arguably the most powerful form of motivation known to humanity: fear.
I spoke with my doctor on Friday about the results of my recent blood tests and everything was fairly normal—thank God—except that my blood sugar was high.
I wasn’t at diabetic levels, but the numbers are certainly going in the wrong direction.
Here's Mud in Your Eye
Diet Coke has been linked to a litany of illnesses, including depression, stroke, and yes, indeed, diabetes.
Add to the mix the fact that my father was diabetic and you have more than enough reason for me to drop the caramel-color toxin with all due haste.
“Water is the way to go,” my doctor told me.
And yet this toxic monstrosity is still a major ingredient in my diet.
On Saturday morning I stood on the checkout line of my local supermarket, staring into my shopping cart and wondering why it seemed so empty.
Well, gosh, I don’t know. Maybe the absence of the usual four gargantuan-sized bottles of Diet Coke had something do with it.
Going to the gym this morning I saw an elderly woman lugging a shopping cart of empty soda bottles.
She reminded of an old lady on my old street who used to come around collecting bottles from the trash bins.
That woman probably put her grandkids through Harvard with all the empties I left for her over the years.
After the gym I usually bop into a nearby store to shoot the breeze with the owner and grab some Diet Coke.
Now I’ll have to find another reason to go in there.
I’ve decided that I’m going to try tapering off, since going cold turkey has never worked for me in the past.
Today I held out until 1pm before I had my first full glass of Diet Coke.
I felt rotten again, but in a good way, as if my body is finally cluing into just how awful this stuff truly is.
I’ll drink to that. But I’m only drinking water.
Comments
I gave up all sodas when I turned 40. You will feel better! Hang in there! Maybe try adding fruit to your water? A slice of tangerine or lemon really makes it more enjoyable.
Hey, Bijoux, thanks so much for your support--I'm going to need it.
Sorry to hear about your glucose number, but you're right to keep reading those labels, as boring as it may be.
Great job of giving up the sodas. I am hoping to follow in your footsteps and free myself from this slop.
Fruit in water? Brilliant idea! Thanks.
Take care.
Kudos to you for making the choice to stop drinking Diet Coke. And I know from other people who used to drink (Coke and Pepsi) that it's hard to do because it's so addictive. I feel so incredibly blessed that I never, ever liked soda or anything with carbonation. I don't like bubbly drinks.
Being Italian, my weakness has always been pasta, but even that I watch my intake because once I start eating it, I can't stop. But other than that, I primarily eat veggies, legumes, quinoa, nuts, and certain fruits.
Keep up the great work, buddy! You GOT this! LOL!
P.S. LOVE your post title!!!
Hey, Ron!
Thank you so much for your support! I really need it because the caffeine withdrawals are getting to me.
Being half Italian I, too, am a pasta-holic, but I hardly eat it anymore.
Glad you like the title!
Take care, buddy, and keep eating healthy!
I have never been much of a soda drinker, of any type, most likely because I can't ever recall having it around in my childhood. I do recall Kool-Aid, but thankfully never became attached to it in later life. That's not to say that in adulthood, there wasn't any soda in the house. We always had a few varieties available for guests and, yes, we would also enjoy a can from time to time. Root beer was a personal favorite and I still like a can of ginger ale for an upset stomach ailment remembering one of my mother's home remedies, and it makes me smile as well.
What struck me as unusual when we lived on the VA eastern shore was that many people, including our neighbors, almost always had a soda beverage when doing a take-out from a fast food including breakfast meals. So, you're not the only one to have this preference/addiction. But, you're working on it and you will succeed.
Confession time here as I am not a huge fan of plain water. That's why I add lemon or a 0 calorie flavoring and the water tastes better and disappears faster too!
Thank you so much! So glad you liked the title.
I recall Kool-Aid, too, but I never developed a taste for the stuff. Good point about soda is so pervasive in our society.
Yesterday, I went to the supermarket and picked up some lemons and I'm going to spice up my water supply.
Take care!
Glad to hear your other levels were pretty normal!
I'm slowly starting to feel better...or less awful, really.
I may never quit diet soda entirely, but I sure as hell cut down on the intake.
You may want to slowly separate from the sugary items. You're better off without them.
See ya!