Food (or drink!) for thought

Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive July 2007: Food (or drink!) for thought

I stopped drinking sodas about a month ago when I stopped eating meat. Some of you may know I was a die hard Diet Cherry Coke addict! lol Anyway, I decided to have one the other day and you know what? I didn't like it! It tasted bitter and strong and just yucky! So I guess I'll stick to water and flavored teas. I got a sun tea jar and am experimenting with that.

On the vegitarian front, I did introduce small amounts of meat back into my diet, but I'm thinking I may have to cut them again. They've wreaked havoc on my system this week. Dh isn't fond of my new "diet", but he can get over it. He's not the one gassy, bloated and crampy all day. I've also discovered milk does a number on my system, so I've switched to Silk. I'm just hoping I don't have to cut cheese and ice cream! lol If cutting the meat again and the milk doesn't cut it, I'll go see my doc.

So for all you soda-aholics out there, give it up for a month and then try it again. Maybe you won't like it anymore, either!

By Shann on Friday, July 6, 2007 - 04:34 pm:

dh and I gave up soda about a year ago and all we drink is water, lemonade and tea with no sugar and I did the same thing I will try a drink of the kids soda and they taste nasty to me not the same and I really dont miss them a nice glass of tea or lemonade alway hits the spot

By Rayelle on Friday, July 6, 2007 - 05:12 pm:

I'm doing something similar. I love chocolate silk! It is sooo good! Even the low fat version. I'm cutting gluten and sugar and I'm thinking of going more organic and involving the whole family.

By Imamommyx4 on Friday, July 6, 2007 - 05:45 pm:

I stopped drinking sodas 2 weeks ago and I am feeling so much better. I drink mostly water, some juice, and occasionally tea. When I have had a soda in the past 2 weeks, it doesn't taste as good as it used to and I don't drink a whole drink.

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, July 6, 2007 - 06:52 pm:

I gave up soda - Diet Coke - a couple of years ago when I had a major gastro pain and wound up in the ER, with multiple followup tests. The doc told me to stop carbonated beverages (soda and beer), milk (which I don't drink anyhow), caffiene, fresh fruit and veggies (for a while) and chocolate. Now, I am a major chocoholic, especially Dove dark chocolate squares, so that was a real issue.

I stopped the soda immediately, switching to caffiene free diet iced tea mix - no problem. I continued to have chronic but low level gastro discomfort, and some bowel problems, so I finally gave up the dark chocolate about 3 weeks ago, and haven't had a belly ache since.

Giving up soda is hard for the first couple of weeks, but you do lose your taste. A good reason to give up or cut back on soda is that carbonated beverages tend to leach calcium out of your bones, according to my orthopedic doctor. I get a bone scan every year because I am at risk for osteoperosis, and my numbers have gone up a bit each year since I stopped drinking soda.

By Mrsheidi on Friday, July 6, 2007 - 07:03 pm:

Ginny, I think the phosphorus in the soda binds to the calcium, stopping the absorption of calcium into the bones.

I've lost interest in diet sodas as well...I think my throat feels so raw afterwards. I will have some every now and again (especially with a spiced rum/coke zero) but I don't consume nearly as much as I used to.

And, congrats, Cat! I *DO* remember you trying to quit diet cherry coke before...that stuff was like crack to me too! (Especially if I had chips or something starchy.)

By Bobbie~moderatr on Friday, July 6, 2007 - 08:58 pm:

Way to go Cat... I am Pepsi free for nearly four years now.. I watched a show on the amount of calories in a can of pop and I was weaning myself off of it that night.. Although, I didn't drop weight when I stopped drinking it.. I do feel much better with out it..

I have a long term goal of changing up my diet.. I have fibromyalgia and from what I have read (and I have read A LOT) there are a lot of foods out there that have a tendency to reek havoc on a person with Fibro.. White flour, white sugar, gluten for example. I am cutting things out little by little, instead of cold turkey.. Just because enough of the books I have read said that dropping everything all at once leads to cravings and if you eliminate and substitute a little at a time you have a greater chance of success..

I am wishing you great success in this Cat... I hope you find the diet that works for you... ^5 on the cherry coke..

By Reds9298 on Friday, July 6, 2007 - 09:24 pm:

10 years ago I gave up regular soda for diet...lost 6 lbs. 4 years ago I gave up caffeine drinks and saw a huge improvement overall with how I felt. Then 2 years ago I gave up Sprite (I was drinking at least 4/day). Again lost weight immediately. I have MAYBE 1 caffeine free diet coke per day. If I have more, I can always feel it...I feel like a blob.

Good luck with everything Cat!

By Karen~admin on Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 11:03 am:

I gave up Coke/Sprite for years, but the last few months, I've been drinking one a few times weekly, mainly because my meds upset my tummy sometimes. When I stopped drinking them though, I VERY quickly dropped 5 lbs. or so. And felt better, because I wasn't getting all the sugar. And the calcium factor is HUGE when you are *my* age. LOL

Ditto Bobbie, on the FMS - I have it too, and sugar actually causes inflamation, which in turn, causes pain. When you get down to it, sugar harms you, period.

I've found that when you change your diet and give up ANYthing, you tend to lose your taste for it, especially for a while.......

WTG, Cat!

By Boxzgrl on Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 06:23 pm:

I didn't drink a soda (period!) from the time I was pregnant with Kaitlyn and up until I got pregnant with Nathan and started craving Coke! Ugh! I never got over the craving. I'm trying to wean myself too, just because I know how bad it is. Also, if I don't give it to my kids, why should they see me drink it??? That puts it in perspective for me, lol.

By Cat on Sunday, July 8, 2007 - 09:27 am:

I've now discovered tea has more caffine than soda! lol I was having a nasty side effect. SO I got some decaffinated tea to make sun tea and we got a Pur Flavor Options water pitcher/filter. We're trying peach right now. Randy LOVES it, I think it's pretty good, dh thinks it's okay and Robin hates it! lol We'll try raspberry next and then strawberry. It was on sale and I had a coupon so it wasn't too bad, and we can get regular water out of it, too (I drink lots of water). It's so liberating being at the grocery store and not having to buy soda for myself! The kids and dh still want it, though. We'd save so much money if they'd stop drinking it, too, but they all wonder what they'd drink?!? Oh well. Baby steps.

By Karen~admin on Sunday, July 8, 2007 - 09:49 am:

Cat, for some reason the caffeine in tea really affects me. I literally drink coffee all day. No problems with that. A couple weeks ago we had to go to a business dinner. I had 3 glasses of tea. After we got home that night, my heart was racing, my heart was skipping beats/doing weird stuff (I have MVP too, so that didn't help), and I did not sleep much at all. I know it's from the caffeine in the tea!! Give me my water! LOL I drink a LOT of water.