How to Quit Pop

Soda pop is certainly no health beverage. Sugar-sweetened soda pop is packed with empty calories, and diet versions of your favorite beverage contain artificial sweeteners you might not be comfortable with. Whether you're concerned for your health or just don't want to waste money at the vending machine, with a little knowledge, you can break the fizzy beverage habit for good.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook
• Pencil or pen
• Ripe fruit or fruit juice (optional)
• Low-fat milk (optional)
• Coffee powder (optional)
• Blender (optional)
• Breath mints (optional)

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Instructions

• 1

  Write down every soft drink you consume in a small notebook. Do this for a few days or up to a week. Writing down what you consume, recommended by nutritionist Andrea Wenger Hess of the University of Maryland Medical Center, helps raise your awareness of what is going into your body. It may help to write down how many calories were in each beverage, so you can decide if you want to eliminate pop altogether or cut calories from other areas of your diet to make room for an occasional treat.

• 2

  Omit pop entirely for one or two full days. In your notebook, note how you feel when you go without the soda. If you feel tired or get headaches, you probably liked the soda for its caffeine. If you find yourself craving sweets, you probably like the sweet taste. If you're just thirsty, you can replace pop with water.

• 3

  Replace pop with healthier alternatives. MayoClinic.com recommends a small glass of fruit juice. Smoothies are also a good choice; homemade fruit smoothies give you all the fiber and nutrients present in whole fruits. If you need a pick-me-up in the morning, make a coffee smoothie out of low-fat milk, half a frozen banana, instant coffee powder and a small amount of sweetener.

• 4

  Suck on a breath mint to fight sugar cravings. While all mints can help kill your desire for pop and other sweets, strongly flavored cinnamon mints are your best bet. The Doctor's Book of Food Remedies reports strong, sharp flavors such as cinnamon overwhelm the taste-buds and have a stronger impact on cravings than more mild peppermint or spearmint.