Pop, or soft drinks, are tasty and refreshing beverages involving carbonation, added sugar and many different flavours. It tastes great, there is no doubt about it. But it is not very good for your overall health. If you find yourself drinking too much pop and having a hard to stopping or cutting down, keep reading this article.
We are going to go through several methods you can use to scale your fizzy drink consumption down as well as detail the health benefits of doing so.
Why Is It So Hard to Stop?
Fizzy pop is unlike many other addictions in that it taps into a very important part of our body: the instinct of survival. The body reacts positively to actions such as eating and drinking because that is our main way of surviving. When you eat and drink, your mind releases dopamine, a “reward drug” that makes you feel good to promote this activity.
Now, if you consume something with a high level of sugar, your brain releases a lot more dopamine. This is what makes you addicted to it, as it will keep chasing that high in sugary food and drink to stay satisfied.
That essentially means you will need to employ some clever tactics to deceive your brain to give sugary drinks up. Let us see, how that can be done.
Mental Approaches
Here we will list a few but effective methods and approaches you can use to reduce your fizzy drink consumption slowly but surely.
First off, find ways to distract your mind when you get the urge to drink pop. Common methods are to either go for a walk, take a shower, spin some wheels on an online casino etc. But in principle, it can be anything that helps occupy your mind. This approach is classic and tends to work very well for the most part.
Sometimes when you are thirsty, you will crave fizzy drinks a lot more. This is a vicious circle, however, as it does not reduce thirst but actually increases it, making you drink more. If you feel the urge to drink pop, try to down a large glass of water and wait a few minutes to see if that helped. If not, refer to the first approach.
Environment and Habits
Distancing yourself from fizzy products is also very effective. Do not keep any bottles or cans around your house or apartment. Even if you have a strong will, eventually your mind will convince you to have just one. So, keep your house clean and free of fizz. That will also help you not think too much about it.
Find a healthy alternative to pop. Examples can be sparkling water with fruit to enhance the taste, making it sweeter without it being unhealthier.
Lastly, be realistic. Sometimes you will be tempted and fail. You will drink some pop. It is not the end of the world, and it happens to everyone. Do not quit fizzy drinks entirely. Save it for Friday’s and Saturday’s as a nice treat to celebrate your weekend.
Health Benefits
The health benefits of reducing fizz consumption are massive. You will most likely experience weight loss, as fizzy drinks are one of the most notorious ways of gaining weight.
Your dental health will improve as you cut away the acid and sugar. Many heart diseases and stomach problems will be avoided due to the decrease of salt you consume.
And your energy levels will become more stable and reliable, making sure you will not experience fatigue and tiredness. The benefits are many, and therefore you should consider cutting back or stop entirely using the steps and tricks we have outlines in this article.