Sweet Escape: Attainable Ways to Cut Back on Sugary Drinks for Good

In my previous post I talked about how cutting back on sugar or cutting it out completely can help in reducing inflammation in your body, and one thing I hit on specifically was swapping out sugary drinks for something that won’t make you crash and burn in the long run. And before we get too far into this, I want to be clear in my intentions here: to help you if this is something that feels right for you.

I’ve found in working as a Health Coach that soda drinkers get nervous that I’m going to scold them for consuming such a thing and force them to remove it from their diet so they come to meetings with their guard already sky high. And while it’s evident that consuming soda isn’t good for your health, I’m here to meet you where you are and help you find ways to enjoy the things you love.

So let’s get to it, these are a few of the methods I use with clients who are looking to shake up their soda (or other sugary drink) intake.

1. Dilute it

Alright, so here’s the move: use plain water or sparkling and start with just ¼ of the can/bottle/cup. For someone looking to cut way back or cut it out completely, I’d suggest making a timeline where each week you add a little more seltzer to a little less soda.

Make sure you measure it out, so you’re not over-diluting and setting yourself up for disappointment in the beginning - you want to be successful up front.

Let’s say you have one can of Coke each day, it’s your afternoon treat and a guilty pleasure that you wish wasn’t so guilty. Each can is 39g of sugar, which is a lot* so if you cut that to 9oz of Coke and 3oz of seltzer, you’re consuming 9.75g less daily. Doesn’t sound like enough? Think about it this way: that’s 68.25g/week which is equal to 1.75 cans less for the week.

Now again, if you’re still reading this thinking what difference will that make? Keep in mind the goal isn’t to make huge changes overnight. We want to work gradually.

Or maybe you’re thinking 7 cans a week? I don’t consume that much… Ask yourself how regularly you drink soda, and be honest about your answer. Maybe you’re not having it as often, but you could make a bigger impact by cutting the can in half.

You can also try getting some flavored seltzer and mixing that with soda. Try mixing a vanilla seltzer with a coke, and see how close you can get to Vanilla Coke!

*The ADA suggests no more than 24g of sugar/day for women and 36g/day for men.

2. Swap it out

I need flavor in my drink, I can’t just drink water all the time.

I’m not necessarily asking you to do that (although if that’s how you feel we should probably revisit your water intake at some point..). You can add citrus to your water (check out the True Citrus packets), try something like unsweetened (or lightly sweetened) tea, or seltzer. Or check out the “health food sodas” that are hitting the market.

The term “health food soda” gets me because it sounds so counter intuitive, and in some ways it is, but we’re meant to enjoy life as much as we are meant to take care of ourselves, so I think things like Poppi, Ollipop and Culture Pop are really great alternatives (not sponsored, just sharing good info).

• Poppi is a prebiotic soda with 5g of sugar in each can

• Ollipop mixes classic and fun flavors and have 2-5g of sugar per can and a good amount of fiber.

• Culture Pop uses 6g of sugar from fruit juices in each can

3. Consume mindfully

If you’re really feeling like [insert soda of choice] is best the way it’s made and nothing should replace it, you can try the cut-back method. Drink ½ a can instead of the whole thing, and save the other half for tomorrow. What’s important in doing this is drinking it mindfully.

Pour it into a pretty glass and take it outside while you enjoy some fresh air on a break from work or after dinner. Smell the soda, sip it slowly and let each sip completely coat your tongue so you can enjoy all of the flavor.

Cutting back on soda can have a positive impact on inflammation, mood, depression and anxiety, blood sugar and weight (just to name a few things) but when a craving hits, those symptoms feel less significant in the moment (what really is blood sugar anyways, right?). It’s important to make changes that feel sustainable for you and if that’s something you feel like you need help with, you know where to find me 😉

(And just in case you don’t you can DM me over on Instagram or reach out here. I promise I don’t bite.)

XO, Hali