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Seaweed Snacks
YUM!
I think I felt the nutrients soaking into my body. “See ya, croissants,” they said.
Diet Soda: A Do or a Don’t?
About 30-minutes after lunch, I got a craving some something carbonated and sweet so I headed down to the café on the second floor of my office building to pick up a Diet Dr. Pepper and an apple.
Diet Dr. Pepper
Truth be told, I kind of love Diet Dr. Pepper.
When I was growing up, my parents didn’t let me or my sister drink soda except for on very special occasions. I remember thinking that a Shirley Temple (7-Up mixed with grenadine) was so, so fancy.
As a child, I wished I could have soda a few times, but it wasn’t that big of a deal, especially since my parents didn’t keep it around the house. Today I am grateful that they restricted my soda intake as a kid because I never think to order it at restaurants and still drink it very rarely.
I try to avoid diet sodas because of the inclusion of aspartame in the ingredient list, but I don’t worry about drinking a can every now and then and enjoy it when I do.
Questions of the Day
- What are your thoughts on soda and diet soda consumption?
- Do you drink diet soda? If so, how often? If not, why not?
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It just makes me feel bloated when I drink it. But I used to be absolutely addicted to diet sprite. I keep a few cans around, just incase 🙂 but as far as a do or a don’t, I feel like it’s a “don’t do very often”.
If I ever drink a diet soda it’s diet Dr Pepper, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve had one. 1-2 years ago?
La Croix satisfies my craving for carbonated goodness lately and I love it! Though some say it’s an acquired taste.
I do the best I can to stay away from artificial sweeteners.
I’m obsessed with La Croix too!! Seltzer water has become sort of my savior for drink mixers.
Have you tried the Coconut La Croix? So tasty!
I didn’t even know they had a coconut??
I alternate flavors weekly… right now I’m on lemon 🙂
OMG coconut La Croix??? That sounds amazing! I love their grapefruit flavor so much! 🙂
I LOVE La Croix too! But I have never seen Coconut! I’ve only had the berry and the lime… any other good ones I should try??
I love La Croix! Am on the hunt for coconut now. Thanks for the tip!
I love La Croix! Am on the hunt for coconut now. Thanks for the tip!
As for other sodas, I was raised like you, soda was a treat. I have a weekness for diet root beer. I like it when it makes me burp and I gross out the hubs 🙂
I grew up with pretty much the same soda rules that you described. Going to someone’s house and getting soda in a can was a treat because we never had that in our house. I also totally agree with your moderation when it comes to craving some soda every once in awhile.
Love your balanced approach!
I never really drink soda all that much. I do occasionally get a craving for a diet soda. I usually drink seltzer everyday because it’s the carbonation that I like, plus it doesn’t contain artificial sugars. 🙂
I totally agree with you. I rarely drink it because of the aspartame (I only drink diet when I do drink it), but once in a while isn’t bad. Diet Dr. Pepper is my favorite as well! Diet coke is a close runner up though. I tend to drink a lot of carbonated water from my SodaStream to satisfy my bubbly craving!
Welcome back, Julie!! 🙂
I have the same sentiments towards soda (we call it ‘pop’ here in Canada!). I was a big drinker of soda when I was younger because my dad drinks a lot of it. I remember giving it up for lent and going through withdrawal symptoms – I was really tired, headaches, the whole shebang. That was a HUGE wake up call for me – I was too addicted to something really terrible for me. I continued to abstain from drinking soda after I made it through that lenten season (this was years ago, I was probably 16 and I’m 24 now) and I rarely even choose it as a drink. When I want one though, I go ahead since it’s just a treat now!
i used to DRINK diet soda like CRAZY! but it gave me SO MANY headaches becuz i was drinking it obsessively!
now i only drink it if its paired with vodka and im at a party 😉
it gives me headaches, too! also, i love diet coke + vodka which creeps EVERYONE out as a drink combination. 🙂
Why does diet coke + vodka creep everyone out? Haha. I’ll get that sometimes, but my usual combo is Captain Morgan + diet coke. Truly heinous, but hey…a girl’s gotta pick her poison…
It’s called a Skinny Bitch and it is my go-to drink!! 🙂
This is great news! I always get funny looks when I order a diet coke and vodka. Sometimes earlier in the night I need more than just seltzer with my vodka. Glad to know I’m not alone!
That is a common drink for me, I never knew it was considered odd! I also love whiskey and diet root beer but only make those at home, I doubt any restaurants or bars have diet root beer!
I’m all about the Rye (Canadian Whiskey) & Diet Coke….or as my sister and I call it: “Starting a Ryet”. When we went on a trip to Florida this spring, no bartender knew why we’d want whiskey with pop and kept giving us Whiskey Sours…yuck!
I have the exact same feelings about it, except I actually grew up with it pretty readily available. My parents never restricted anything from my brother or me, which I think worked out really well for both of us, because we didn’t feel the need to rebel much. But I did drink quite a bit of diet soda all throughout college…Fortunately, I started caring about the food, nutrients and chemicals I put into my body toward the end of college, and only then learned about the horrors of aspartame.
Just recently, I’ve noticed how awful it makes me feel when I have any — diet soda, “light” yogurt…well, any “light” foods really. I get a headache and a stomachache! That’s enough to deter me from it most of the time, but as you said, occasionally I just want something bubbly. Diet Dr. Pepper usually fits the bill! 🙂
Julie, have you ever tried La Croix sparking water? It comes in a million flavors and doesn’t have any aspartame in it…It’s amazing, and is great because it’s a lot closer to “real” water, but satisfies your craving for soda! My favorite flavor is graprefruit (aka pamplemousse)
yes!! i LOVE la croix! the pamplemousse is my fav, too!
I used to never drink it, then I went through a phase of drinking loooads…now I haven’t had it for a couple weeks and haven’t even thought about it until now!haha.
I don’t miss it at all, but if I ever have a craving I have no problem drinking a bottle 🙂
It is true, sodas AND diet sodas are like poison. But so is sugar. ANd HFCS. and a lot of other stuff.
So yah, I have one once in awhile<—and indulge in it:)
I like bubbly drinks too. Esp carbonated water!!
i loved how big europeans were on carbonated water. it was EVERYWHERE.
Didn’t you love the sparkling mineral water too? I buy it from Trader Joe’s all the time now…I think the flavor is so interesting!
I grew up the same way. No “cokes” (as us texans call all types of sodas) were kept in the house. So grateful for that but I still love a Diet Dr. Pepper every now and then. I agree with moderation. Soda is obviously not good for your body, diet or regular, but one every now and then is a nice treat!
Do not drink diet soda! Not only because of the aspertame (linked to brain cancer) but carbonated drinks may also include sulphite ammonia caramel (for artificial color), phosphoric acid (also used for rust removal!), sodium citrates, acesulfame potassium (another chemical sweetener), sodium benzoate (you wouldn’t even want this to touch your skin), artificial flavors and caffeine. Artificial chemicals + Acids = Aging=bad bad bad
Have you ever tried Kombucha for a fizzy non-water drink?
Kombucha is a highly fermented beverage that is fairly acidic, although in moderation it is harmless, too much could do just as much harm as diet soda. Diet soda is definitely not good for you, but do you have evidence based research to back up your list of claims? Regardless of the perceived “health” of a beverage, moderation should always be considered.
I used to have a total diet soda addiction- like four or five cans a day. It was bad. I just love bottles! Now, I have maybe a can or two per week as a treat. I figure its still not good for me, but everyone is allowed to have a vice. Naturally flavored fruit seltzer really helps when I’m craving soda though!
Sometimes I’ll have it on special occasions, but I generally try to avoid it. I never really feel like I’m missing out though, especially since I have a tendency to get really bad hiccups after a few sips of Coke.
I know it’s a little strange.
I used to be seroiusly addicted to diet pop. I would go through so much in a day and didn’t realize that it wasn’t very good for me — I thought “zero calories,” what could be so bad!?
I noticed it was making me feel bloated so I stopped drinking it about a year ago, and while it was hard at first, I very rarely crave it now. If I do want a pop, I’ll have one, and I usually can’t even finish it! Kind of incredible! 🙂
Agreed 🙂 I’m the same way about coffee and tea! I like drinking something with flavor and I’m not ashamed to say that lemon-flavored water just doesn’t always cut it for me.
I clicked the wrong “reply” button. Oops. Definitely meant that to go under #16.
Sigh. This is my Achille’s heel. I love diet soda, and even though my head knows it isn’t the best, my mouth still craves it. And I drink too much.
I have “quit” drinking it multiple times (for weeks at a time), so I know it is possible…but somehow I always come back. I don’t like coffee or tea, so I think I do rely on the bit of caffeine a cold Diet Pepsi brings. But mostly, I just like drinking it — I like the bubbliness, I like the taste. My lunchtime soda is almost gone, and I am feeling a little sad.
Ultimately, I do think this is a habit I need to break. The thought of going totally cold turkey makes me sad (“Never? I can NEVER have it again?”), but I like your attitutude — stick to water, seltzer, etc. most of the time, but have a bit on occassion if you have a craving.
I drink diet coca cola about 2-3 times a week, especially when I go out to a party and I don’t want to drink alcohol..
But I usually drink water, lots of green/white/herbal teas and sometimes coffee with soy milk.. 🙂
I’m not gonna lie, I love a diet fountain drink when I go to the movies…but on a day to day basis I try to avoid it because of the highly processed and impossible to pronounce ingredient lists!
Have you tried Zevia sodas yet? I really like the citrusy grapefruit kind and the cream soda one just for fun! They use natural no-calorie sweeteners and are a nice alternative. While I still don’t think I’d drink them every day I do feel a lot better about what I’m puttin in my bod when I buy those!
I only drink it on certain occasions now, such as with a mixed drink on a weekend or on a hot summer day when its the only thing that’s refreshing! I wish popular soda brands would start switching out aspartame for an all natural sweetener like stevia…what are they waiting for?! I’m dying to try zevia since it uses stevia plus im pretty sure it’s caffeine free.
I’ve been diet soda free for almost 6 months now and I don’t miss it at all. This time I kicked it by cutting back slowly once I realized I didn’t even really like how it tasted anymore. I switched to having green tea with my dinner and drinking way more water. I am a fan of the captain and diet too and I figure if I want one when I’m out that is fine but its not something I’ll make at home. Once in awhile I crave a Diet Pepsi, mainly whenever I have peanut butter on a toasted bagel. Oh those college breakfast habits.
I didn’t drink much soda growing up. It was a special occasion thing for us too. I did drink a lot of soda when I pregnant with my kids (Coke zero with my son, Sprite zero with my daughter). I CRAVED it. I feel a little guilty about that, but at the time I don’t think I was as aware. Thankfully they turned out OK!
I do think aspartame is just ridiculously bad for you and now try to avoid it at all costs. This really came to light recently when my FIL passed away from leukemia. He had a serious Diet Coke addiction and while there’s not a direct link to leukemia and his disease – we can’t help but think there was a connection.
I don’t drink diet sodas very much mainly because I hate how they make me feel after–very bloated. I always wondered why people were so against drinking diet sodas because of aspartame but they had no problem chewing gum that also includes aspartame. Is there a difference between the two?
I only drink diet soda when I go out to eat or as a calorie free mixer when I indulge in real cocktails, so I don’t worry about it too much. I don’t have any trouble with artificial sweeteners though.
I am a Diet Dr Pepper fan, but I do limit my consumption to 1 a day. I love carbonation and crave it! Sparkling water does help but for the most part I don’t think having one soda a day is going to hurt me.
I don’t drink pop, ESPECIALLY diet pop. I will not consume anything with Aspartame in it.
Pop has always made me sick, whenever I had it as a kid I was throwing up everywhere. I used to only really drink it when I was partying that there was booze in it, but again, that ended up with me being horribly sick so I avoid pop altogether now.
I’ve discovered a few soda products sweetened with Stevia that I would like to try and see how the taste and how the effect me though.
I have been trying to limit my diet soda intake (aka pop where I grew up), but I still crave one from time to time. I generally go for diet cokes. I probably have 3-4 a week, usually only when I am eating out.
I LOVE carbonated drinks, but i stopped drinking soda about 6 years ago. I never crave it, but I always want something “bubbly” so I stick with carbonated water with lime. Even after I stopped drinking soda, I would still drink sprite or 7up when I felt sick, but I recently had ankle surgery and they gave me a can of sprite in the hospital and I realized it has HFCS so I think I’m done drinking that now too!
I used to drink it all the time until last year through one of my teams on Sparkpeople I gave up soda for a month as a sparkstreak, and now it burns my throat. I have some every now and then with lots of ice. We have been trying to give up artificial sweeteners as well and now anything with them added tastes funny.
Your lunch looks amazing!! 😀
I completely agree with you about the diet soda…..I rarely drink any, especially because here we have such wonderful fresh fruit juices. I hardly ever even crave soft drinks, but if I do have one, I don’t worry too much about it!
I get a craving for soda every once and a while but I make it into a weekend treat. On Sundays, if I want a soda, I’ll have a Diet Coke or a Diet Cherry Coke, and it keeps the cravings at bay. But sometimes (like today) I’ll wake up after drinking one with a HUGE headache! So I don’t make it a weekly thing.
Every once in awhile I crave a diet coke or diet DP. In college a fountain diet coke in the morning (ew, i know) was one of the only things that would make me feel better after a night of drinking lol. I’ve been seeing La Croix around a lot and I’m thinking I have to give that a try!! My life is missing some carbonation 🙂
On a side note: Did Sadie absolutely freak out when you came home this morning from sheer joy? I’m getting nervous because we’re going on vacation for 10 days in June and leaving our 2 pups behind…Rush is going to the breeder for boarding and the other one is staying with family. I’ve never been away from them for so long though–it’s gonna be tough!
I say everything in moderation. I too was restricted from soda growing up and am thankful for it. But every once in awhile I do crave a diet coke from a fountain (like via McDonalds or something vs the can or bottle). I’d say on average, I have less than 1 soda per week and I’m pretty darn sure it won’t kill me.
I always have diet caffeine free coke in the house, but I wish I didn’t like it! It stains my teeth very quickly!
Oh, and I have tried those seaweed snacks, interesting and tasty!
I have never been a soda fan and it doesn’t quench my thirst so I just don’t drink it, but every once in awhile I like a good root beer.
When my sister and I were growing up, my parents only let us have a soda on Friday nights while we watched TGI Fridays (full house, step by step, family matters etc) and we had to split a diet caffeine free coke 🙂 now I rarely crave soda, and when I do it’s only like once a month. I drink a lot of water. Soda is for special occasions!! Diet Dr Pepper and Diet Root Beer are the best!!
I actually just recently stopped buying/drinking diet pop. I am on a strict grocery money challenge this month and I didn’t want to waste any money on that junk! I do love it though — but I haven’t missed it much this past week.
I really like lemon or lime slices in seltzer water — a friend got me hooked and I feel really “bubbly” afterward — I realize that is super lame and corny to say but it is true!
Welcome back–it looks like you had an amazing trip!
I drink diet soda pretty regularly (a few times a week), but I try to drink diet sodas made from natural ingredients like Stevia. I know it doesn’t make a huge difference health-wise, but I like the taste better than aspyrtame-based diet sodas.
I have a serious diet soda problem. I just love it so much. It is so bad for you, but, I know this is crazy, I have a really hard time drinking just plain water. I can’t stand that it doesn’t have a taste.
I used to drink a 12 pack of diet soda A DAY, but I’ve cut back significantly. I know it’s a terrible habit.
That’s brilliant of you to use nori as the lettuce to your sandwich!!
I use to be addicted to Diet drinks. I made the decision one day that I needed to stop and I then ejoyed them on occasion. I am so addicted to water now because of all of the running that I do and I hardly ever even think about drinking a soda. This august it will be a year with no soft drinks and I am hoping to continue that way!
I used to order soda when I’d go out to eat or have a Mt. Dew once in a while, but after reading about all of the many harmful chemicals and effects soda has on a body I’ve been scared to drink it for years now!
I stopped drinking soda in second grade when I learned that “caffeine is a drug”. (Yeah, I was one of those kids). Now I don’t even like the taste of soda or the fizziness of carbonation. Its actually come to be one of my defining characteristics according to my friends. “Brittany doesn’t drink brown soda!” Yeah, I’ll sip sprite with my vodka every once in a while but that’s the extent.
I had a diet sprite today and was thinking the same thing! I try and limit my diet drink intake but sometimes I just crave the fizzy goodness. I think all things are fine in moderation. I am now going to try seaweed snacks! how fun.
Thank you so much for thanking your parents for restricting your soda consumption as a child. My 11 year old daughter LOVES soda. We don’t keep it in the house. We allow her to order soda when we go out to eat. Sometimes I worry that she will go “overboard” with soda when she is an adult due to our restriction of it now. It was good for me to hear that you are now grateful to your parents for the restriction. I hope she is grateful one day too! Let your parents know….. it will make them happy to know their efforts made a difference! 🙂 I enjoyed following your travels abroad! Welcome home!
I grew up in a Dr.Pepper household and never thought a lot about it until highschool days. Now I drink coffee in the am and A LOT of water the rest of the day. I rarely ever drink any type of coke but occassionaly I just crave a diet dp. My husband has a BAD addiction to diet coke but he recently has started to **TRY** to slow that down luckily!
I used to be very very addicted to Diet Coke, likely because my parents drink so much of it. And they are doctors…weird?
But recently I’ve gotten off it and don’t drink caffeine at all. Only if I KNOW I need to stay awake and I’m dragging will I have a little bit, and I’m okay with that. Sometimes there is nothing like that sweet carbonation!
We call it pop here in Michigan (: I stopped drinking pop two years ago an now I avoid it because the acid burns my throat. Carbonated things in general are pretty hard for me to swallow. I bet I’ve saved buttloads by only ordered water at restaurants though!
I used to be an absolute diet soda fiend. Then about 2 years ago I stopped drinking it and replaced it with seltzer/club soda. I just had a whole can of Diet Dr. Pepper for the first time in 2 years last week and it tasted so good 🙂 I guess it’s nice as a treat but, I definitely won’t be drinking it regularly again.
I’m just like you, I very rarely drink it but don’t mind if I have one now and then. I’m wondering how you feel towards gum though cuz of the artificial sweeteners? I believe you mentioned you chew a lot of it every day. (not judging by the way, I’m a total gum addict)
i just try to pretend it doesn’t exist when it comes to gum… i wish i had a better answer for you! i love gum so, so much.
LOL. fair enough, i’m the same way
I was never raised with it either. Luckily, I can’t stand them now (the first time I had a Coca Cola I threw up). It’s a big contributor to osteoporosis due to how acidic in your body it is, so I’m glad I can’t stand it!
yes! that’s a big deterrent for drinking diet soda for me, too!
Same for me! I have a family history of osteoporosis, so I try to avoid stuff like diet soda. Besides, it gives me an excuse to go and drink some skinny lattes (gotta get that calcium in 😀 )