Five Steps to Kick Your Soft-Drink Addiction

Five Steps to Kick Your Soft-Drink Addiction
By Aisha El-Awady

Hi, my name is Aisha and I am addicted to soft drinks.
Who would have thought that such a thing was possible. A soft-drink addict? Well, there is such a thing, and millions of poor souls out there (myself included) are evidence. Although you may not have thought of your soft-drink habit as an addiction, try quitting and you will see it is not as easy as you might have thought.
In fact, quitting soft drinks is not easy at all, while getting hooked on them, with soft drinks being as ubiquitous as they are, is as easy as ever. Unfortunately, there is no rehab for soft-drink abusers, but there are several tips to help you stop this hazardous health habit and to help you start living a more healthy lifestyle.
One: Treat It Like an Addiction
Trying to quit consuming soft drinks is no walk in the park, especially for those who usually consume large amounts (more than three cans a day). Know that it will not be easy, and treat it as a serious addiction. You will probably experience strong cravings and withdrawal symptoms such as headaches.
Try to keep temptations to a minimum. This can be very difficult, as soft drinks are everywhere and advertising for them is fierce, but you can at least avoid temptation at home by keeping your refrigerator soft-drink free. When at work, avoid walking past the vending machines and keep a bottle of water at arm's reach at all times. When shopping, avoid passing through the soft drink aisle.
Two: Know the Associated Hazards
Soft drinks are associated with many health risks. In order to stop drinking them, you must familiarize yourself with these risks and convince yourself that the health problems involved are not worth the temptation to open that ice-cold bottle and gulp down its contents into your poor belly.
Soft drinks are known to promote diseases such as diabetes and kidney disorders. The high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks is converted directly into fat, and this has a direct link to obesity risk. You are essentially drinking liquid candy.
The high phosphorous content of cola drinks drains calcium from the bones and increases calcium loss in the urine putting you at risk for osteoporosis.
Three: Make a Gradual Withdrawal
Do not try to quit soft drinks cold turkey or you will end up with terrible headaches, nervousness, irritability, and other withdrawal symptoms. The caffeine found in many soft drinks is highly addictive. This is the hardest thing to overcome when you try to quit.
Try to gradually wean yourself off of the caffeinated soft drinks by reducing the number of soft drinks you consume daily. If you drink four cans of soda a day, then decrease it to two cans for a few days, then one can for a few days, and so on until you cut them out completely.
If you try to replace soft drinks with other caffeine-containing drinks such as tea or coffee, you will not be able to kick your caffeine addiction. Instead, you can replace caffeinated soft drinks with non-caffeinated ones such as 7 Up for a period of one week, which is about the time your cravings will go away and the withdrawal symptoms will stop.
After that, replace the non-caffeinated soft drinks with healthier substitutes. About two to three weeks after quitting, you will stop having those cravings altogether.
Four: Do Not Switch to Diet Drinks

Try drinking some ice-cold sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Consuming diet drinks is even worse for your health than drinking regular soft drinks. That is because diet drinks contain aspartame, which is metabolized in the body into a number of toxic chemicals. The most toxic of these is formaldehyde, the same liquid that is used to preserve body parts and anatomy specimens!
Aspartame consumption has been linked to a number of neurological disorders such as migraines, dizziness, shaking and tremors, seizures, mental confusion, change in mood, as well as Alzheimer's, and permanent blindness.
Water, herbal tea, and pure fruit juices with no added sugar are great substitutes. If you are craving that crisp taste you used to get from soda, try drinking some ice-cold sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon juice. Your best option though, might be skimmed milk, especially if you have been a long-time soft-drink user. This will help replenish your calcium supply and reverse the damage you have done to your bones.
Five: Exercise
Exercising will help you in your quest to quit soft drinks. It will ease the withdrawal symptoms and boost your endorphins, which will lift your mood.
If you are new to exercise, try going for a walk. Start out with 15-minute walks a day, then gradually increase the length and speed of your walks every week. Aerobics, yoga, hiking, jogging will all do the job. The important thing is to do something that makes you feel good, and it will give you something to focus on other than your cravings.
The best exercise for former soft-drink users, though, is weight training. The stress on your bones caused by weight training will help increase your bone density, reversing some of the damage caused by the mineral-depleting soft drinks. So get up, and get that body moving!
Sources:http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1216030527304&pagename=Zone-English-HealthScience%2FHSELayout