"Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." ~Lao-Tze
If you are a new reader, you may not know that just over 1 year ago, Eric decided to eliminate pop from his diet.
Since he was a young boy, he was hooked on pop, specifically Coke. During university, he often drank up to 6 cans a day as a way to stay awake during late nights. He cut back after university, but he still drank 2-3 cans of Coke during the work day to give him a boost.
Back in 2008, Eric wanted nothing more than to have his picture taken beside this retro Coke truck in Istanbul!
If you would have asked him back then if he would ever give up pop, he would have laughed in your face!
But he suffered from constant sugar cravings, migraines, fatigue, cavities, and more which he believed were mostly due to the large amount of pop he consumed each day. He knew that something needed to change, but he didn’t quite know how to make the change. Or if he could succeed.
When we vacationed to Florida last March, Eric decided to drink pure fruit juice to satisfy his cravings instead of relying on pop. The sunny, warm weather and delicious fresh fruits and vegetables made it relatively easy for him to focus on drinking natural juices and smoothies while on vacation. It was also during this time that he decided to give up his favourite cereal that contained High Fructose Corn Syrup, instead opting for an organic cereal by Nature’s Path. It took a couple bowls to get used to, but after he did, he said it was a really easy switch. Now he eats Nature’s Path Spelt cereal and sprinkles some raisins and chia seeds on top. I never thought I would see the day!
He also discovered that he really loves drinking juice and smoothies and felt more energized than ever.
This vacation was truly worth its weight in GOLD health!
Inspired by how great he felt while away, he decided to stick with his new eating plan. He drank 100% pure juice, tea, or smoothies when he craved pop and he also kept buying organic cereals free of HFCS.
And then he said something that I never thought I would hear come out of his mouth…
‘Ange, I have decided to completely cut out pop from my diet….for good.’
I was so proud of him at that moment because I know how difficult it would be for him. I could tell that he was a bit scared, but he was also very proud of his accomplishments, now 2 weeks without pop. With each day, he gained momentum, but the road wasn’t always a smooth one!
When Eric told some coworkers that he was cutting out pop from his diet, he got a lot of flack and teasing for it (in addition to his healthier eating in general) and this made it difficult for him, but the resistance from others actually made him want to stick to his guns even more! He was more convinced than ever that this choice was the right one for him. Whenever someone scoffed at him for passing up pop or junk food, it only made him more determined to stick with it. And he has also become very well versed with comebacks. ;)
Today, we celebrate Eric being 100% free of ALL POP for 1 year! Congrats Eric!
I asked Eric to comment on his journey over the past year, so you can hear it straight from the man himself.
We did a little Q & A together last night…
How did you do it?
Cold Turkey. :) With lots of support from Ange.
Did you ever feel tempted to cheat, if so how did you overcome it?
Not really tempted to “cheat”, but there were times after doing work outside (in the yard) when I craved a Coke. I usually would try to get my fix through something else. Originally, I thought it was the caffeine that I craved, so I would try to drink Tea, but then I realized that didn’t really help much. I figured out that it is the sugar that I craved so I would drink a juice instead. While juices aren’t much better in terms of sugar, I would make sure there was no HFCS/glucose fructose in it, and at least this way I’m having a more natural sugar source. I also realized that it is very difficult to find juice without HFCS/glucose fructose hiding in it. Sometimes, the restaurant or café I go to for lunch doesn’t have any options at all. I tend to look for 100% pure apple juice and I can find it at places like Subway. I would guess that 98% of the juices for sale have HFCS/glucose fructose in them.
Was it as difficult as you thought to kick your pop habit?
I actually didn’t think it would be that hard, but it was fairly difficult. Mostly from peer pressure. Co-workers constantly try to give me pop and they place them on my desk in front of me. Sometimes they would hide cans of Coke in our house too. Most of my co-workers don’t see the need to eat healthy so it is difficult on me when I am the only one out of the group who wants to eat better.
Do you think you will ever go back to drinking pop?
No. I’m tempted to get a rum/coke sometimes for a drink when we go out as I used to have it as an alternative to beer every once in a while, but I feel like I would be cheating so I don’t even do that.
How do you feel now?
It took quite a while to feel any difference. While drinking coke I would get the 2 or 3pm slump, but to get over it I used to drink even more coke (it’s a vicious cycle). After a few months of not drinking coke (and I think it took at least 3 months to feel this way), the 2 or 3pm slump wasn’t nearly as bad. Sure, every once in a while I’m tired in the afternoon, but nothing even close to what I was back then. I also don’t drink juice as much as I did when I first quit drinking coke, so now I’m probably a little lower in sugar intake. I don’t get the highs and lows as much as I used to. The juice was a good substitute initially, but I find I don’t ‘need’ it as much anymore. I also lost about 10 pounds which was an added bonus.
Any final words to those people out there who want to kick a bad habit?
Definitely go for it! You may think it is such a small change and it may take time to notice anything, but it will make a huge difference in your life. I found that by making this healthy change in my life, I was inspired to make other changes in my life that I never expected. One healthy change gives you momentum for other healthy changes. When I eliminated pop my coworkers stopped drinking it as frequently too. While my coworkers would argue that it had nothing to do with me, I think healthy changes rub off on other people overtime, even without asking anyone to change.
We made one of his favourite smoothie combos to celebrate. :)
Strawberry Banana Chai Smoothie
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 frozen bananas
- 3/4 cup frozen strawberries
- 2 cups non-dairy milk
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 scoop Vega Vanilla Chai protein powder
Serving Suggestion: Close your eyes, sit in front of a space heater, and pretend you are in Florida. ;)
Have you ever made a healthy change in your lifestyle? If so, what was it and how did you do it? Did you have any peer pressure or resistance from other people?
Or are there any changes that you want to make in your lifestyle this Spring?
Eric’s 1 year anniversary has encouraged me to question what positive change I could make in my own life this Spring. Yesterday, I decided to bring out my juicer and start juicing a few times a week again. We juiced a lot last summer and felt amazing, so I would really like to start this up again. Spring is always a great time to make a new change!
I’ve been trying to quit drinking coke zero now, but every time I try to go without it I get such bad headaches and have to drink it again to help get me through school…what do you think is the best way to quit???
I’ve tried coffee…but I don’t like the taste of it :/ Any suggestions???
I wonder if you’re having caffeine withdrawal when you stop drinking the coke zero. My mom drank a lot of coffee and once while on vacation she didn’t have any and got really sick. It turned out it was caffeine withdrawal. Maybe instead of quitting the coke zero cold turkey, cut out a little week by week until you are no longer drink it. Also, have you tried tea? Black tea has the most caffeine in it. You could start out with that, then switch to green tea which has less caffeine, then white tea which has the least amount of caffeine in it. Also, I like herbal tea since it has no caffeine in it and there are so many wonderful flavors out there.
This is a slight tangent, but I am really trying to give up my disordered eating. It has been hanging onto me forever, and I’m just ready to be done with it. Going vegan has definitely helped, as it has lessened all types of fear and guilt, but I still don’t think I’m fully recovered. I just want to be truly healthy! And I want to love myself and be free of negativity! Once and for all.
Goodluck with your recovery :) You can do it!
Having just finished reading your “A Year Can Change A Lot” series, I logged onto my school email account to find this quote at the end of the weekly bulletin. It made me thing of you, so I thought I’d share it with you.
“I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and act for the good of others.” – Walter Anderson
I love your blog so much and all of the recipes you post. Thank you for being such a beautiful person.
Thanks Alex I LOVE that quote!
Congrats to Eric, that is a hard, hard habit to kick! I too quit soda a few years back, and it is no easy task. I have had my relapses, but I am still keeping it up.
Just recently I decided to give up all artificial sweeteners, I am getting my degree in Nutritional Science from UC Berkeley, am eating a vegan diet, but I was still using splenda…….seems crazy right?
I have this belief that the way you can truly judge whether you are doing something that is wrong is if you care that other people see you doing it, or if you’re embarrassed to be seen doing it. SPLENDA FAILED this test hard; I realized that whenever I used splenda I felt like a hypocrite and I also tried to hide it from others. Obviously I knew what I was doing was wrong, both for myself, and in order to set an example of a healthy lifestyle for anyone who I would be advising in the future. I quit splenda and I have never looked back!
Part of what motivated me to kick the splenda habit, and what kept me motivated was actually you and your blog! Your life, your food, and your outlook all seem so balanced, healthy, and well-rounded, and you really do GLOW, and I am sure part of it is because of the vegan, healthy, and balanced lifestyle you lead. I have been a dedicated reader of your blog for quite a while, and I realized that the reason I love your blog is because of how natural, healthy, delicious everything you make is, and how balanced your approach to life is. Thanks for you help! (although you may not have known it at the time)
Now I only use stevia, fair trade sugar, raw agave, and sometimes honey :)
…….and I feel soooo much better! (no more headaches or stomach cramps)
Your comment just put a big smile on my face…thank you!
I used to addicted to splenda too! I cut it cold turkey back in…2008 I think it was? My consumption was out of control and I had sooo many stomach problems! Good for you for making the change too. :)
Tell Eric congrats for me! That is fantastic! I have heard how addictive coke can be so that is a big accomplish to be free of it for a year!
Congrats to Eric!
My boyfriend gave up soda for Lent!! I’m so proud of him. I’m giving up land animal meat, cow cheese, and coffee. :) I hope he can keep it up! He’s vegetarian so it’s easy for me to give up meat.
Our reward: a trip to Buenos Aires next month! ok we planned that like 3 months ago. heheh
Congrats to Eric! Especially with all the opposition from co-workers. Some people question my vegetarianism, and it doesn’t bother me too much. It gets frustrating and annoying when people say it’s not healthy or judge my reasons without listening to me. I’ve been able to convince my parents to make meatfree meals when I’m home and when I’m not home, which is great!
I feel like I’m addicted to chocolate in this way. I would love to cut it out cold turkey!!
Yay! Congratulations, Eric!!! :)
Congratulations to Eric!!! Soda is so infused into Western culture that it is probably one of the hardest things to quit!
I am trying to stop binge-eating… I restrict-crave-binge-restrict-crave-binge… Some days I would give anything to be normal again…
Wow ~ that is great! Good job Eric.
Congrats Eric!!!
I gave up soda (haha we call it that here) in high school and am glad I did. I crave water. Is that weird?
that is great!
Ha! Not one bit! I love and crave water myself – especially ice cold water – yum!
Wow! Good for him! I can’t believe that was already a year ago. Time flies! I have enjoyed your blog daily for well over a year now. Thank you!
Wow – congrats to Eric!! I cant believe how quickly that year went?!
Switching to a vegetarian diet definitely caused a few waves. I like in rural Iowa, and people definitely like their meat here! Mostly people just thought it was a little strange, and couldn’t figure out what I would be eating if I wasn’t eating a big slab of meat for dinner every night, lol. My coworkers gave some of my lunches weird looks (particularly when I brought in Indian or Thai leftovers). I didn’t really have peer pressure to eat meat, luckily. My parents are avid meat eaters, but my mom has started making sure she has plenty of fresh produce in the kitchen when she knows I’m coming to visit. I even got her to try a green monster! (:
Wow, Congrats Eric!
This year I have already made a bunch of huge health changes but the biggest and hardest was giving up coffee everyday. I am not at that point yet to say that I won’t drink it anymore but I am only having it 1-2 times a week as opposed to 2-4 cups a day. I am still drinking caffeinated teas and such but for some reason coffee was still really hard to get off of. I felt like I was coming off a drug. It to could be do to the creamer (with high fruit corn syrup and whatever else) I was putting in every cup too.
I have realized that, for me, going cold turkey wasn’t really what worked. For me it has been a gradual change that I started but then didn’t even realize I was doing until I was like, I haven’t had coffee for so many day! The crazy symptom that has stuck with me so far is that every afternoon it use to be a bad headache but now my ears just ring until I go to bed. I can live with it but I sure do hope that within time it will stop.
he, he . . .I meant fructose.
Anyways, it was really hard to tell anyone that I was trying to stop because they would immediately start questioning me or tell me that it isn’t worth trying to stop or it isn’t bad for you. Which yeah doesn’t make it any easier.
that is a great approach! That is how I approached veganism…very gradually over many months. Worked for me!
And I wish it was high FRUIT corn syrup ;)
Congrats to Eric! I don’t drink soda often, only ginger ale or root beer from time to time. I used to drink quite a bit of soda (or pop, haha, I say it both ways!) but gave it up as a result of falling in love with coffee. But I suffer with heartburn, so I’ve been trying to cut back on the coffee, opting for decaffeinated tea instead. I am glad to have discovered I can function normally without the caffeine– so I do on occasion have some:)
I think one thing I need to change is my sweet tooth: my mother is a Type 2 diabetic, and with sugar being in near everything nowadays, it’s no wonder I crave the stuff! So I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar intake: lowering sugar amounts in baked goods, only making sweet stuff if I want it instead of buying it prepackaged and ready to eat, not adding any to tea or coffee.
I also need to change my way of thinking. I’ve lost quite a bit of confidence in myself the past couple years of university, and I haven’t been treating my body with the care and nourishment it deserves. I’d like to take back my confidence and create a better relationship with food.
Yay for Eric!
Hey! So I sent a link of your recipe page to one of my friends on facebook.
She wrote:
“I want to make EVERYTHING on that site.”
A different friend commented with this…
“Dear Caitlin-
Thank you for sucking away hours of my day by introducing me to the Oh She Glows blog. I now have 10000 recipies I want to try.
<3 Me"
Yet another friend commented with this"
"I read this too and have been for months in secret and then don't discuss it with you (I don't know why) hahaha. Anyway although I am OBSESSED with fish and eggs for that matter I am considering cutting these things out to see what difference it makes. I have been eating better for the past several months (more whole foods less unrecognizable junk) and I THINK I notice a difference in the way I feel, but still need to figure out a solution to my rude misbehaving skin that has not been clear since age 10. I'm not really a drastic moves kinda girl but I'm thinking I'll attempt to be 80% vegan at first and see what happens. Any and all tips are welcome…..Hahaha I bring the overnight oats to work and everyone is like what the hell are you eating you weird girl. And I tell them it's an aborted chia pet."
ANYWAY, thought you would get a kick out of these. I'll continue to refer recipe and inspiration seekers to your site! Thanks for blogging!
xo
Caitlin
Oh and the friend who said she wanted to make EVERYTHING on the site is also in the Dietetics program at The University of Pittsburgh, so ya must be doing something right!
LOL!!!! thanks for sharing that made my night!
Awesome, inspiring post!
Congratulations to Eric!
I have made a few lifestyle changes-quitting soda in high school, becoming vegetarian and later vegan.
This Spring I am implementing a lot more Bikram yoga in my routine-striving for 1-2 times per week. I am suffering from a small knee injury that has postponed my half marathon training. It is very frustrating but I am trying to take it easy and strengthen my body by doing yoga and eating healthy. Sucks to have to go through an injury to really appreciate what your body is capable of.
I was literally just thinking about that quote today! Crazy.
Love this post! I sent it to my mom because she has pop around the house and I don’t think she gets how bad it is for her or my brother.
Way to go Eric!
I actually do not like pop and never drink it. I wish more people would lessen their dependence on it because that stuff is addicting
One goal I have for myself is to eat less sweets. I’m usually ok but I still sometimes can’t resist buying some unhealthy pastry when I’m out. The sad thing is, most of the time it does not taste as good as something I can make myself!
Congratulations, Eric!
I gave up Diet Coke in January 2010, and since then I have never had one. I went cold turkey also. I used to drink 3-6 a day. It was my first step in Eating Clean. My problem was more with artificial sweeteners than sugar, and I completely cut them out as well. I have never felt better in my life, and I think without artificial sweeteners to dull my taste buds I can now really taste real food. I eat almost all veggies now and love them. A year ago I wouldn’t eat any. Small changes truly do lead to bigger ones!
artificial sweeteners dulled my taste buds too. I used to make things SO sweet with splenda.
My husband decided that he was addicted to diet coke so he stopped (for the month of march – he says he doesn’t want to stop for good, just cut down which is better than nothing, he was drinking like 6 a day) and says that by making that one change, he’s had less unhealthy cravings and eating healthier in general.
Soda can be soo addictive. I go through phases with diet soda… and it’s really hard to break them. The more soda I drank, the more I wanted to eat sugar. (and this is diet soda!)
I have actually been making some huge changes in how I eat. I deal with a lot of health problems, mainly allergies and asthma when it comes to what I eat. Last summer I decided to cut dairy from my diet completely, which for a cheese and ice cream lover has been very difficult. It was really hard at first, but I can tell a huge difference. I also have a mild allergy to soy, which is in EVERYTHING. I work my hardest to stay away from anything with even trace amounts of soy in it, but it’s very difficult. So that was big change number one.
At the beginning of this year I decided to change the rest of my diet completely. I’ve cut out all processed food and sugar. Also very hard to do. I’m learning a lot though about how to eat healthy food– whole grains, fruits, veggies, and lean meats. I’ve started following a few health blogs (yours was the big inspiration). I’ve already dropped 16 pounds since the beginning of the year and I’m feeling great! i’m really enjoying learning about foods and healthy alternatives. I always thought that eating healthy meant eating boring, but that is so very not true! I love experimenting and trying new flavors and I’m learning to be more creative with my food. I love it!
Thanks for the inspiration and flavorful food! And congrats to Eric!
Wow, I can’t believe it’s already been a year?! Congrats to him!!! (I wish I could get my dad to do the same)
I definitely made some healthy changes this year! I think I can safely say that I overcame anorexia.
-I made the change to eating enough!!
-I made the change from forcing myself to suffer and relearned how to feed and take care of myself
-I made the change from exercising out of pure addiction and learned how to exercise for the right reasons. I now do it for pleasure and to train as an athlete.
-I also changed from using food as a means to seek spiritual truth and put food back in its place. As fuel.
I did it with the support of a nutritionist and counselor and a loving family. I got sooo much opposition from others, everyone has their own idea of what people “should” do and tried to force their opinions on me. One of my friend’s parents was convinced that my problem was that I don’t eat red meat. (25lbs heavier and I still haven’t eaten any). Mostly it was God.
And I owe a great deal of these changes to blogs like yours. Thanks for being such a great example and a source of inspiration when my motivation is low.
<3
Congrats on your changes!
Wow – that seems like just yesterday that you wrote about Eric giving up pop!! Time flies!!
Congrats to him on one year clean :-) Hehe.
Congrats to Eric – that’s a really great accomplishment. I used to drink diet soda a lot a few years ago. I gave it up about 4 years ago, and never looked back. Since then I’ve gone to more organic food, homemade food, no processed food, no white sugar, no white flour, etc. I did it all in baby steps. Because of recent issues, I’ve slowly been incorporating white sugar and flour back in my diet (emotional eating), and I have to say I feel like crap. I need to get that stuff out of me! Anyway, I feel so much better after changing so much of my diet. I’m happy to say that my husband finally has given up soda. He still drinks a lot of juice spritzers, but at least he’s off the soda. There was some “retro” soda at the supermarket recently that he was tempted to drink, but I was able to stop him from drinking it.
I don’t understand why people are so negative when it comes to someone trying to do something healthy for themselves. I’ve experienced the same types of comments from co-workers that Eric experienced. It’s almost like deep down they know this stuff is bad for them, but they don’t want to admit it and instead give the person who is trying to change a lot of grief. I get it all the time. Good for him for standing up to those people and continuing to do what he wanted.
Congrats Eric! So strange- I was also thinking over the weekend that I need to juice more again and plan on starting next week!
Way to go, Eric!! That is awesome!!
I have made lots of healthy changes throughout my life (like going vegan, giving up HFCS, etc) and I agree that cold turkey is the way to go!
CONGRATS ERIC!! What a wonderful journey! I have been gluten free for 4 years and dairy free since August-ish 2010. Although my changes are from allergies, it has ‘given me the momentum’ to eliminate other toxics out of my diet, and the result is amazing! I just accepted a new job offer in Philadelphia. My co-workers in Pittsburgh told me I am not allowed to eat at my new job for a few months, because I have to “break my new co-workers into my food.” As if I am some kind of alien?! My food is delicious and nutritious, their food– usually easy-mac, cheeseburgers, etc etc. Some of the NURSES I work with bring a 2L of Mountain Dew to work for the day. They don’t drink ANY WATER. And tried to tell me that “actually, the body does not need water to hydrate itself” Hoping for some healthier co-workers in Philadelphia!!!
Good on your husband for making such a big change and sticking to it.. that’s so awesome!! That smoothy looks amazing.. I’ll be honest though, I think I may wait until summer, or at least until this snow storm is over, to make it. It looks so nice and thick… YUM!
congratulations to eric! what an accomplishment.
i also gave up of soda. and to be honest, it wasn’t that hard for me. i feel like fruit juice is 10x tastier! the only time i really crave it is when i have pizza, but i’ve been very careful not to give in.
Wow! Send a huge congrats in his direction!! I too gave up soda’s my sophomore year of college and it was really hard because soda’s were included in our meal plans and it actually cost extra to get a bottle of water. I initially gave up soda’s for lent and decided to just keep rolling with it. That has been of of the many healthy changes I made.
Juicing sounds like a great spring change. I made a juice with carrots, tomatoes and parsley the other day, which is a combo I highly recommend!!
Congrats to Eric! I know how addicting Coca Cola is. I used to swear by it. For headache relief, for the 2 PM slump, for breakfast instead of coffee. You name it I wanted Coca Cola to cure it. I used to say that I would probably never be an alcoholic, or a drug addict but if you took away my Coke I’d be a hot mess. Last year I decided to drop the habit. I used to drink it a ton when I was in HS but through college I used to drink maybe 1 a day, then maybe 2-3 a week TOPS. If it wasn’t around I wouldn’t drink it. When I was working full time I usually had one with lunch and that was it. I started noticing I’d get kidney infections due to too much coffee and coke. That is another reason I scaled back.
I stopped drinking regular coke last year. I switched instead to Diet Coke when I would have it or want a fix. Personally I hate diet soda so it did the job but didn’t make me want to finish the diet soda. I still don’t finish it. All in all I’d rather drink water. Once switching to diet soda – fast food didn’t taste the same, it didn’t work well with the diet vs. regular coke. I then just went with water if I went to a place like that and soon just gave up going to those places unless I was in a pinch on a lunch break which is rare since I’ve been planning out my meals.
I now only use diet drinks for mixers when having drinks and most times stick to wine or beer instead.
I feel better and never thought I’d be able to say good-bye to coca cola. So I feel you 100% Eric and I agree one change really does lead to other changes!
Thanks for sharing girl!
My hubby is a huge Coke Zero drinker. He packs 2 for his lunch each day then drinks 2-3 more when he gets home at night. I’ve tried getting him to stop drinking it so much and he did agree to switch from regular Coke. He was diagnosed with T2 diabetes so he really needs to quit drinking it. He thinks there’s nothing wrong with it.
Recently, I’ve tried giving up my darned SBux grande 1 pump vanilla non-fat latte addiction! It’s been a really bad daily habit for the past year (since I got back from France). I’m not sure whether it’s the caffeine or sugar addiction. I was dumb and tried to cut it out cold turkey, but had such bad headaches I have to now phase it out slowly. I went from grande to tall size last week (1 less espresso shot) and it seems to not be causing a lot of withdrawal. Next, I’ll be giving up the shots. After that I’ll just trade for regular black coffee. I think my body (and wallet!) will thank me. We’ll see how it goes!
It’s just amazing to me how much our food addictions/habits take over our lives. So pleased the Eric was just able to make that decision and act on it so quickly. Good job!
Angela – I LOVE your sight – I am a bit older than you but so resonate with all that you say on here. I have quit the diet pepsi thing many times and realized the last time (over a year ago) that it had to be for good – it is like alcohol for an alcoholic – 1 sip and I am back on it! I love your balanced approach and healthy outlook – esp as someone who has had an eating disorder, works with people with ED and still struggles at times with all that goes along with body image/ food issues…You are an inspiration! I still struggle with some fake sugars and a big sweet tooth – but we eat 95% all natural whole foods. I know a big part of my growth is in kindness to myself when I do not live up to the perfection I want to live. Thanks for your wonderful encouragement in that area.
I love your recipes too – made the Peppermint Patty Green Monster for St Paddy’s day for my boys and they loved it (I did not tell them it had spinach in it -they assumed it must have been food coloring!
Congratulations Eric!!!! I quit drinking sodas at the age of 12 (around then at least). I am lucky it was so easy for me.. I did have a mild coffee addiction a few years ago.. though I broke that relatively quickly as well. I don’t like the idea of false energy, which is all that sugar, caffeine, and crap provide! I want real, healthy energy.. produced from fresh fruits/veggies/and other healthy yummies!! :)
Congrats to Eric! I’ve tried (successfully, I thought) to cut diet coke out of my diet – the longest time was for 3 years – I thought I’d truly kicked the habit! However, I started drinking a bottle or two when I needed the boost, and it grew back into a daily habit! Since then, I’ve stopped for a month to three months at a time, but I always go back! I definitely need a new motivation to quit again!
Good for him! I still have a diet soda habit, but it has gotten better. I use it for the caffeine, mostly. Though this week I’m participating in a challenge which requires me to only drink all-natural beverages (coffee, tea, water, 100% juice, etc) for one week. I’m on day three and right now I could really use a caffeine boost. I’ve been drinking tea like nothing else, but there’s not enough caffeine concentrated in tea or coffee to help me. Ah well. Otherwise, I’m feeling quite a bit better! I wonder if my bloating had to do with all the diet sodas…
Congrats Eric!!! :D Angela, your smoothies are so much better than any pop! :D
xoxo
Kathleen
Angela, first of all I want to thank you for adding an email subscribe button to your page! I’m so glad you figured that out (I was the one who bugged you about it a while back and at that time, you weren’t sure how to get it). Now I get notified each time you post and don’t forget to check back like I used to. Second of all, this is a great story about your hubby’s success with kicking the pop habit. I forwarded it to my own hubby who has been addicted to coke since he was a child and has tried to quit several times without success. I can identify with your hubby, as I think many of us can, who have people in our lives that try to derail us when we make choices to be healthier. I tend to think these people, who generally do love and care for us, might be jealous or think that they should be making changes too and instead, do the easier thing and give us grief. Well, way to go for not letting them win, Eric!!
yay for ERic! My hubby would drink pop at least twice a day when we first started dating. It took me a few years but he doesn’t drink it anymore! He’ll opt for 100% homemade juices or water! I’ve never been prouder. While he’ll occcasionally still drink a pop, say at a cookout, he doesn’t even finish the can. So proud :)
Congrats to Eric- BRAVO!!
I gave up coffee a couple of years ago-I was really addicted to having wayyyy too much coffee every day ( and spent a lot of money on fancy coffees out).
Now coffee isn’t bad for you, but I didn’t like feeling so dependant on it and spending so much.
I quit by going cold turkey-and had HORRIBLE headaches for over a week but toughed it out.I still absolutely love the smell of good coffee,but haven’t had a drop since.
Switched to gunpowder green looseleaf tea instead(now I spend too much buying fancy tins of that-ha ha!)
I would like to reduce my eating portion sizes in half this spring and start doing some form of cardio(even walking) -I only do yoga now.
Great to see this follow-up post abt kicking the soda habit, congrats! (Over a year late haha)
That smoothie looks delicious!!!!
Going to have to make it!