Well I have attempted to give up Soda for a long time, actually many times. It has been my nemesis. The one thing I held on to during the quest for better eating.
Homemade chemical free versions replace the processed foods that once graced the pantry. Honey, maple syrup, stevia, and sucannat are sweeteners of choice. I buy veggies and fruits for snacks. Crackers and chips are homemade. We eat home cooked meals free of highly processed chemical filled ingredients. You get the idea, we now embrace healthier chemical free eating habits.
Which brings me to my soda addiction. It just didn’t fit in. I love soda. It just didn’t make sense with all the changes we have made to keep poisoning ourselves. When I am out running errands nothing quenches thirst like a Pepsi. When we occasionally go out to eat, I want need a Dr. Pepper (unless of course you would like to see a grown up throw a fit akin to spoiled toddler — I digress). Little Menning and I even started calling soda poison, I thought calling it something negative, might help — it didn’t.
My love started when I was kid and it was special treat reserved for holidays. Rarely did it appear in our home growing up, but when I want to grandma’s it was like the soda promised land. As I grew, I would go out with friends and of course get a soda. College all-nighters wouldn’t have been possible without caffeine from my beloved soda. I am sure my freshman 20 was from the case of soda consumed each week. I am telling you, I loved the stuff.
Do you get the idea? I was in love addicted. Fast forward a few, okay many, many, years and I still find myself “needing” soda.
So after some soul-searching. I decided it was time to kick this habit for good. After all, I can not allow a drink to tell me what I need. It just isn’t right. So, I did what all good addicts do, I tried. I failed. I looked for replacements and promptly started all sorts of “experiments” in my kitchen.
In the coming weeks I will share more about the strange new things like kombucca, water Keifer, carbonated water and the other things that have helped me kick the soda habit for good!
After noticing there is no longer a plethora of soda in the house, but all these strange new concoctions, Mr. Menning began to ask questions. I mean having things grow on your counters is bound to get some attention. We talked. I shared. He jumped on board with me and that my good friends is nothing short of a miracle. I thought I was addicted to soda. I would at least wait until after lunch to partake in my beloved sugary passion. The Mister had no qualms about cracking open a can for breakfast and loved them as much, if not more than I did.
So this year has been a mostly Soda free year. I think I have had 2 since January 1st and Mr. Menning hasn’t had many either and he has changed!
Want to know how we did it and you can too? I will share more about how I did it in the coming week 🙂
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