Locklear asked:
>Has anybody out there kicked such an addiction? I am on Day 5 now of
>going cold-turkey on carbonated beverages. It is harder than it sounds. I
>certainly don't feel any better. Irritable is more like it. Or I feel run down
>like I have the flu.
David, are you trying to kick the sugar habit, the caffeine habit, the slurping
habit, or all of the above?
I found that kicking the sugar habit was easy. My switch to Diet Coke (and
now Coke Zero) was dissatisfying for a few days, but then suddenly it was
fine. Now, I practically gag on the syrupy taste of a 'high-test' soda. And the
effects on my diet (ok, weight) were remarkable; I credit the switch with
dropping 10 pounds in a few months. Kicking the tobacco and ganja habits
were harder.
My daughter had to quit the caffeine during pregnancies, which was also
quite easy by buying caffeine-free sodas, whether diet or high-test. You
really don't notice the difference, except that your RLS quiets down (and so
does the baby...).
If it's just constant hydration that's the issue, it's probably not an issue if you
drink diet soda. There's literally nothing there -- 0 calories -- but flavored
water, and won't hurt you. It's ok to pee along the roadside in Mexico.
Perhaps all of the options above are not available in the typical "refresceria,"
but you could bring your own.
>From your description of how you feel, I'd say you're suffering caffeine
withdrawal. That should pass any day now. Buena suerte.
Alex
--
Alex Sproul, NSS 8086
NSS IT Committee
