Workplace Fitness: Got a soda habit? Break it with these healthy alternatives

by Rigel Celeste (Subscribe to Rigel Celeste's posts)
Jul 16th 2008 10:02AM

Do you have a soda habit? I went through a period when I used to work in an office and I would drink cup after cup of loaded coffee all morning and bottle after bottle of Diet Coke all afternoon -- talk about sugar and caffeine overload! I have since pretty much cut out soda (and am still working on cutting down on so much coffee) but it wasn't an easy transition. For me the habit-breaking point came when I moved into a home office that (thankfully!) didn't come stocked with a Diet Coke vending machine calling my name from across the room.

Healthy alternatives to soda(click thumbnails to view gallery)

But eliminating temptation isn't an option for most people (and might not work for everybody anyway) so the best angle of attack seems to be to simply find a healthier substitute. A craving can be triggered by something as simple a your coworker offering to grab you a soda as they head to the vending machine, or by hearing them crack one open on the other side of the cubicle wall, or even just by seeing a reminder of one somewhere. So what can you reach for instead that will satisfy but not sabotage?

The options are pretty endless (think how many different kinds of beverages there are in the world) but here's a list of some simple, healthier alternatives to soda:

Water
The simplest, purest, healthiest thing you can drink. Try it out of the tap, bottled, with lemon or lime, sparkling, on ice .... the options are endless!

Tea (Hot or Iced)
Green tea is best but even regular black tea has health benefits and is much better for you than soda -- and if you're avoiding caffeine there are plenty of herbal and decaf options out there to choose from.

Coffee
When consumed in moderation coffee has a lot of health benefits, and if you can stand it without adding too much sugar and creamer it's definitely better for you than soda!

Milk/Soy Milk
There's some controversy over exactly what health benefits both regular milk and soy milk provide but there's really no doubt that they're both healthier than soda. And again, there are lots of options!

Lemonade/Limeade
You can make a healthy version of either of these by squeezing the juice of one fruit into a tall glass of water and adding a little sugar (just be careful not to overdo it).

Juice
Fruit juices usually contain a lot of sugar and calories but in small doses they can make a great and healthy snack, and veggie-based juices like V8 are also great.

Red Wine
Obviously this option isn't for during your work day but if you always want a soda with dinner you might want to consider having a glass of red wine instead because (in moderation) it's all kinds of good for you.

Via Lifehacker

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Comments (2)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Roy 7-16-2008 @ 10:41AM

It is said that any action done for 21 consecutive days becomes a habit. So if you put your mind to it, and switch from soda and coffee to water, and do it conscientiously you should be able not only to break the old unhealthy habits but form a new good one instead - drinking water.

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