I've decided to give up diet soda

[innerspace_cadet]

I have drunk diet soda since the late nineties, when I was in college. But now, I am experiencing memory loss from all this diet soda consumption, and I sincerely want to kick it to the curb. However, every time I try to quit, it seems nearly impossible because the psychological cravings are so strong. The more I read about aspartame, the more it seems that this stuff is going to ruin my mind.

 

So, has anyone here ever struggled with aspartame disease or addiction? If so, how did you kick the habit?

[Stigweard]

I have drunk diet soda since the late nineties, when I was in college. But now, I am experiencing memory loss from all this diet soda consumption, and I sincerely want to kick it to the curb. However, every time I try to quit, it seems nearly impossible because the psychological cravings are so strong. The more I read about aspartame, the more it seems that this stuff is going to ruin my mind.

 

So, has anyone here ever struggled with aspartame disease or addiction? If so, how did you kick the habit?

 

Do yourself a favour and read this book: The Only Way to Stop Smoking Permanently

 

The addiction process for cigarettes is the same for any addiction. Only a small percentage is chemical addiction, the vast majority is from the underlying belief system.

[DaoChild]

But now, I am experiencing memory loss from all this diet soda consumption, and I sincerely want to kick it to the curb.

 

So, has anyone here ever struggled with aspartame disease or addiction? If so, how did you kick the habit?

 

 

Not quite sure where you got the idea that it's linked to memory loss, but giving up soda is a good habit anyway. The only way to do it is one day at a time - if you can, supply something else when you get the craving.

 

Honestly I won't be of much use, I never drank soda regularly, and completely gave it up cold turkey when I was 13. See if you can get your friends to help you - and ask them not to drink soda around you. Over time you'll gradually lose the craving completely.

 

Good luck, a craving for anything isn't easy to break !

[WhiteTiger]

I have drunk diet soda since the late nineties, when I was in college. But now, I am experiencing memory loss from all this diet soda consumption, and I sincerely want to kick it to the curb. However, every time I try to quit, it seems nearly impossible because the psychological cravings are so strong. The more I read about aspartame, the more it seems that this stuff is going to ruin my mind.

 

So, has anyone here ever struggled with aspartame disease or addiction? If so, how did you kick the habit?

 

All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small.

-- Lao Tzu

 

I'd recommend to try kicking the habit slowly. and gradually get better and better.

 

What I mean is, say you drink 3 diet sodas a day. Drink 2 and a half a day until you get used to that. lets say that takes you 3 weeks to adjust to. Then drink 2 diet sodas a day. As you get better and better you can take a longer time to get used to it... although its often times easier to kick the habit when the addiction is much less. Start out small in the beginning is the most essential way.

 

I did this when i was switching to all organic, whole foods, that i cooked and ate. took me a few months to get used to eating that kind of food. Although when I deviated from eating supper healthy food to just a little unhealthy food again I would get drastically sick to my stomach just for eating a little unhealthy food. (seems kind of crazy... some people hear stories like that and don't know what to believe... but I experienced it.)

 

I'm sorry to seem as if I'm little help but the best advice is simple and easy just requires lots of work and effort.

[NeutralWire]

I second Stigweard's recommendation.

 

Start removing thoughts (some from fellow bums) about how 'hard' it is. If you really want to 'decide' to give up soda, you can't have your next thought be 'but I'm not sure I can'! That book will show you how to make a real decision.

 

NW

[zanshin]

Just quit, it's good exercise for your willpower, maybe switch to iced tea with a little honey. I've switched from way too much coffee to one in the morning then tea, but when I was pregnant I just suddenly stopped for the duration if I can do it so can you. Good luck!

[Gerard]

We all have addictions otherwise we wouldn't be down here.

 

In Buddhism is called:

 

Sensual desire (kāmacchanda): Craving for pleasure to the senses. You take your pick:

 

1. Food

2. Sex

3. Entertainment

4. Jewelry

5. And many others

 

About the soda craving, I can say that Vipassana is be very helpful in dealing with this issue.

 

Walk-sit-acknowledge, walk-sit-acknowledge, and so forth.

[doc benway]

I drink water, tea and very little else.

Occasional wine, beer, coffee, juice.

To me, diet soda is poison and I think your decision is very intelligent.

Good luck.

[VCraigP]

good luck to you.

 

Drink a lot of pure water to the point that you arent thirsty for anything else. 3 quarts or more a day.

 

Find some way to detox. I highly suggest saunas if you can find a way to access them.

 

Not much help, but simply drink A LOT of water may get you there.

 

Lack of sufficient water intake is chronic and universal in western culture.

 

Good luck.

 

(trying to drink less coffee myself :-) )

 

Craig

[karen]

Hi IC,

 

I would just add to all the other good responses here, that what you "can" do is a matter of your own choice - what you "will" do. In any moment, you could choose to not have the soda and experience what you feel without it. If you choose to have the soda instead, then you can just notice that as a choice, no judgment.

 

The habitual judgment that having the thing is "wrong" is what gets in the way. If you can take some time to simply notice your choices, that can change your whole relationship to it.

 

A good approach for some people is to just wait an extra two seconds, once you get the craving, before having the soda. Just notice what that extra second feels like. What are the feelings that come up? Not just the physical feelings, but the emotional ones. You can allow yourself to feel that, and notice that you're still okay. Then next time, two more seconds. That sort of thing.

 

You can get some seltzer or mineral water and add it to some fruit juice for a more healthy soda.

 

-Karen

[Eric23]

Guess I don't see diet soda or aspartine as an addiction. It's not good for us, but not physically addicting. I was drinking diet soda and eating lots of "light" stuff for much longer than you. Three years ago I made a new year's resolution to cut way back. Substituted ice tea for soda, got acquainted with some alternative products at the organic market and ramped up the water. Do something everyday for 3 weeks and it becomes a habit.

[doc benway]

Hi IC,

 

I would just add to all the other good responses here, that what you "can" do is a matter of your own choice - what you "will" do. In any moment, you could choose to not have the soda and experience what you feel without it. If you choose to have the soda instead, then you can just notice that as a choice, no judgment.

 

The habitual judgment that having the thing is "wrong" is what gets in the way. If you can take some time to simply notice your choices, that can change your whole relationship to it.

 

A good approach for some people is to just wait an extra two seconds, once you get the craving, before having the soda. Just notice what that extra second feels like. What are the feelings that come up? Not just the physical feelings, but the emotional ones. You can allow yourself to feel that, and notice that you're still okay. Then next time, two more seconds. That sort of thing.

 

You can get some seltzer or mineral water and add it to some fruit juice for a more healthy soda.

 

-Karen

Please read Karen's reply thoughtfully - therein lies the solution to many of life's "problems", IMO.

[Wayfarer64]

I'm partial to ginger tea with a tad of honey. I cut up about 4 ozs. fresh ginger pour fresh (cooled a bit after boiling) water over it and steep for about a half hour... I then use the ginger to cook with!

[forestofsouls]

I would add, as a former smoker:

 

Once you decide to do it, be aware that you will trick, beg, cajole, and lie to yourself to give yourself a reason to engage in that behavior. Set a time: two weeks, and say "no matter what happens for the next two weeks, I will not drink a soda." Stick to it. At the two week point, decide if you want to go a month, then six months, etc.

[thelerner]

Good for you. I like flavored Seltzer water. Pick up a bottle. No sugars real or artificial, I don't really know whats in there . It just says natural flavorings.

 

 

undoubtedly they find a rat, wring it out over a vat, put in a finger in it and say ah just right

 

Try it, you'll like it, long as you don't think about the rat.

 

 

[karen]

Good for you. I like flavored Seltzer water. Pick up a bottle. No sugars real or artificial, I don't really know whats in there . It just says natural flavorings.

 

Yep. "Natural flavoring" is often MSG in disguise. They gotta find a way to get those neurotoxins in somehow!

 

Some really high quality natural foods and supplements that contain "natural flavorings" really are just lemon oil or something like that, but usually not, especially with cheaper supermarket items.

[Aetherous]

There is really no easy way to quit anything, besides to just never allow yourself to partake in it again.

 

Quitting diet soda isn't easy. I was hooked my freshman year of college to sodas...and even though it's a weak drug in comparison to others, you still get the cravings and it's still everywhere around you.

 

Just think of it as poison and never put it in your mouth again. It could help to write that on your forearm or something: "Diet soda is poison, do not put it in mouth!"

 

[Ya Mu]

Not quite sure where you got the idea that it's linked to memory loss,

 

They can't remember where the idea came from because of the diet soda intake...

 

As already said but bears repeating, the actual chemical addiction is often over in a small period of time. Don't let your mind lie to you and tell you otherwise.

 

The lots of water idea is a good one IMO. Can't tell you the number of clients that come in and after I look at them I ask why are you not drinking more water? The answer, a lot of times is, "but I drink diet soda..."

And I think to myself, "And you wonder why you are in pain..."

[baloneyx]

every time you get a craving just find something else to do to get your mind off it, just make sure this other thing isn't something addicting

 

YOU CAN DO IT!!

[innerspace_cadet]

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful and insightful replies. I think I will try to drink more water and be more aware of my cravings. It's just that a habit that has been reinforced for more than 10 years is hard to break. Oops! There I go again with thinking "hard".

[Stigweard]

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful and insightful replies. I think I will try to drink more water and be more aware of my cravings. It's just that a habit that has been reinforced for more than 10 years is hard to break. Oops! There I go again with thinking "hard".

 

Actually consider this ... soda contains poisons that hurt the body, the body does everything it can to get rid of such poisons ... how much will power have you had to engage to override the body's natural inclination to spew all that soda straight back up?

 

Edited March 13, 2009 by Stigweard

[Guest paul walter]

there is the emotional side to addiction and the biological/chemical-which we alll know is the same thing because everything is connected. With issues like a blood-sugar one the brain (in other words who we think we are) is being controlled by what we are or aren't putting in our mouths. Soda's are toxic for various reasons-the sugar and/or caffeine is as addictive as anything on the planet in terms of the up/down stress it puts on our systems and the continual panic of needing to replenish that high level of stress in our bodies as the sugar wears off. Sugar has high levels of opiates in it which are addictive substances (as do cooked meat, dairy products, wheat and other things) so there is no half-way to getting off sugary foods. It is a battle between 'you' and the sugar-which one do you want to be in control of your life? Also the asparteme saga is a long and evil one which involes the FDA, Donald Rumsfeld, cover-ups, suppressed science...... don't believe anything 'official' you read about it having no known adverse health effects (which is the official government line).

 

 

you can do a detox at the same time as making a firm resolve to stop ingesting crap. It takes a few weeks usually for taste buds to change as well as intestinal flora which is probably dead by now so will have to be replaced with pro-biotics so that your stomach can digest new foods properly. Try some organic fruit as it has stronger flavours and fructose (fruit sugars) than non-organic fruit and might be a good taste as you wean off sucrose(cane sugar). Tropical fruits are the highest in sugar...pineapple,mangoes,bananas,lychees, etc. Making a lot of tropical or orange juices or smoothies (with almond or rice milk) might also fill a need for the continual need to be drinking something sweet that you probably have. Eating high-sugar fruits is not ideal either but it might get you half-way to being weaned off sucrose. Good luck

[Birch]

My take is that people want to give up the desire rather than the thing they desire. I know it sounds a bit weird but this one worked for me for quitting smoking:

 

- allow yourself to keep the desire for action

- just don't do the action

- the desire ends as a result

 

The above doesn't bypass cold turkey cravings however, so maybe a softer route is around here somewhere.

 

You could also try Sodaclub - just don't put the syrup in there (maybe you just like fizzy water?)

 

You will work it out!

 

Kate

[james]

Hi there, not sure where you hail from but i am visiting SF at the moment and they have this great beverage at all the health food stores here its called GT's Kombucha tea, comes in a bunch of flavours organic really naturally fizzy full of B vitamins, gluconic acid, friendly bacteria and yeasts DELICIOUS and really good for you, a lot of people also make their own, all you need is a starter fungus, tea and sugar, ends up like a fizzy iced tea, you may be able to find a starter fungus through your local health food store or online for free, its good to have a healthy substitute when your are giving up something, i would say at the very least try switching to regular soda made with cane sugar, to save yourself from the aspartane, hope this helps - james.

[NeutralWire]

I'm not sure I can do it.

 

Oh yes you can.