Think Happy!

This series will recount some of the steps that I took to quitting Coca-Cola, once and for all. We’ll begin by looking at some of the preliminary steps that need to be in place before attempting to give up Coke…

So, you wanna quit Coke?

You sure?

We all know people who say they want to quit Smoking. (I heard 3 people say it in the last week!) Yet, no sooner have they said it than they are lighting-up another cigarette. Their ‘desire’ to quit appears to be little more than an ideal fancy, similar to someone who says that they “really” want to live in France, but has done no research on the topic and has no intention to actually even exploring the possibility.

Quitting Coca-Cola is exactly the same as quitting cigarettes or moving to France. You have to really want it and you have to actually do it. You cannot be drinking a glass of Coke, marvelling at its unmatachable taste and refreshing qualities, whilst thinking, “I should probably cut-back”. That won’t cut-it. The reason that won’t cut it is that you are mentally preparing a list of pros and cons and dismissing the cons.

And you end up with a long list of undeniable benefits and one seemingly impossible-to-remedy negative. So, if you really want to know how to quit coca-cola, the first step is wanting to quit. That means re-writing this chart until you want to quit more than you want a Coke. Now, that may sound like an unreachable goal to someone like Lisa Shuster, but it’s actually the first step. Personally speaking, it wasn’t until I’d learnt to hate Coke and the hold that it had on my life, that I could begin to think about giving-up.

Reasons to quit drinking Coke…

1. Cola rots your teeth

The final turning-point for me came when I saw the effect that Coke was having on my teeth. Or, rather, the amount of money I was paying out to the Dentist! Coke contains high levels of phosphoric acid and sugar, attaching tooth enamel and inviting the bacteria that cause plaque. If you must drink it, for goodness sake brush your teeth and rinse thoroughly afterwards!

2. Bad for your insides

Where shall we start? Excessive consumpton of Cola can cause digestive problems and lead to Diabetes. According to researchers at Tufts University, the intake of Coke leads to loss of bone density, when the levels of phosphoric acid is disproportinate to the amount of Calcium you are getting, leading to Osteoporosis. All carbonated drinks increase the risk of Cancers, but the levels of Caffeine, acid and sugar in Coke invite further problems.

3. Coke Crimes

See for yourself: KillerCoke and CorpWatch. Suffice it to say that I am baffled by friends of mine who boycott Nestle and decline Starbucks, but enjoy a nice cool Coke!

4. You are addicted!

Do you really want to hand so much control over to a soda pop? Aren’t you fed-up with interrupting Car journeys to get a Coke, or panicing when you realise that you might not have enough in for the evening movie? I can still remember the feeling I had when I had my first major headache from missing that morning’s Coke: shame.

Don’t let a soda do that to you.

5. The Financial cost

To this day, I have not sat down and calculated how much money I spent on a brown fizzy drink. I couldn’t bear it. What I do know, what I had to come to see, is that I don’t want to give any more money to a product that was doing me so much damage and a company that was causing so much harm.

Let’s face it, I need my money more than they do!

6. Coke can cause depression

Over-consumpton of any stimulant can lead to your body correcting the imbalance and inadvertently driving you down into a depression. The high-levels of Caffeine in Coke certainly qualify for over-consumpton of a stimulant! In fact, the increasing recognition of the role of diet in some cases of depresison has lead a number of doctors to suggest cutting out completely all tea, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, and cola.

So, do you wanna quit Coke? That is by far the most important step.