It seems that there are two groups of people: those who
drink sodas*, and those who no longer drink sodas. Those who no longer
drink sodas typically have no desire to have another knowing the struggle and
difficulty of breaking this very, very addictive habit. These substances
are so powerful that it can take years without a soda to be truly
free and not slip back.
* When I use the word soda, I am referring to conventional sodas
such as Dr. Pepper, Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sprite, etc.
Depending upon which group you are in, this challenge will
be very easy, or it will be incredibly hard. Drinking
soda is one of the worst things you can do if you wish to achieve or
maintain good health and vitality, and thus one of the first things to tackle.
Sodas present several very difficult challenges. They are
loaded with sugar or HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) and caffeine. Both
sugar and caffeine are extremely addictive substances. It takes great
conviction to claim victory in this area. You will never gain the health
and vitality that could be yours, and thus your greatest potential if you
have a food idol such as this in your life.
I don't think I need to go into detail about the adverse health
effects that soda has including robbing your bones of calcium, lowering your
immune system, and rotting your teeth - this is just the tip of the
iceberg.
A few suggestions to try:
1. You must recognize the seriousness of this addiction to
overcome it. Many people tell me, "Oh, I could quit anytime but I
enjoy drinking a soda so I think it is o.k. since I am making changes in
other areas." Don't be fooled into thinking this way. If you
can't give up soda this week without serious side affects (caffeine headaches,
agitation, strong cravings), then you are being controlled by what you
eat/drink, by sugar and/or caffeine.
2. For some people, slowly weaning off soda works. For
others (like me), only going cold turkey works to stop the soda and sugar
addiction. For the first two or three weeks, the cravings are intense, but
then things become easier. If I keep thinking I can cut down and eat just
a little less, I continue the cycle of cravings and eventually end up back to
where I started, and thus frustrated and discouraged.
3. Find a replacement, a good substitute, as you transition
to a diet of God-made food. The Izze sodas shown above are a great
option. They are fruit juice sweetened and do not contain sugar or
caffeine. My boys' friends, who drink regular sodas, prefer an Izze over
a Coke or other soda. They are an excellent transition
drink.
4. Pray; seek God's strength. If you sincerely
wish to be free of the control food has over you, God will help you
succeed. But you must sincerely ask Him for His help. God wants no idols to
control you - He wants you completely.
5. Be careful that you don't increase your
consumption of other man-made foods for your sugar and caffeine cravings.
6. Eat/drink lots of God-made easy foods - fruits, raw nuts,
pure water. Loading your body with good nutrients will help make your
struggle easier.
Advanced Challenge for those who have already overcome the
addiction of soda:
1. If you did these challenges last year, and gave up sodas* for a week, but are back to drinking them, I challenge you to stop for the rest of the year.
2. Identify another addictive food/ingredient, perhaps sugar, that you
eat regularly to cut out of your diet this week.
"You shall have no
other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form
of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters
below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them: for I, the Lord
your God, am a jealous God ..." Exodus 20: 3 - 5a
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