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[3man75]

Hello Bay12ers. So basically i wanted to ask for ideas on how to substitute soda. I've tried water but it's so meh unless its cold and always inconvenient for me.

Anything to me would be better than having my insides carbo bombed to smithereens. Btw i'm only 20 but i just want to nip this in the bud before i get older and it starts to cost me.

[Tiruin]

You're asking for an alternative drink to soda which carries the same [taste] or...[feeling] it may have, but healthier, I take it?
^{What's so 'meh' about water?}

[Remuthra]

I recommend lemonade.

[LordBucket]

I've tried water but it's so meh unless its cold

Commit to drinking nothing but water for three weeks. At the end of the three weeks, most soda will taste disgustingly sweet. Also, drink bottled "spring" or "artesian" water. (Voss, Fiji, Arrowhead, Perrier, etc.) Not "purified" or "drinking" water, which is generally just tap water in a bottle. (Aquafina, Dasani, your local grocery store brand etc.) The taste difference is significant.

[3man75]

I'll see what happens with Lordbuckets suggestion.

Also Tir, "meh" as in it just tastes so BLAND and not tasteful.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Zevia is a zero-calorie soda. It accomplishes this through the use of a sugar alchohol, which tastes about 70% as strong as free sugar but has no role in human biology, and as such is sorted into waste instead of being absorbed. The bacteria species that cause tooth decay don't use sugar alchohol either, so it starves them. The particular sugar alchohol used, Erythritol, is useful as it has a vestigial digestion pathway, and thus avoids the digestive problems caused by similar substances.

It's pretty good, except the black cherry flavor, which is awful. It's a slightly acquired taste, but a day or two of them and you'll get used to it.

[Tiruin]

I'll see what happens with Lordbuckets suggestion.

Also Tir, "meh" as in it just tastes so BLAND and not tasteful.

...So you're looking for healthy drinks with flavor? ._.

Drink water. :v Not distilled water though.

[Bouchart]

Orange juice.  Or maybe carbonated water.

[Vector]

.

[ancistrus]

No, no juice. It has the same amount of calories as coke. Sometimes higher.

[DeKaFu]

Could also try to find a good non-caffeinated tea. You can find them in basically every flavour you can imagine, so there's surely something out there you'd like. I've got apple cinnamon chamomile, chocolate chai rooibos and about 6 different fruit flavors on my shelf right now.

A nice advantage is that they're basically flavoured water, so calories are negligable (unless you put in milk and sugar of course, but most of them don't need it). A lot of them are good both hot and cold, too.

I'd recommend trying it after the water-only challenge, though, since going straight from soda to just about anything will make it seem pretty bland and meh.

[Antsan]

Zevia is a zero-calorie soda. It accomplishes this through the use of a sugar alchohol, which tastes about 70% as strong as free sugar but has no role in human biology, and as such is sorted into waste instead of being absorbed. The bacteria species that cause tooth decay don't use sugar alchohol either, so it starves them. The particular sugar alchohol used, Erythritol, is useful as it has a vestigial digestion pathway, and thus avoids the digestive problems caused by similar substances.

It's pretty good, except the black cherry flavor, which is awful. It's a slightly acquired taste, but a day or two of them and you'll get used to it.

I advice to not use sugar replacements if you aren't a diabetic already.
Production of insulin is already triggered by the taste of sugar, so if you taste something like sugar without actually getting some into your body your insulin level does not match what is actually needed. Your body will adjust to this, which means that you are more likely to develop diabetes.

I cannot really help you as I am used to drinking water almost exclusively throughout the day and drinking milk or tea in the evening.

[Arx]

I used to get through a horrifying amount of coffee every day, and basically not drink when not at home. I fixed both problems by getting a bottle (with a cap you can drink through; I use an empty one of these, although I doubt you can get the same brand in America), and just forcing myself to drink from it either at set intervals or every time I wanted a mug of coffee. The lack of taste becomes more tolerable over time.

It worked for me; I can't guarantee it will work for you, but it's probably worth a try.

[gimlet]

I will chime in to support "just try plain water for at least a couple months" - it really will start to taste sweet and satisfying (unless your tap water is notoriously bad or something - if so get a filter pitcher, they actually work pretty well).   

I keep a big glass of water on the desk while I am working on stuff (or playing games), and find that leads to me drinking more frequently.  Also drink 1 big glass when you wake up, and for sure drink before and after any exercise.

[Dutchling]

I should so this as well. Not so much for my health as for my wallet.

I'm trying to drink only tea/milk/beer lately. Seems to be working so far.