I gave up pop.
Soda, carbonated beverages, whatever. I gave it up.
Since my teen years, I've woken up in the morning, stumbled to the kitchen and popped the top on a pop.
I'm Gen X. I grew up drinking pop to get caffeine. Old people drank coffee.
About a month ago, I started noticing that my gut hurt when I drank pop. I experimented. Did it only hurt when I drank a pop without eating? Did it hurt more when I drank a certain kind of pop (canned vs. fountain)?
Nope, it just hurt. Period.
So I decided I'd cut back to one a day.
My stomach still hurt, but I can't not have caffeine. And I can't not have pop.
Then I went for my physical last week. On the wall was a huge article titled "Daily soda may increase risk of heart attack, stroke."
Well crud. If you're looking for a sign from the universe, Kim, here it be.
So I didn't drink a pop that day. I had an iced tea on the way to work (I'd fasted and was fast working on a migraine). My doctor actually told me caffeine was OK in moderate amounts. She loved the idea of drinking coffee.
Except I can't. I don't like hot drinks. And coffee tastes like nasty stuff.
So I've been drinking some strong iced tea to get caffeine. Found myself some Crystal Light energy drink mix that has caffeine. Put it in my bottle of water each morning.
My stomach... it feels better. And the idea of drinking pop... makes me nauseous.
Twenty years I drank at least one pop a day. Through three pregnancies. While on vacation. Waking up from surgery. Christmas morning. At least one a day.
And now... it's gone. I don't miss it.
Our grocery budget won't miss it.
A little sad that in this year when my life is changing so much, I'm losing something that has been there for me through thick and thin. Then I realize how much better I feel, and I'm not so sad any more.
