My Soda Pop Discovery

One of the simplest changes I’ve made while trying to lose a few pounds has been replacing sugary drinks.

Most people know soda is loaded with sugar, but orange juice, cranberry juice cocktails, and many “healthy” drinks can pack a surprising amount of sugar too.

I still like having something besides plain water, so here’s what I do.

I buy plain soda water, add a little stevia, and then add whatever flavor sounds good that day. Sometimes it’s lemon, lime, orange, or a flavored extract. It takes about 30 seconds.

At first, I was buying the canned flavored sparkling waters with stevia already in them. Then I realized I could make the exact same thing myself for a fraction of the cost.

The fun part is experimenting.

I usually add a little powdered beet juice. I’ve read that it may help support circulation and healthy blood flow. Whether that’s true or not, I can’t say for sure, but I like the flavor, so in it goes.

Fresh lemon and lime are great. Orange works too. I’ve even wondered about making my own cream soda with a little vanilla extract, although I haven’t tried it yet.

The nice thing is you’re using real ingredients. If I add lemon, I’m adding lemon. If I add lime, I’m adding lime.

I happen to like stevia, but there are plenty of other sweeteners out there. Monk fruit is another popular one. Find what works for you.

If you’ve tried stevia and didn’t like it, you might consider giving it another chance.

I’ve found that our taste buds adapt. Not overnight, and not by forcing yourself to eat something you hate. But if you use a little less sugar and a little more stevia over time, things start tasting different.

These days, I actually prefer stevia. Regular sugar tastes almost too sweet to me.

And if you don’t know what stevia is, it’s not an artificial sweetener. It’s made from the leaves of a naturally sweet plant. It doesn’t take much either. A tiny amount will sweeten an entire drink, making it surprisingly economical compared to adding several spoonfuls of sugar.

Sometimes when I get a craving for a beer, I make one of these instead.

It’s not the same.

Then again, it’s not the same.

No alcohol. No extra calories. No sugar crash. Just something cold, fizzy, and flavorful.

Sometimes that’s enough.

These days my beverages are pretty simple: coffee, water, and homemade flavored soda water.

It’s not a miracle diet. It’s just one small change that’s easy to stick with.

In my experience, the changes you can stick with are the ones that actually work.

Alex

If you’re a music lover, RVer, or just someone who enjoys stories about music, travel, creativity, and occasionally shrinking a beer belly, I’d love to have you along for the ride.

Subscribe here for more articles, stories, and observations from the road.

And if you found some value in this article and would like to support my musical and creative adventures, you can buy me a coffee here:

or just Click Here

Thanks for reading.

— Alex “The Mud-man” Smith