Wednesday, June 22, 2011

CAFFEINE FREE

Diet Coke Pictures, Images and Photos

I went for my breast sonogram today.  As usual, they said everything is okay.  (I've been doing this the past 4 years).  They're safe for another year!  :0)  But....I decided 2 weeks ago to give up diet cokes.  I know my breasts have several cysts, and I've come to the conclusion that caffeine affects cysts.  You may disagree with me, but I've done the experiments - drinking lots of diet coke, and then cutting back drastically.  I've seen the difference and I think the caffeine makes them worse.  It's been harder than I thought.  I tried caffeine free diet coke, and to tell you the truth, I'd rather drink water than drink that.  Pretty gross.  In the meantime I've tried diet 7UP (pass), diet cherry 7UP (ok but not great), dark cherry Fresca (better than diet cherry 7UP), and Sparkling Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice (pretty good), and Sparkling Ocean Spray Blueberry/Pomegranite Juice (also pretty good).  Good old ice cold H20 is the best, but when I really get a craving, I try one of the above.  And every once in a great while, I do have a diet coke.  But you know what?  As time goes by, it doesn't seem as satisfying as it did when I was addicted to them.  So I think as time goes by I will crave them less and less.  A few years ago - I think it was about a year or two before we went to Ireland - I gave up diet cokes (caffeine).  But since my husband is a diet coke addict, I slowly got back on them.  But not this time.  It will be really interesting to see if all the cysts in my breast clear up, or not.  Another interesting thing - since I've given up diet coke, my husband has cut back drastically.  He's drinking all the substitutes I mentioned above, but is still drinking diet cokes too.  Who knows?  Maybe someday he'll kick it competely! 

8 comments:

Delirious said...

I agree that the caffeine affects them, and my doctor told me that! When I first got some cysts, they asked me specifically if I drank caffeine, and I told them no. So that isn't what caused mine, unless it's the choclate I eat. But I am convinced the mammogram might cause them! My son had a cyst in the top of his mouth. They said it was caused by an injury to the mouth, and the cyst is the body's way of protecting the area that was injured. So when I think about what mammograms do, it just makes sense! I'm thinking of asking if I can get ultrasounds instead. They do ultrasounds if they suspect a problem from the mammogram. I'm going to ask if I can skip that all together!

Delirious said...

Oh, and good for you giving up coke! I got addicted to diet coke when we lived in China because I was trying to go off sugar, and that was the only sugar free thing I could find there. But when I came home I stopped drinking it. I'm like you, I prefer plain old ICE water! I sometimes get those vitamin waters, but I don't really like the sweetness.

Inklings said...

I've been off diet coke for years now, although once in awhile I drink a caffeine-free one when I am traveling. I mostly drink ice water now, with an occasional Crystal Light.

Stick said...

I have tried to go caffeine free for quite some time, but I can't always find it. I've been thinking of just going straight H2O as well. It's hard though, cuz I do like soda now and then. A recent comment from a Dr. friend of ours impressed me though. He said that we drink 1/3 of our calories as Americans! Most of that through sodas! Although he did say that some comes through other drinks like Sobes etc. He also said if you would just drink water only, and drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water per day, you can lose 1 pound a week if you are overweight. ( as long as you ate properly as well)

my verification word is hulativy. Is that how hip swivels relate to the universe?

Inklings said...

Another thing that motivated me in giving up diet coke (both kinds) was that I began to envision myself drinking straight chemicals. :0+ This was not on purpose. :0(

My word verification is oventia - is that something to describe the temperature of 96 that we had yesterday? :0)

Mr. Giggles said...

I just try to drink 8 cups of water a day. THAT much water doesn't give me any time to drink anything else! And Kissa hasn't even had ONE carbonated drink in FIVE years! I have, but no caffeine for at least 3 1/2 now.... The other bad thing about diet drinks is that they amp up the sodium to make up for the taste lost from the sugar. And the extra sodium is just as bad, if not worse!

Bullet for Babs said...

You can do it. I haven't totally given up sodas. I get them at restaurants but I never buy them for the house. I really don't miss them that much. Cold, bottled water is just as good.

PsychDoctor said...

I think caffeine was making my joints hurt...so gave up soda.