I was very stressed! Spoiler alert: If you say goodbye to your soda habit, you might be more likely to do that, says registered dietitian Hayley Cimring. Drinking a lot of water (while cutting out sodas, so-called "fruit drinks", etc) will hep to clear up your skin. "Here's a bonus: you might live longer," she shared with The List in 2020. When my coworkers started grabbing beers in the late afternoon, I wanted one too. It's easy to say you shouldn't drink soda. I want to keep with me the lessons I learned during my month of abstention. After moving into my new apartment, my skin almost immediately calmed down. Check out my before and after photos, here. Besides being generally unhealthy, drinking doesn’t exactly make you hotter. Alcohol has a pretty severe effect on your gut flora so that could explain my woes! You may just find that your immune system improves when you jettison your pop habit. My skin looks better; My mouth tastes better. As I got older I just began pairing soda with most junk foods, similar to how I would pair red wine with most pasta dishes. But if you stop drinking soda, eventually your taste buds will revert to the way they were before. There’s still some activity on my jaw and cheeks, but it was healing. The National Sleep Foundation noted that it takes several hours for caffeine to work its way out of your system, stating, "It takes about 6 hours for one half of the caffeine to be eliminated." The breakouts I’m prone to on my cheeks and jaw were claiming squatters’ rights. Still a bit red but overall so much better. Just wearing eyebrow, lash, and lip product here. So it's probably a good idea to stop drinking soda. Of course, the amount matters as well – having one soda per week will not irritate your skin. Week two is when things started going haywire, both in my personal life and on my face! You might not be able to achieve the luscious hair seen in hair commercials without the help of professional hairstylists, but, if you stop drinking soda, you could boost your hair health. Soda tastes wonderful and feels like a fiesta in your mouth. I was burned out from financial stress, dating Bad Men, and the general traumas and triggers of living in the Trump Era. I planned to begin on the first day of October — Octsober, if you will. Minimize to once or twice a week—the lower the intake, the lower the damage to your skin.” Stay Hydrated “If you’re going to drink, drink water with it to increase that diuretic effect. "A recent study found that people who drank a lot of soda had shorter telomeres (protective DNA units) in immune cells." Researchers at University of California, San Francisco found that drinking soda causes premature skin aging. I can have my health, my peace of mind, and the smugness of being a little less hungover than I used to be. Not to get too personal online (jk, ask me literally anything), but I had a rough summer. The rate of telomere shortening can be either increased or decreased by specific lifestyle factors. It’s difficult to describe how empowering it felt to stop relying on something I had been very dependent on, without admitting how out of control I was. Emotionally, mentally, financially — I was feeling Gone Girl levels of volatile. After a few months of heavier-than-normal drinking, my face felt bloated and redder than usual. The scaly texture is such that I really can't hide it with makeup, and not even prescription steroid creams have been able to make it go away. I still might not have perfect skin, and maybe I never will, but you know what I can have? My life is fun! Diet soda could interfere with your gut health. Sure, I started drinking Diet Coke after giving it up years ago but it wasn’t Diet Coke and whiskey, so I felt OK about it. It's no surprise that drinking sugary drinks like soda causes weight gain. As someone whose family has a history of issues with alcohol, I try my best to stay super aware of my behavior. The researchers wrote that reduced intake of sugar-sweetened beverages saw significant weight loss, lowered blood pressure, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. She revealed to The List, "The reason behind that frequent feeling of wanting to urinate is caffeine, which is in soda and other beverages like coffee and tea. If you've ever wondered whether or not alcohol effects your skin, I just quit drinking wine for two weeks in the hopes of getting better skin. "This may affect your ability to learn and remember things."Â. The redness has lifted, although the thread veins around my nose are still visible and my forehead and neck are a little rosy. So, if you want to stop drinking soda, it might be worth your while to substitute the drink with seltzer water. Imagine the calories you are leaving behind by controlling soda consumption. But that Diet Coke you had during your meeting could be keeping you up at night. I asked my doctor several years ago this question and his response was, “I’m no dermatologist, but to my knowledge, no it is not.” And that's how you can end up drinking soda after soda just to maintain a baseline.Â. The healthier your gut, the … That's not the full extent of it either, as Cimring says there are additional problems your pop habit can wreak on your noggin. Downing a can of soda sends your body into a … Excessive consumption leads to various diseases such as increased gastric secretions, aggravate the heart system, increase asthma attacks, etc. But as time wears on, the telomeres shorten — just as your lace caps will eventually begin to fray. During those two years, my skin never looked better. "You can have a few different cravings for soda when you cut it out of your diet," she explained to The List. When a person tries quitting soda , they face what is known as soda withdrawal. "This will only lead to further cravings." Week 2: Her skin tone started evening out and her wrinkles under her eyes lost some shadows. Bear in mind that consuming artificial sweeteners in reasonable quantities is perfectly safe, as noted by the Mayo Clinic. "Â, It's not just eliminating all the caffeine that's good for your bladder, as ditching both sodas and diet sodas can have another huge benefit, according to Norton. The first study, published in the journal Pediatrics in 2006, showed moderate body weight reduction when a group of teens were given a noncaloric beverage to replace sugar-sweetened beverages. All my friends drink whenever we’re together. Moisture is the essence of wetness and also imperative for scar prevention! In the past when my skin’s gotten bad, I’ve let it deride my entire sense of self-worth. So if you stop drinking soda entirely, you can get off that ride and crave less sugar altogether. Studies … I don’t feel as bloated. Soda is acidic, and the acids in the soda eat away at enamel, causing tooth decay and cavities.Â. You could also try slowly cutting down on the amount of diet soda you're drinking. So if you're concerned about potential memory loss, or you have a history of Alzheimer's disease in your family, you may want to stop drinking soda on a regular basis. "Even though diet drinks are calorie-free, they cause insulin to be released in … There are some topics that don't exactly make for good dinner table conversation, and your restroom habits are one of them. Gut health is important. And if you're really looking for a caffeine and sugar rush, there are all kinds of bright blue and green drinks to sweeten your life and give you a jolt. I still went to some parties, but I always ended up leaving early. Good point! Your kidney is also going to be in better shape once you kick the dirty sugar habit. And that just might work — the advertising that is.Â. My lips feel less chapped, my eyes feel less sunken, and my skin has a better coloring than I did a month ago. I know how that sounds, but it’s just a part of my life. It's pretty much a no-brainer that soda — diet or otherwise — isn't so great for your teeth. "One day after drinking, your skin will be dehydrated and blotchy," Ross said. The bags under my eyes had become statement pieces. Soda was always accessible to me — my mother never banned it from the house or told me not to drink it. lemon juice, cucumber)." So it is believed if you control the amount of sugar you take into your body, then you can help control the amount of dihydrotestosterone and, hopefully, the amount of hair on the top of your head. I felt like everything was going wrong. Imagine how good fruit will taste again! So far, giving up alcohol is the only treatment that's worked to clear my eczema. But when I did finally drink again, I was reminded of … Unfortunately for the sweetener-trained tongue, no. Or good old-fashioned water. After all, diminishing your soda intake will not only lead to better skin, but also to better overall health. Here are a few benefits I’ve personally experienced after giving up soda. It’s normal,” they told me. I work out a … "A good way to cut back and eventually quit drinking diet soda is to reduce your portion size," recommended Cohn. If quitting soda cold turkey is not an option, even reducing consumption can be extremely beneficial. What Happens To Your Body When You Stop Drinking Soda. Can't hurt, right? I mostly passed on happy hours and brunches, opting instead to just stay home or head to a quiet coffee shop. I knew it was the stress and my diet, but of course, I started whining as if abstaining from alcohol had caused my acne. Ironically, the biggest lesson that I took from this is that I was more tempted to drink soda … But if you're hip to the dangers of sugar, you might instead reach for a diet soda, which certainly reduces your risk of developing some of those sugar-related conditions. While giving up soda for good is no substitute for good hygiene practices or the proper medicine, it can give you a leg up in the battle against bacteria and viruses nonetheless. Public health officials, policymakers, and doctors know just how tough saying no to soda can be, so they're coming up with a bunch of ways to reduce soda consumption, including higher taxes on soda and aggressive advertising. "If you take Coca-Cola and sit it on the countertop for a day or so, how much would you enjoy drinking it?" While many people reach for a soft drink to give them energy and help … Under normal circumstances, our bodies are well-oiled machines. So, don't let any changes in your mood dissuade you from committing to your decision to stop drinking soda! Drinking also lowers antioxidant defenses in your skin and that makes your pretty little face more susceptible to things like sun damage and free radicals, which are … "Will an apple taste sweet anymore? That, in addition to the kick you get from the caffeine and sugar, can make grabbing a soda or two a regular habit for thirsty pop aficionados. Drinking also lowers antioxidant defenses in your skin and that makes your pretty little face more susceptible to things like sun damage and free radicals, which are byproducts from chemicals and substances like cigarette smoke. "Many of my clients ultimately crave the carbonation, which can be remedied fairly easily with seltzer water." But that's only half the battle - you'll also need to lay off the typical teenage junk food diet & ash your face at least twice a day. Those who had soda more than three times a week had an even higher risk. My weekdays end with extended happy hours and my weekends are always a blur of late nights and boozy brunches. Besides the uptick in my mood, I was able to save hundreds of dollars, lose the couple pounds I had gained when I moved to Georgia last winter, and focus on productivity and self-care in ways "I never had time” to do in the past. Fortunately, both the moodiness and the cravings don't last forever, and eventually your body will adjust to your new and healthier lifestyle. Your brain will get a boost. Although there’s been recent debate over whether or not soda can clog your pores, I can’t deny that I saw serious results. Of course, I always gleefully click on any story about how red wine actually helps you live longer and I ignore the part about how it’s “the occasional glass” of red wine that’s beneficial and not “the occasional carafe.”. But if you're used to drinking soda, you may find water to be a pretty boring option — but there are ways to spice things up, says registered dietitian Amanda A. Kostro Miller. No makeup, just moisturizer and my signature blank stare. If you take your oral health seriously, it might be time to stop drinking soda. “Your skin is PURGING! But the reality is that it's tough. I found out I had to find a new apartment and move very quickly, so that sucked. While you should monitor your coffee intake due to its diuretic effects, Dr. King tells Bustle … Do you have dreams of one day retiring with your spouse and finally taking that trip around the world? Are you someone who can't live without soda?If yes, you might want to think twice of this bad habit of drinking soda on regular basis. Two studies have found that swapping soda for a healthier beverage option can lead to some weight loss. The sleep you're able to get isn't the only thing that can be influenced by soda. "At the beginning, space out smaller portions and set a goal to only drink eight to 12 ounces of soda once a week." Drinking soda doesn't do anything to increase acne, but it certainly isn't good for you. A week after your last drink is when your skin really starts to see improvement. There’s a weird, grown-up little joy in moderation. Rather than enjoy the sweetness of soda, why not replace it with a diet filled with veggies and fruits, while drinking … My Skin Is Clear, My Bank Account Is Full, and Life Is Good — All Because I Quit Diet Soda May 6, 2018 by Hedy Phillips According to the National Sleep Foundation, moderate caffeine usage can cause insomnia and sleep disturbances. They went on to say that dentists should advise patients to limit soda intake and to drink less erosive soft drinks like unsweetened iced tea and iced coffee. This time around, whether it’s due to the maturity that comes with age or the clarity that comes with teetotaling, it barely made a blip in my sense of self-esteem. "Research has found that sugar and artificial sweeteners affect your healthy gut bacteria, which can affect how your immune system works and how your body responds to infection." Who knew? On top of all that, alcohol was making me less cute. You heard it here first: "Dry January is fabulous for skin care," says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York.Avoiding alcohol—even for just 31 days—offers some I was also incredibly ready for a glass of wine in just a few days. A few days after the end of #Octsober. My skin still isn’t 100% but it’s calm and hydrated AF, which is all I ever want to be as a person. Sure, I didn’t LOVE breaking out (who does?) You'll lose weight. Allure may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. MORE: 8 Things That Happen When You Finally Stop Drinking Diet Soda. I am able to tell when I am really thirsty better now. To go a whole month without it felt like pressing a reset button. In a 22-year study of more than 40,000 men that was published in Circulation in April 2012, researchers found those who drank a sugar-sweetened drink like soda every day could increase their risk of having a heart attack by 19 percent. I’ve given up meat, dairy, and processed sugar before for long stretches but giving up alcohol was more difficult than any of those. After my skin started flaring up like the surface of Mars though, I added way more moisturizing products to the ol’ routine. A key ingredient in soda is caffeine. People often get addicted to consuming soda especially in form of soft drinks on a daily basis. So what exactly does soda have to do with your tendency to get sick? Plenty, as noted by registered dietitian Hayley Cimring. When I started this experiment, I had planned to keep my skincare routine the same as it had been before I quit drinking. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Maybe my parents weren’t lying all those years they warned me alcohol is a depressant. The key is moderation. But then I got to thinking, if I had been drinking heavily enough that my gut was accustomed to a certain level of alcohol, that’s not great. What drinking more water can do for your skin, according to Lortscher On maintaining hydration: “Our bodies, especially our internal organs, function best when oral hydration is adequate. Vasiloudes noted, "Everyone should recognize the power of eating real food and can use diet as a powerful weapon against thin hair.". One less-than-pleasant change that happens to your body will take place in your brain, as noted by Dr. Mike Dow, a psychotherapist and nutrition expert. That study found that replacing caloric beverages with water or diet beverages resulted in 2 to 2.5 percent weight loss. My breakouts were minimal but my skin felt very dry no matter how many expensive serums I applied. Despite the massive amount of stress the month had brought me, I felt more capable of handling it and less like emotionally spiraling. My digestion is better. After just a month without a drink, I felt like I was in a remarkably better place mentally. Kidney. Sugar affects the hormones in your body, specifically dihydrotestosterone, which causes hair thinning. Unfortunately, some of the news on this front isn't very good, as noted by registered dietitian Hayley Cimring. It's not just caffeine and sugar that keeps you reaching for soda time after time. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. "Some people may also prefer soda to regular water because they just 'don't like the taste of water,'" she told The List. According to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Health Communications, certain PSAs aimed at sugar-sweetened drinks did influence teens' intentions to cut back on soda. Caffeine may increase blood flow to the skin and extremities, blood pressure, blood sugar, body temperature, heart rate, stomach acid secretion, and urine production, as noted by the University of Michigan's University Health Service. I do feel like I have more of a natural “glow” than I did when I was boozing on the regular. I drank an herbal tea. However, diet soda comes with its own risks, according to Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. If all the reasons we listed to stop drinking soda aren't good enough, how about just having the knowledge that your insides could be as beautiful as your outsides? It just might help your precious brain! Absolutely. I was proud of myself and rightly so. "When you take in something exceedingly sweet, and those artificial sweeteners in diet soda are from 400 times to 8,000 times sweeter than sugar, it can send you searching for more food — out of lack of satisfaction," she continued. Dr. Zeichner told me that alcohol is, of course, a dehydrating force. "Researchers have found that consuming excess sugar in soda leads to a decrease in the amounts of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)," she explained to The List. Hear us out: Researchers at UCLA found long-term sugar consumption could lead to impaired memory, learning, and behavioral plasticity. ‘Within days of giving up drinking, my skin has improved dramatically. When I got home from work, all I really wanted was a glass or four of wine.