An Interview: Kicking the Pop Habit

Hello, my lovies!  Today I have something I am SO EXCITED to share with you!  Sometime in September, I heard that my friend's hubster kicked the pop habit.  Now this may seem like no big deal to you, but this guy...let me just say, he was the DEFINITION of a pop habit.  She told me that she never ever thought that he would give it up.  He slept with a 2 liter of pop next to his bed at night in case he woke up.  Seriously.  He packed it tenderly with him when he went on a vacation (one for every day, plus one extra on backup).  This is not your average pop drinker, my friends.  This was a full-blown addict.

It takes a lot to kick any habit, but a habit that is ~35 years in the making is exceptionally difficult.  Jeff did it.  You can, too.

I know there are many of you out there who drink pop and can't imagine how you could give it up.  This story is for you.  It should serve as your inspiration.  If this guy can do it, I know you can, too.  Stop killing yourself and read on.

Without further ado, the interview.

1.  Please introduce yourself.  (You can include whatever you want about yourself.  You can say your job, whatever you like.)

JM: My name is Jeff and I’m going to turn 39 soon. I’m an electrical engineer by degree and work at a security integration company as their lead engineer.

2. On the whole spectrum of crunchy organic granola, one being you are the president of Monsanto and microwave your GMO lunch in plastic bags while showering in pesticides and ten being you make your clothes out of homemade organic hemp that you grew in your backyard while you ferment your kombucha in your dreadlocks, where would you say you fit?

JM: I’m probably a 5 (from my perspective) LOL.

3. How long have/had you been drinking pop?

JM: To say my whole life would be an understatement. I can’t remember not drinking pop. My parents bought it, so I drank it.  I had it with most meals and whenever I went out to eat. I drank it throughout college and didn’t stop once I graduated. It was a way of life. So totaling that all up, I’m thinking about 34 years.

4. How much, on an average day, did you drink?

           JM: From college on I would say about 2 liters a day minimum, but there were days that 3-4 liters happened.

5. Did you have any health or dental issues as a result?

JM: I’m not aware of any health issues that this may have contributed directly to right now, but I’m sure that it indirectly has caused my increase in weight (duh) and my lack of energy at times (but what about the caffeine? – when your body is being embalmed with caffeine it no longer has the desired effect).  I know that it has had a devastating impact on my teeth and gums. I recently had a dentist appointment and they asked if I had changed my diet. When I told them I stopped drinking pop they said it was obvious because my gums were starting to repair themselves. (Luckily my gingivitis had not progressed to the point that my gums were permanently damaged! Wish I could say that about my teeth, especially the one with the crown and the two other that need crowns that I’m waiting on.)

6. What kind of crack, er, I mean, pop, did you usually drink?

JM: Growing up, I drank Coke as that was what my parents bought. In high school I switched to Mountain Dew. This continued throughout college and didn’t stop until 2006 when my son was born and I decided to try to stop then. It didn’t last long. Pepsi released Diet Pepsi Max about 4 months later and it contained more caffeine that Mountain Dew, so I was hooked again.  Then they relabeled it to just Pepsi Max (but it was still diet) so it would market to men better.  I now had an excuse to continue my habit since it was diet.

7. How did you used to view pop?

JM: It was my water. Seriously, I never drank anything else - only Pepsi Max. There were times where I had run out of my 2 liters (which I bought 10 and 20 at a time) and I seriously didn’t drink anything for a day to the point of dehydration. I was seriously addicted and had to make a change.

8. I heard that your children, when they were very little had their baby bottles, your wife had her water bottle and you had your 2 liter.  I also heard that your 2 liter was called “Daddy’s water”.  Is this true?  Do tell all.

JM: That is true. I drank directly from my 2 liter. I carried it with me everywhere. I had it by my side of the bed at night so I could take a drink of it if I woke up. I always had it near me around the house wherever I went.  I had next to me in the car.  I would take multiple bottles with me on vacation (at least one for everyday plus a spare.)  It was a part of my attire, like underwear but meant more to me…LOL.

9. What was the catalyst that started you thinking about changing this habit?

JM: It wasn’t just one thing. Like I said before, I tried to quit back in 2006. I think that as I’ve grown older I was realizing that the “benefits” of drinking pop (the caffeine and the taste) were not worth the cost financially nor to my health. I knew it was affecting my weight, my sleep, and it wasn’t good when I ran out because the only thing I could think of was getting my next bottle and I didn’t really care about anything or anyone else in those moments. But if I had to choose one catalyst, it was when my son (who ironically doesn’t like pop at all) said, “I can’t wait until I get older like you Dad and then I will like pop and can drink as much as I want.” My other kids had said things like this before but they DO like pop.  To have my son who doesn’t like it think that this is just something he has to do in order to grow up just opened my eyes to the message I was unintentionally sending my kids.

10. What sealed the deal all the way – what was the fact or the phrase or the thought that tipped you over the edge and made you realize you wanted to do this for real?

JM: I had no more excuses left that held any basis in logic. I knew it was bad for me with all the chemicals in it. I knew it was contributing to my weight gain, my lack of good sleep, and my declining dental health. The caffeine had no effect on me in regards to keeping me up at night at all. I could drink 2 liters of pop and go right to sleep.  In fact, I was having trouble staying awake at night. Now I’m able to stay awake with no caffeine at all.

11.   Your wife thought that you would never, never, never, ever, ever give up pop.  (Except add in fourteen more “nevers”.)  Some people may give it up easily because they drink pop once every other week with their pizza, but your pop drinking was a way of life.  How on earth did you do it?  (Was it a cold turkey thing or did you cut back?)  What is the secret?

JM: You could probably put “nevers” to the power to infinity [*cough* engineer *cough*] and that is what my wife thought. I had to do this cold turkey. That is the only way it was going to work for me. So I went through a tremendously painful 72 hours of a no pop weekend and then just started filling my empty 2 liters with water and drank those instead. In many ways that actually helped me because part of any addiction are the [physical] processes [and habits] leading into it. So to still have the two liter near me filled with water instead of pop was helpful. I now have a refillable 500 mL water bottle that I take everywhere with me instead.

12. Did you ever feel like you were a little addicted to it?  If you were, was it just an emotional tie to it (being used to it in your everyday life) or was it a physical thing (you needed it to stay awake, etc.)?

JM: There is no doubt in my mind that I was addicted to it just like a smoker, or a “choose your drug” addict. It wasn’t just physical, it was emotional and there are still times I have the desire to buy a 2 liter. I still miss the sound of opening a new 2 liter of pop.

13.   How did you tell your wife that you were thinking about giving it up?  What did your wife say/do when you told her you were thinking about quitting pop?

JM: I told her on our 15^th anniversary.  She was in complete shock and I think she was skeptical. I told her that she should could call people and tell them about my decision (which I knew would help me follow through - no one wants to let people down).  I told her she could call you and others and let them know.

14.  What do you drink now?  What do you do instead?

JM: I drink water primarily. Just to be on the level, I will on occasion have a glass of pop when we are out to eat or over at a friend’s house or party. But we do not buy it and do not have it in the house anymore.

15.  How long has it been since you’ve crossed over to the non-pop drinking side of life?

JM: It has now been 7 months. One of the reasons I waited to do this interview [the time between the interview questions being sent out and them being answered was about 6 months] was to make sure I had actually made the switch and wasn’t going to backslide.

16.   Do you feel any different yet?  How?

JM: I feel very different and it is a good different. I have more energy and when I wake up I don’t feel lethargic. I can now stay awake without caffeine and if I have something with caffeine in it, it actually has the desired effect of helping me stay up later. My kidneys like me and I’m reminded about that multiple times everyday.

17.   What would you say to someone who is considering giving it up?  How would you pull them over to the dark side/onto the crazy train?

JM: Accept the fact that you are an addict and that staying there is not a good thing. It isn’t good for your body, it isn’t good for your mental awareness, and it isn’t good for those who are watching you and may try to follow your example someday. Once you have accepted that, then take the leap and do what it take for YOU to change. My way (cold turkey) may not work for you, but whatever you think will work - try it - and make that choice each day.

18.   Have you lost any weight?

JM: Yes, but I ended up putting that back on during Christmas. But I have now continued to lose and I’m down 15 pounds since Christmas.

19.   Have you saved any money?

JM: Yes. You do the math… 365 days in a year equal 365 bottles of pop times $1.29 or more equals about $500 a year.

20.   How much do you miss it?  On a scale of 1-10: 1 is you can’t imagine drinking it ever again in your life and 10 is you have composed several songs and poems to your old 2 liters which you sing in hymn-like and devoted fashion upon waking daily.

JM: This is still a situational thing. I would say that on average I miss it about a 3. But there are days that it is about 9 and I drink a lot of water on those days!!! J

21.   As a result of ditching pop, have you made any other changes in your lifestyle that are steps toward further healthy decisions?  (a.k.a. Has ditching pop been your gateway to other healthy things?)

JM: I have started to pay attention to my food intake and I do plan on starting running once the weather gets warmer.

22.   Any other benefits that you’d like to share with the world?

JM: Overall, I just feel better about myself knowing that I’m making the healthy choice and I’m now a good example to my family. I think that my kids now have an example of someone who had made a bad choice, but instead of wallowing in shame and despair, showed the guts to own the problem and make changes for the better. 

23.   Is it true that you’ve even tried kombucha?  What do you think of that stuff?

JM: Yes I have. It is an acquired taste. I will probably make another batch at some point in the future.

I, for one, am very impressed.  I know that your wife had always said that she thought you would never, never, never, ever, ever give up pop.  But you did it.  And for that, I bestow upon you a very glittery and pink high five.

Peace, love, and three cheers to Jeff for killing the habit!

Ms. Daisy

Water, pH, and Otto Warburg

Remember back in the day when bottled water didn't "exist"?  You know, back in the days when your only choice on the shelf was a bottle or can of your favorite poison pop (or "soda" - for those of you who say that)?  Now if you walk into your local grocery store, gas station or otherwise, you see plethoras of water bottle packs - bundled up ones, refrigerated ones, tall ones, small ones, it's a wonder.

We can figure that this came out of someone figuring out a good way to make money via marketing and bottling convienent ways for people to take water on the go (the people who find it much more difficult to fill up their own personal reusable water bottle, I suppose).  The old phrase "drink 8 glasses of water a day" birthed to us this new water revolution and gave us plethoras of Ice Mountains, Aquafina, Ethos, etc.

Now.  As you know, I am very glad that people are being made aware that they should drink water - especially instead of poison, er, pop.  

But.

Are all waters created equally?

Some say they are spring water.  Some say they are purified through reverse osmosis.  Still others are ionized and have a higher pH than what you can get out of your tap.  Is this all crazysauce or does it actually matter?

Let's work through this one, eh?

Okay.  So, I took a fantastic trip to Virginia last fall and I went into a gas station to get a gallon of water to fill up my water bottle as I traveled (I usually drink about 2L of water a day so I figured this was the easy way to go).  I had a couple minutes as I was waiting for someone in my family to get out of the bathroom so I decided to try to figure out the difference between why one bottled water cost $0.43 and the other was like $1.99.  

What I saw was disturbing and hilarious.

I picked up one and started to read the label.  I am guessing they have to tell you their source, because if they weren't required to do so, I am pretty sure they would not have broadcast this.  I scanned my eyes down to read this: Source - Town X, New Jersey municipal water department.

Whuuut?

It's a dude bottling city tap water!  What on hilarious earth!

I can just see the commerical now: "Mmm, delicious, refreshing, cold water - and I get it from Vince's kitchen sink in New Jersey!"  Awesome.

Then there's spring water, right?  Supposed to be from a spring.  I guess we just have to take their word for it, whatever their definition of a spring is and whatever cleanliness level it might be, I really have no idea.  So that could be good.  Or not.  I have no idea.  Do they boil it?  Are there like little bits of fish parts in it?  I am guessing it can't be straight from a spring, right?  That might be problematic?  Dirt?  Although - I must say - those things aren't bad for you inherently, so don't get me wrong.

Next up: reverse osmosis.  Now I can tell you right here, reverse osmosis has the reputation for being the cleanest water possible.  It goes through several filters - carbon filters, precarbon filters, etc, etc, etc, you can get filters that remove flourine, chlorine, the whole periodic table minus the two hydrogens and an oxygen. It can be pristine.

But.

(Oh why must there be a "but"?!)

The water is deadsicles.  Like meh.  Like it is merely the definition of "wet".  Which, at first, you think, oh, good.  Clean water.  Happy!

But.

(Again?!)

There are people out there who say that reverse osmosis water is devoid of minerals and actually strips the inside of your body of those that are there.  That's scary and not really what we're looking for.  (These same people say that anything is better than chlorinated, flouridated, municipal tap water, though.)  So companies make reverse osmosis mineral drops to add to your pristine water in hopes that everything will be returned to your body in perfect form.

I like that idea.

But.

(F'REAL?!)

There are people who swear up and down and sideways that any of the above are straight up horrid for you and you may as well sign yourself up to be first in line for cancer and the entire host of degenerative diseases (not to be too dramatic).

At this point, are you feeling lost in a sea of desperation, not knowing what on earth it's even worth and you're about to say "Forget this!" and go back to drinking pop?  Hang with me for two seconds here - I have something good to say in a minute.  Don't despair.  And don't touch the poison.

So I go to this naturopath and chiropractor.  She is def not conventional, but the crazy stuff she does works somehow.  Seriously.  She was the first person who told me about this other type of water - the higher pH water - alkaline water.

Now, I have to filter it through my brain here.  She sells these machines so you have to realize that she is making money off of them (and thus wants people to buy them), but she genuinely believes in it.  You know how some people are just pulling a sales pitch on you and you're sure they're just saying the whole gammut because dollar signs are dancing joyfully, prancefully, wildly in the back of their eyeballs?  This is not her.  This lady LOVES this water.  Like, I am pretty sure if you said you would take it away from her and not let her use it anymore, she would  have a life crisis and punch you in the face and key your car.  As in, if it were a man, it would be her husband.  She is in LOVE with this stuff.  Like, she gives it away free to everyone who will come in her office and take it.  And people do.  This one dude folded down all of his minivan seats and was loading up about 50 gallons of it and putting it in his vehicle.  This is a common sight there.

At first, I was wondering what on earth this was all about and why are all these weirdos picking up water.  I talked to her about it, and then pursued my own research.

Have you heard of Otto Heinrich Warburg?  (You'll be surprised to hear that he is German.  I know, you couldn't tell.)  This dude was probably the most brilliant scientist in the 20th century.  He won a Nobel Prize in 1931.  He was a physiologist, medical doctor and a Nobel laureate, served in an elite regiment in World War I, won the Iron Cross for bravery, was nominated THREE different times for three different things for a Nobel Prize (totally unprecedented) and was the premier biochemist of the last century.  His dad was homies with Einstein and the highest prize in science in Germany now bears his name.  Total failure, eh?

(What on earth does he have to do with water, Daisy?)  Glad you asked.

He figured out what causes cancer.  (Why do more people not know this or talk about it, I'll leave to you to think over, but may I just suggest it is a lucrative industry? *cough* pharmaceutical companies *cough*)  He experimented and found that every cancer cell "breathes" out fermentation, whereas healthy cells have aerobic respiration (they breathe out oxygen).  Beyond this, he found that cancer cells only survived (and were "born") in an acidic environment (with pH levels less than neutral - usually around 6.0) and alkaline environments bred healthy cells.

(Finally, it's coming together.)

Think: what is necessary to ferment something?  The presence of sugar (and a yeast - a simple bacteria).  Ponder that one for a moment.

The pH of water can be changed a couple ways - if it is run over minerals or if it is electrically split to do crazy stuff with the oxygen molecules.  (No, I am not a scientist.  If you want to find out more about how that works, do read it.  I have, but I am not solid enough in it to be able to explain it all to you.)

If you constantly bathe your body in a bath of alkaline substances, by this discovery, you stand a good chance of health and wellness.  If you bathe your body in a bath of acidic substances, you stand a good chance of cancer and other sickness.

Do you remember the pH scale from chemistry?  Low numbers mean acid, high numbers mean alkaline.  Too far on either spectrum, your body is going to have a serious problem.  Each number on the pH scale doesn't mean you went up "one".  It means you just multiplied by ten.

So a pH of 6 is TEN TIMES more acidic than something with a pH of 7.  Even though it looks like one.  Seems like not a big deal.  But it is a giganto deal.

Got it?  That's all the chemistry I'm going to explain for today.

So, here's what I want to show you.

7.0 is considered neutral.  Smaller than that, you're in acid territory.  Higher than that, you're in alkaline territory.  If you get close to 0 or 14, you're going to die and whatever it is is pretty much going to peel your skin off.

Want to hear the pH of some things?  You so do.  

Stomach acid (the stuff that would burn holes in your eyes if it were let out) is a 1.0.  Mineral water is about 8.5 (so it's alkaline).  "Good" coffee is between a 4.9 and 5.2 (hello, acid, how are you doing today?  You're about 100 times more acidic than tap water!)  Coca Cola Classic has a pH of 2.5.  TWO POINT FIVE.   TWO POINT FIVE!!!!  That's only about 100,000 times more acidic than tap water.

ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND.  I know, I'm being a bit dramatic, but I am in total shock.  Okay, not total shock because I've known pop was hideous for you, but this is crazy nutso off the charts hideosity.

(Told you to step away from the poison!)  Just say it again, one hundred thousand times more acidic.  Cancer lives in acid.  Cancer breathes out sugar fermentation.  Word 'em up, if it ever were time to swear off pop, I think you better do it now!

Anyway, sorry.  Had to show you.

All of this to say, I guess I can see the benefits of having a slightly higher pH for your water (not a 13 or something, but an 8.5 might do ya just right).

Something to ponder, anyway, right?  (And if you've got a good source of well water, you're the luckiest of all.)

Peace, love and drink up?
Ms. Daisy