Diet Coke Break

Some months ago, after reading a book, I decided to give up sweeteners. Being a habitual dieter with a sweet coffee habit and a glucose tolerance issue this wasn’t a small decision to me. But the more research is done, the more concerning things are being discovered about artificial sweeteners and without going into too much preachy detail about stuff I don’t think you should be putting into your body, I decided I would rather risk the 14 calories per teaspoon in honest to goodness sugar that all of the potential nightmares hiding in my Sweetex. Or even in extreme situations, forego the sugar all together. The stretched seams in my office dress will testify that this second option has not been going desperately well. I’ve not gone for the full sugar fizzy drink binge at all, I’ve never liked fat coke as it is, the odd lemonade and my favourite fever tree tonic have been subbed in when a little fizz or mixer was in order. My plain water intake has never been better in fact and I’ll add here that I seem less prone to spotty outbreaks and dry skin since switching.

But anyhoo, after a late start this morning on a hot day when I may have had a couple of drinks before bed the previous evening, a lingering can of diet coke in the fridge caught my eye. It was there, all cold and hydrating and so much more appealing than a hot caffeine fix. I figured what the hell, one can of diet coke. Zilcho energy on a day i could already predict to be calorie heavy (it is Friday after all) how bad can it be? I’ve not had one in months and despite my best efforts I keep finding stealth sweeteners in the new and (I had thought) healthier options I have been leaning towards recently. Look guilty Muller Yoghurts, I’m talking to you. So it went in my bag, and I went to work.

I wasn’t waiting to eleven thirty as there are no hunky window cleaners or workmen within eyeshot of my building, so I cracked it open at roughly 9-12am.

Wow.

It was disgusting. I mean rough, chemically and sour disgusting with that bitter-fake-sweet after tang I only now notice as I avoid it at all costs. I struggle to believe there was ever a day that I could put away a pint of that evil in the pub or even worse go through a two litre bottle or more in a weekend. Potential nutritional poisoning aside, it’s horrible! Who would drink that crap! And as if to confirm everything that Jillian Michaels and other less photogenic anti-sweetner advocates have been saying, I had a tight, nagging headache within about twenty minutes of drinking it. Eeee-yeeeew.

I will now be taking an extended break from the diet coke and long may it last. When I’m bored of water I’ll just have to switch back to wine instead. Never mind eh, it’s for my own good.