The Dangers of Diet Coke

After reading a blog on the skinny Confidential blog post on sugar free coffee syrup click to read the blog post  I realize I have this major addiction to Diet Coke, Yes it's true I am a diet coke-aholics. They say the first step of over coming your addiction is admitting you have a problem.  I know what you are thinking is that truly an addiction, and I say yes.  According to Webster Dictionary addiction is defined as:

compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

I would say that Diet Coke  is habit forming to me, I have to have one (I am ashamed to admit it ) first thing in the morning, its as if I am condition to have one.  I know gross. However, since I do not drink coffee it is my little boost of caffeine. It is so sad,  it's like I need my daily fix to get my day going.  As I begin my journey to better health, I need to kick this habit.  I am writing a blog on better health through exercise and nutrition.  So I need to start  practicing what I preach.

So what made me want to start to kick this habit?  Well for one thing, last night I took my blood pressure and it was elevated 132/84.  I could not believe that,  I have always prided myself on low blood pressure.  I did not understand what caused this change, than I had an epiphany.  I  was drinking an excessive amounts of diet coke.  Research has shown that drinking diet coke may cause an increase blood pressure.  An elevated blood pressure can increase a persons risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.

I know that it is just chemicals in a can, and as a person who is always trying to eat the most nutritious foods, why do I ingests so much diet coke?  I started to do research on  line to find out the source of my addiction, and what I soon realized is that there are other people like me.  Yes, there are other diet coke-aholics like me.  What is it in this drink that makes some of us  so dependent on it.  Apparently some experts suggest its the rituals that surround diet coke that is habit forming.  For instance every morning we grab a diet coke as our source of caffeine.  

 Caffeine is not the only reason for this habit.  There is a phenomenon know as addiction swapping, where you trade one addiction for another addiction.  A person may drink diet soda because they are trying to lose weight, and they turn to diet coke with its artificial sweeteners for comfort as the decrease their intake of sugars, carbohydrates and other satisfying foods.  

So these artificial sweeteners found in diet coke can make some people psychologically- and even physically dependent on it, and in away it mimics more serious addictions.  Some research has  suggest, a person my reach for another glass of bubbly, because the artificial sweeteners does not satisfy the real craving.  To put it another way, your brain keeps on looking for that high felt after having sugary treat but the artificial sweeteners can not provide that high after ingestion.

What ever the actual source of this addiction really does not matter, it is kicking the habit that is more important.  So join me on me my journey to try and kick this habit.  Has anyone else ever suffered from this addiction and beat it?  What did you do?  Write to me, I would love to hear from you