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I like my refreshments. I really do.

I won’t say that I drink soda daily, but still it’s more often than I should. The problem is that there is nothing like a nice cold coke from the fridge to clear the mind. I love it!

I need the caffeine, and I need the sugar to get that extra energy.

It’s especially in between 2pm and 4 pm it’s a struggle. I know that it’s only natural because we as human beings naturally have a dip in our energy levels during that time. It’s no coincidence that certain countries have a tradition of siestas during that time. 2pm to 4pm is in the middle of the workday. There are several things that could help keep me energized during those hours. Grabbing a refreshing drink is the only one that’s really viable.

The best options would probably be to go for a short walk or perform some other physical exercise to energize my body. As I said it’s in the middle of the workday, so those hardly viable options.

It’s a good thing that I have sugar and caffeine charged soda waiting for me in the fridge to refresh me. Or maybe not.

We all know the problems with sodas. They contain sugar and acids. Both are bad for my teeth, and sugar isn’t going to help me drop those pounds I’d like to drop. Additionally, too much caffeine has a detrimental effect on my sleeping pattern. That means I need more caffeine the next day to keep me going. Did anybody mention a vicious cycle?

So, how am I going to get off this road that seemingly leads to damnation? Well, I’m not.

I don’t want to, and I’ve got enough sense of the realities of being me to know that it isn’t going to happen anyway. At least not overnight. If I told myself to stay off the colas for a week, I could certainly do it, but for life? No way! I enjoy them too much.

I have always been a fan of setting realistic goals for myself. So, setting one I know isn’t going to happen is just an exercise in futility…obviously.

Now, lowering my soda consumption. That I could certainly do. Especially if I found a suitable alternative. Today, I did.

I was chatting with a friend of mine who’s living in Israel. We were talking about how the company I work at had now substituted sodas with apple juice for meetings with external partners. She asked “why not water with lemon juice?”

“Water with lemon juice?” I asked.

She told me that her favorite beverage was a cold glass of water with ice and a bit of lemon juice. When people mention something like that I always ask for the recipe. Here it is.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Water (cold mineral water).
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice.
• Ice Cubes

She told me to mix the water with the lemon juice and add the ice cubes. I probably could have figured it out, but it was nice of her to mention it anyway.

This evening when I got home, I tried it, and it was delicious. Can it replace my cola? Not entirely, but it is certainly a good alternative.

All I have to do now is to make sure I have cold water, ice cubes and lemon juice handy for those situations where I’m looking for a refreshment. I’m considering skipping the ice cubes and mixing water and lemon juice in used soda bottles (I have a few) and keep those in the fridge for those times when I’m in need of a refreshment.