I Do Not Drink Coke

Today I was listing some glasses that were in a box I recently purchased at an auction.  This set of Coca Cola Stain Glass with Red Tulip are so pretty.  It got me thinking….when was the last time I drank a Coke?

I told you back in 2011 that I was a die-hard Coke fan.  I used to drink a regular Coca Cola or a Diet Coke with Lime almost every afternoon.

I dramatically reduced my Coke intact in late 2012 and early 2013 as I mentioned in this post.  It is amazing that I no longer eat any of those snacks in that photo.  I still would love to eat the Nature Valley Sweet and Sour Almond Nut Bar, but haven’t had one since late August.  Not sure how it would taste if I did eat one.  All of them are loaded with sugar. After a lot of research, I realize how bad sugar is for me.

I also listed these White Evergreen Pine Coca Cola glasses today.

Then I reduced my sugar intake in February of this year.  Do I still eat sugar?  Yes, but not nearly as often.  My sugar mostly comes from the fruit I eat, but I will sometimes eat it when I am outside my home.  I rarely eat it when I am home.  That is a good thing. I still love sweet things, but it is amazing how things are tasting sweeter and sweeter to me.

So when was the last time I had a Coke?  I have had only a handful of Coca Cola’s this year, with my last one that I shared with my Mom at an auction sale in Jun or July.  The funny thing is it didn’t taste right at all.  I would say that I have broke my Coca Cola habit.  I am not a fool, and therefore, I know that if I started to drink it again for a few days, the habit would probably come back quickly.

Part of my process in breaking the habit was making sure I was drinking plenty of water a day, drinking green tea, and finding a healthy substitute if I really need something besides water.  My current favorite is a tall glass of water with about a tablespoon of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a drop or two of Stevia. Something about the bite of the ACV cures my craving for a soda pop.

Now that I have broken my habit, I tell myself, “I don’t drink Coke.”  For some reason saying that instead of “I can’t drink a Coke” gives me the control and the power not to feel sorry for myself. It is my choice, and a choice that I know is so good for my health.

How about you have you given up a food or habit that is bad for you?  Do tell.

Follow My It’s Still Life Facebook Page

I have not been as good showing my thrifting and auction finds on this blog, but I am still out there looking for treasures.  I am still listing and selling my finds in my ItsStillLife Etsy Shop.  If you want to keep up with what I am listing, just check out my ItsStillLife Facebook Page and follow.  I will be posting my listings on my page.

The Sprite Boy Coca Cola Clock is my latest listing.

Keep on junkin’.

 

 

Thrifty Finds – Oct 20

I haven’t shown my thrifty finds lately.  Here goes…this awesome cast iron, red milking stool.  Loved it.  Listed it and it sold within a few days of listing.  There would be so many uses for it.  It also would work in a vignette.  I was thinking if it hadn’t sold, I would have used it for Christmas décor.

Another red item…I found another Coca Cola crate.  Just got it listed.  These usually don’t stick around for long.

Look at this adorable wood, riding horse.  It is so cute.  I love the chippy wood, the red and green paint….hmmm, maybe I can use this in my Christmas décor.

This minnow bucket with its green font logo is wonderful.  Love the aged galvanized metal.

This green ironing board I just listed, but I am trying to decide about it.  I have been thinking about a memo board in my den.  This would work, just hang and add magnets.

With the 50th anniversary of John F Kennedy’s assassination I finally listed these two Memorial booklets that honored him at the time.  Very cool history.  I really enjoyed going through them.

Another awesome train case.  I have sold almost 10 of these things.  They usually sell within 30 days of listing them.  There are so many uses for them.  This one is in very good condition, so I expect it to go quickly.

Amber pitchers are slow movers, but they do sell.  It is so late 70s and early 80s.  This one has a great shape and love the flower on the side.

I have sold a couple of planters and have found there is a market out there for them.  Not sure if the brown drip glaze is very popular.  Guess I will see if this McCoy donkey planter will sell.

I am selling these beer mugs that are from the Schmidt Beer Collectors Series.  These are the first 2 through 5.  I wish I had found the 1st one, but if someone wants a quick collection, this would be a great way to start.

There is no mark on these footed glasses that have game birds on them, so I don’t know the brand, but they are in awesome condition.  Because Big M is into hunting I like to display glasses like these.  Right now I have pheasant glasses on display.

Finally, I listed a couple of globes.  This one is my favorite ever.  I love the metal ring stand.  It is a Replogle True to Life Globe from the late 1980s.

So what are you finding in your thrifting adventures?

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MIO – Flavor Your Water

Since early October I have given up my beloved Coke from Coca-Cola. And yes, I drank the full sugared, caffeine type. I had tried to drink diet flavors but kept going back to the real thing.  Here in the northern plains we call it pop and not soda, but regardless of what I called it, it was not good for me.

Along with giving it up, I have drunk 8-10 glasses of water every day.  I have never enjoyed drinking water.  Still can’t stand it if it has a strong chlorine taste, but overall I have adapted to the taste of water and enjoy my water.

One of the things I have done is fill a pitcher of water with 64 ounces before bedtime and leave it in the fridge.  Then the next day it is ready to go.  I don’t have to try to keep track of how much I am drinking. I just need to make sure that the pitcher is empty when I go to bed.

I have always loved to take a break in the early afternoon to sit down and drink my can of Coke.  I really think it was the carbonation more than anything because I still miss that fizz. So instead of my Coke, I have started drinking herbal tea, sometimes with a packet of Truvia and sometimes not.  Recently I tried Mio.  Have you heard about Mio? It is a small bottle that you can squirt into a glass or bottle of water to flavor it.  Just something different from plain water.  I am really enjoying it.  It has no calories because it has sucralose.  I am trying to stay away from sucralose, but a little squirt is just what I need when I don’t want a hot tea for my break time.

When I do have my herbal tea or my Mio flavored water, I normally take that from my filtered tap and not my pitcher, so that is why I can get more than 8 glasses in on any given day.  Just small tricks to make it easier for myself.  I expect to continue this through this year.

So what do you do to make sure you drink more water?