Soda Sales are in a Slump…But You Can Get Yourself Out of One With Healthy Alternatives!

Over the past month, sales of soft drinks have shown a real slump. According to Nielsan Scantrack Data, reported via Food Navigator USA, overall sales for carbonated soft drinks have fallen by nearly 5 percent. In contrast, energy drinks like Monster, Red Bull, and Rockstar have risen — Monster leads the pack at a nearly 20 percent increase in sales!

Soda is a tricky drink. While so many of us know how bad it is for our bodies, it’s been shown that the carbonation in soda can do some funny things to our brains. As Green Monster Alexis Croswell has reported: “the presence of carbonation seemed to decrease the perception of sweets in the brains of the study participants. In other words, carbonation in drinks makes you think they are not as sweet as they truly are. They also found that a certain level of carbonation keeps the brain from being able to distinguish between artificial and real sugar.”

Add to this the addicting sugars in soda drinks, and you’ve got yourself one irresistible yet totally bad-for-you drink addiction! Now, here’s the even bigger problem: from these recent sales reports, it seems that people are moving their addiction from soda to energy drinks, which is just as bad for your body but disguised with a seemingly uplifting promise of increased energy or even better health. Not so, Green Monsters! These drinks can be home to a slew of terrible ingredients, from additives to colorings to bag sugars.

So, what’s a health-loving person like yourself to do, then? Well, we have the good news for you. There are many alternatives out there for you! Check out our piece on some great alternatives to soda here. 

If energy is what you’re in search of, we’ve also got some awesome recipes for five homemade natural energy drinks and great ideas for some other alternative drink choices — and you don’t even need to opt for coffee if you don’t want to! From antioxidant-rich teas to green juices, there are plenty alternatives out there for you to try. Opt for a plant-based or herbal option, and you of course won’t be doing the failing soda industry any favors, but you’ll certainly be doing yourself a big one! Just check out some of the other options you can go for, here:

Refreshing Green Smoothie

Super Energy Booster Smoothie

Cold-Press Juices

Green Fruit Smoothie with Wheatgrass Juice

Sunshine Smoothie

Lead Image Source: Joe Loong/Flickr