Substituting

Starting a healthy lifestyle is much easier than a lot of people think. It is as simple as finding little things in your lifestyle and eating patterns that you can change or find a healthier alternative for. For example, one could substitute a low-calorie sweetener for the sugar that they put in their coffee.

At my apartment, I have finally convinced my roommates to switch from drinking sugar-packed, caffeinated soda to drinking club soda. Club soda has zero additives, zero calories, and only 65 milligrams of salt per serving, which is only 3% of your daily value. We have one drawer in our kitchen that is full of nothing but Mios (a zero calorie water flavoring) that we mix into our club soda to still get the carbonated great tasting beverage. We have all agreed that when we aren't drinking soda, the only thing we really miss is the carbonation. This is what led me to the club soda solution. We also drink hot lemon tea, pomegranate strawberry tea, and green tea when we do not want the carbonation. We now have many different options that we can make and not feel guilty about drinking such an unhealthy beverage like soda.

Now don't get me wrong, it's always important to drink water as a substitution. Your body needs to always be hydrated in order to function properly.

So, it's as easy as that. Find small things in your diet that you can substitute for healthier options. My best tip for everyone when it comes to wanting to lose weight and beverages is DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES.

Our healthy beverage drawer,  which is full of Mios and various teas.

The club soda stock.

The nutrition label on the club soda bottle.

*All photos taken by Lauren Pierce*