Trying to Kick the Soda Habit? Here are Five Great Alternatives to Quench Your Thirst.

We know regular soda makes you fat, causes cavities and leads to diabetes.

A new study shows that diet soda and its artificial sweeteners lead to all sorts of health problems.

Crystal Lite and other artificially-sweetened water enhancers? They aren't much better.

Let's do the soapbox thing for a bit:
An occasional soda, diet or regular, won't kill you. It's fine in moderation and can be incorporated into a healthful diet. The occasional diet Cherry Coke from J.D.'s Chippery makes my day.

J.D.'s Chippery

But if you're making soda or the fake stuff a daily diet staple, then you're doing yourself a disservice.

So what are some alternatives, particularly on a hot summer day?

Water is the best choice but it can get boring. Consider these options:

Water with watermelon

Water with produce - lemons, limes, oranges, berries, cucumber slices, mint, watermelon cubes, etc. The combinations are endless. My daughter loves fruit-infused water.

Kusmi, Tazo, Stash - all great options over icw

Iced Tea - again, this is something that gives you endless options. I am in love with Kusmi tea that I picked up in Paris. I keep a few bags in my desk at work. I simply pour hot water over a teabag in a heat resistant cup and let it cool. You can actually get two or three uses out of one teabag. If you use good tea, you don't need sweetener. Double bonus: it brings back good memories of my trip to Paris.

Kusmi Detox Grapefruit tea - a beautiful green, grapefruit tea, delicious over ice

Sparkling water - Perrier makes some wonderful waters that are naturally flavored with lemon, lime and grapefruit. Whole Foods has a delicious mint sparkling water. My favorite is simple, unflavored Pellegrino. I enjoy squeezing lime into a big glass of it and adding some shredded mint for a virgin mojito-esque beverage. I buy Pellegrino by the case at Costco.