MY COKE ADDICTION;
Fact: If you forcibly ingest the same amount of sugar that is found in a can of coca-cola, you will vomit uncontrollably. On average, globally, people consume one coke drink every four days. Mexicans drink the most coke in the world, with every Mexican consuming, on average, 665 servings of coke a year. Each 330ml can of coca-cola contains 39 grams of sugar. On average, I probably drink about four cans a day: more than your average Mexican, Indian, Brit, American, and Egyptian put together!
Do we see the problem yet? My mother does. I drink a tin of coke with breakfast, which horrifies her beyond belief. (My mum is a bit of a health nut.) My friends see the problem. "Tess," my friend Kathleen said yesterday, "whenever I'm with you, I find that I crave coke." Conor, my boyfriend, complained to me the other day: "Every time I have a can of coke, I only get like three sips before you drink the rest!" I told him that if he didn't want me to have his coke, he should drink faster. Sorry, but if you leave a can of cold coke in my view and reach, I just can't help myself.
I'm an addict. I wish I could quit. Periodically I will try to limit myself, or to simply stop cold turkey. It never works. Sometimes I can even make it a few days (substituting tea in for my caffeine intake so I don't get withdrawal) until I find myself in a bar, or a restaurant-- and someone I'm with orders a coke. As someone who doesn't drink alcohol, my options are limited for drinks at pubs. Sometimes, I open the fridge in my kitchen and find that my flatmates have bought a 12-pack. "They won't miss just this one," I tell myself. Even the crack of the can popping open releases endorphins into my brain!
It all started two years ago, when I started bartending at a nightclub in town. We could have all the coke we wanted during our shifts, free of charge. Long shifts without food and late nights in the hot, sweaty club would have me reaching to refill my glass for that sugar and caffeine time and time again. I lost track of my intake. I'd get withdrawal symptoms from the caffeine on my days off from work.
Yes, there are worse things to be addicted to. I don't smoke. I don't drink alcohol (much). I don't do any "recreational" drugs. I'm not a kleptomaniac or a sex addict or a self-harmer or whatever. But this is my own personal vice. The main problem it causes in my life is gradual weight gain and blood sugar spikes. These could be a major issue in the future, though, if my coke habit continues.
I want to change guys, but I love coke too much to stop. Mmm, coke.....
