My dirty little habit. Don’t be rude about it.

I am an adult, a forty year old adult (I am still getting used to that last bit, kind of living in denial about it, and trying to pretend I am still twenty something, sadly my body is not going along with that game!!) I have a nursing qualification, among  other things and I also can read and surf the internet just as well as the next person. I have a dirty little habit, and it’s rude to tell me to give it up. I know diet coke is bad for me. I am not giving it up. Thanks.

I am VERY aware of what’s good and bad for me, mostly. I don’t claim to be a doctor or scientist, or nutrition expert.

I am however, fairly aware of this forty year old body (there, I said it again, I must be getting over my mid life crisis, surely?) and I usually have a good idea of what works and what it needs, based on the fact, you know that it’s my body and I live with it all the time.

So when I share a photo of the diet cola, that I happen to be drinking, on social media, because I had been struggling with a mild migraine, and I KNOW that a can of cola actually helps – because it contains a small amount of caffeine, which can help relieve symptoms and this is my chosen way of ingesting it, and you take it upon yourself to ping me a “concerned” message to lecture me on my nutritional sins, and about how bad said can of cola is, for me, with all the added nasty stuff in it, I may get a little huffy about that, especially when you then proceed to lecture me on how to treat my migraines. Gosh, gee, I have only been having them since I was 15, I haven’t had eye tests, a scan, seen a neurologist, and several other medical professionals, to make sure they aren’t anything sinister or life threatening or anything sensible like that.  Oh and  they aren’t anything sinister, they are generally linked to tiredness, and also my hormones at certain times of the month (pms combined with migraines make me a FUN person to be around, by the way… 😉 )

Yes, I know a can of cola contains aspartame and all sorts of other horrible things. Yes, I know it probably will make me grow an extra eye, gills, wings or even a unicorn horn (I would quite like wings and a unicorn horn actually) and yes, I don’t actually like aspartame that much and I don’t let my kids have it, if I can avoid it.

But, you know what? When my head is about to explode, my eyes hurt, the world is hazy, and I feel like I might throw up at any given minute, and I can’t take the prescribed medication I have for migraines (because it makes me very sleepy and I have children to look after) and I know from twenty five year experience (twenty five plus fifteen makes forty, I really am starting to accept this turning forty thing, aren’t I?) that diet cola actually helps a bit to relieve the symptoms and nausea. I don’t like non diet cola drinks, so I take the evil that is a small dose of aspartame for the relief that a can of diet cola brings. It helps me to battle through a bit more, until my husband comes home and relieves me of childcare duty so I can take my meds, lie down and pretend that dying would be a better option, until my migraine symptoms pass.

So, if you are going to give me a hard time about my diet cola consumption, then I am going to get snippy, and I am going to tell you that you are rude, and then I will ask you if you would like to come and babysit for me, whilst I lie down in a dark room, if you are so worried about my drinking a can of cola to help me feel slightly less dreadful, oddly enough, you didn’t reply to my message. Can’t think why!

So thank you for being rude and commenting. Yes, I know diet cola is bad for me, but hey, giving unsolicited and unwanted “concerned” advice is also bad for you. Stop doing it. Thanks

This Friday Rant was brought to you with no sponsorship or affiliation with diet cola, whatsoever. However if anyone wanted to send me to a beach, in the sunshine, I will happily take photos of cans of said product in return… 😉

(image source)

Posted in Friday's Rants from The Soap Box, Health and tagged diet coke, diet cola, dirty little habit, don't be rude, health, nutrition.

12 Comments

  1. Ugh! What’s it got to do with anyone what you decide to drink….Eesh!
    They’d have a fantastic time with me….Most days I drink normal coke, when I’m not drinking that I drink coffee and on an evening wine!! lol

  2. I love how the internet world is full of do-gooders who are so concerned about everyones health! Enjoy your can of coke and hopefully that beach holiday will come your way! 🙂

  3. I can’t believe someone thought that it would be OK and reasonable for them to lecture you on drinking anything, let alone diet cola! That is so not OK in my world! They must live a very sad life if they think lecturing others is a good idea! I love diet cola – drink far too much – but at nearly 40 I’m pretty sure I’m old enough to make my own decisions on what I put into my body! #justanotherlinky

  4. You know what, sod what everyone else thinks. If diet coke helps your migraines and you enjoy drinking it then you have it. We drink full fat, full sugar coke…as a mixer. We have that as we don’t drink it much, maybe a can a week and I couldn’t give a monkeys what anyone thinks. #effitfriday

  5. Christ there is nothing worse than a do-gooder on the internet with all of their “facts” about what YOU’RE eating/drinking. If the worst you’re doing is drinking a can of diet coke (I have it loads and so far as I’m aware, my intestines have not shrivelled up and died) then you can’t be that bad! #effitfriday

  6. Urgh. Diet police who have no idea. Now I love coke, regular, and I’m well aware of how bad it is. Same with wine. And chocolate. But the thing is I’m a big girl (not 40 though….) and it’s my choice! I hate people lecturing when they don’t know you. I’m offended on your behalf.

  7. I’ve been on this interweb thing pretty much since it started and I still can’t understand what makes someone feel they have the right to lecture someone on their choices.

    Really if it upsets them that much campaign to get an alernative sweetener used in diet drinks. Don’t send unsolicited, unwanted messages telling someone their choices are bad.

    That photographing cans of drink on the beach gig sounds good. Need an assistant?

    #effitfriday

  8. Diet cola is known to dissolve the fabric of reality, delete emails and hide your keys so it’s best to steer clear.

    It seems odd to comment so strongly to a photo of a liquid. If you were saying “hey this tasty bleach really helps my migraine and leaves my breath lemony fresh” I could understand the concern.

    #effitfriday

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