Nothing says "Good Morning!" like a Diet Coke?

So I have this tendency towards drinking Diet Coke in the morning the way some people drink coffee or tea. I get it from my dad, who likes to start this day with something carbonated...

For years I did this until one morning this fall I just kind of woke up and decided I was ready to stop. It's been tough adjusting, but I usually do all right just having a cup of green tea instead. 

Some mornings, though, like on rainy Mondays, it's just not the same. This morning as I walked towards the subway to work I wondered, as I often do, if I should stop by that deli next door to the office...No. Yes. No. Maybe? 

Eventually, I just decided that not spending the $1.50 was a good enough excuse for me today. I'd also slipped some green tea in my purse to make during the day if I got sleepy. Having a back-up helps. 

The back-and-forth in my head, though, did get me thinking about the great debate that goes on about diet soda and artificial sweeteners in general.

There's so much conflicting information. Some studies claim it leads to obesity, cancer, and a host of other ailments like diabetes.  However, some claim it doesn't have that much of an effect if you don't consume too much of it. A study performed at the University of California San Francisco suggests that diet soda may actually help reduce the risk of forming kidney stones. 

It's hard to say which sources are worth listening to and which ones aren't. It's dizzying trying to keep up with it. I feel like if there's this much uncertainty, though, maybe that's a sign. 

The reason I cut back and stopped keeping diet soda in the house is that I can't just have a little bit. I could drink an entire two-liter bottle all by myself and then go looking for more. After a while I started thinking about how many chemicals I was taking in, and it creeped me out enough to convince me to try going without it. After the first week, it was pretty easy. 

Still, sometimes it's a nice treat, and if I'm paying (way too much) for an individual can, I actually can just stop at one. 

Sheesh, you'd think I was talking about alcohol or something...