Worth It: Bubbles Without Chemicals, Sugar Or Rotten Teeth

Much unlike many a magazine editor who recommends you buy all sorts of crap that they most likely got for free, your Jezebel staff doesn’t get jack shit (other than books, unsolicited). And that’s how it should be. But on our own time, in our personal lives, we still buy stuff. So this is Worth It, our daily recommendation of random things that we’ve actually spent our own money on. These are the things we buy regularly or really like, things we’d actually tell our friends about. And now we’re telling you.

Friends, I am a recovering Coke addict. Actually, just a plain-old addict, as my recovery is going very slowly. I’ve been drinking Coca-Cola since I was a kid. My mom denies this, but I remember it vividly: I once guzzled Coca-Cola from a baby bottle. I don’t drink coffee, so having a Coke with lunch has been part of my routine for years — get some caffeiene, some sugar, make it through the rest of the day. Diet Coke? Meh. I know it has its enthusiasts. But the metallic taste never locked on with me, and I would rather have some real sugar if I’m going to drink soda. In fact, Mexican Coke, in a glass bottle, made with cane sugar, is my favorite kind. But all the studies about how soda rots your teeth — even diet soda — have hit home recently. Mostly due to vanity, to be honest: I like my smile, and I don’t want it to fall out of my head or turn yellow. Apparently the artificial coloring in most soda is worse than coffee when it comes to the yellowing of the choppers. As I’ve gotten older my teeth seem less white — despite the constant use of whitening toothpastes — so I have made a concerted effort to stop drinking Coke. And while I miss Coke’s cheek-puckering sweetness and the way it goes with everything from burgers to pizza to tacos to sesame chicken, what I really miss are the bubbles. Enter seltzer.