If you’ve ever stood in a Michigan grocery store and watched someone wheel in a cart overflowing with empty soda cans, you already know what I’m about to say. That image — those bags and bags of aluminum — is one of the clearest pictures of our modern relationship with sugar addiction. And it’s one I can’t stop thinking about.
A Little Background on the Bottle Deposit
Here in Michigan, when you buy pop, beer, or other bottled or canned beverages, the state charges a ten-cent deposit per container. It shows up right there on your receipt — easy to overlook. But when you bring those empties back to the store, you get that money returned. It’s a smart recycling incentive, and Michigan has one of the highest return rates in the country because of it.
So those carts full of cans? They represent real money coming back. I get it. I’ve done it myself.
What I Saw — and What It Made Me Think
I was at the grocery store recently and counted at least five separate people lined up at the bottle return, each with shopping carts or bags stuffed with pop cans. Dozens — maybe hundreds — of empty soda containers. All from one household. All consumed, presumably, since the last trip to the store.
And I want to be clear: I am not judging. Not even a little. Because I was that person. In college, Diet Cherry Coke was basically its own food group for me. Then it was Coke, Diet Coke, Tab with saccharin — every single day, well into my twenties and thirties. The sugar and caffeine were what kept me going. Or so I believed.
When Did Soda Become an Everyday Staple?
I grew up in a household where pop was special. It showed up at birthday parties. Holidays. The occasional Friday night treat. It was not something sitting in the refrigerator door every single day waiting to be cracked open.
Somewhere along the way, that changed for a lot of us. Walk through any grocery store now and the soda aisle stretches on and on. Carts are piled with 12-packs of Coke and Sprite — and you know that stuff is not cheap anymore. People are spending real money to keep their homes stocked with it. That tells you something about how deeply it has become woven into daily life.
Those Cans Are a Symptom, Not the Problem
Here is what I have come to understand: those bags of cans are not really about soda. They are a symptom of how thoroughly sugar has been normalized in our food supply. It is not just in the drinks. It is in the bread, the salad dressing, the pasta sauce, the granola bars marketed as health food. Sugar is everywhere, and our bodies have adapted to expect it — and to crave more of it.
That is not a character flaw. It is biology. Sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as other addictive substances. When we consume it regularly, we build tolerance. We need more to feel the same. And when we try to stop, we feel it — headaches, irritability, fatigue, the relentless pull to just have one more.
I've Been There — and I've Come Back
I have written before about doing a sugar detox, and I will be honest with you: it was not easy. The first few days were rough. But what came after — the clarity, the steadier energy, the way food started tasting real again — was worth every uncomfortable moment.
I am not here to tell you that soda is evil or that you need to overhaul your life overnight. I am here to say that those bags of cans made me pause and reflect on how far we have drifted from the way food used to be — and how powerful it can feel to gently, intentionally start drifting back.
If you are curious about how to begin, check out my post on the sugar detox and take it one step at a time. Your body knows the difference, even when your taste buds haven’t caught up yet.
With roots and love,
Joan
Disclaimer: The information in this post is for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before beginning any new herbal regimen.
