We all can name a handful of varieties without even batting an eye. Even the sound of a soda pop can opening is familiar to almost anyone over the age of two—at least in North America. But this dietary staple is a health killer you should avoid like the plague. Soda pop is loaded with sugar and calories, not to mention artificial sweetners and preservatives. It has little to no nutritional value.

At an average of 150 calories a pop, if you drink just two twelve-ounce glasses of soda, a day, that’s almost 1,500 empty calories every week. And these days, you can buy soda at convenience stores in amounts that make twelve ounces seem like a sip. Empty calories mean we don’t get the right amount of nutritionally dense calories. And they eventually turn into ever-dreaded, hard-to-lose body fat.

The overabundance of simple sugar in our diets is rapidly becoming a frightening epidemic of diet-induced type-2 diabetes. Children are developing type-2 diabetes at an alarming rate. In addition, soda is responsible for a lot of tooth decay, which along with making your smile less beautiful and more painful has a negative effect on general health. Put bluntly, soda offers you nothing but weight gain and the possibility of chronic diseases.

What’s more, so many thirst-quenching and delicious alternatives are at our fingertips. Water is the best drink. If it’s not your favorite taste-wise, try squeezing in fresh lemons or limes and/or adding fresh mint leaves. Fruit juice—make sure it’s 100 percent juice and not a fruit “drink”—offer good nutrients along with the sugar.

So next time you’re thirsty and the liquid sugar calls, just say no. Reach for the vitamin-enhanced water bottles alongside the soda fountain at your regular convenience store instead.