Drop the Zero Calories, Get With the Hero Calories

I was on the roadthis weekend, which means I visited a place I rarely see in person- aconvenience store.  We needed gasolineand were thirsty, so I did what I must. I walked in and began browsing the drink coolers.  How in the world are there so many optionsfor such a simple need?  There are sodas,diet sodas, teas, energy formulas, flavored milks, coffee beverages, sportsdrinks, plain water, and specialty waters.

I gravitated towardsthe water section and reached for a new bottle I'd not seen before, FruitWater.  It sounded like it might be agood treat for my son, something we'd meet in the middle on.  I did the label check to see what fruit juicewas used and !GASP! It  contains no juiceat all.  Zero.  None. Nada.

 

So, I'm wonderingwhy the heck are they calling it Fruit Water? I continue to read the label and see it has zero calories.  Okay, that might be good.  But my interest quickly goes away once I seethat it has food colorings Red 40 and Blue 1. See, we still had two more hours of driving and there was no way I wasgoing to suffer through a "food dye episode" trapped in the car withthe kid.  Don't believe it affectsbehavior?  I've experimented on the boyand he's not cute when he gets a big dose of this stuff.  You're welcome to try it on him too.  You just can't bring him back until thecrying mixed with hyperactive outbursts are over.

Okay, so I really doknow why they named it Fruit Water.  Sodo you.  It sounds like a responsiblechoice.  It appeals to the side of you thatwants something that appears to be healthy. Many people still judge a book by it's cover.  It's not smart, but they trust theimage.  "Everyone knows soda is badfor you, but this is water and fruit guys! I'm a health nut here!"

 

I suppose much ofthis began as a result of regular soft drinks being blamed for at least some ofthe obesity problem.  Coca Cola seems tohave almost turned to non-sodas as their banner products now.  Low or no calorie beverages dominate thecooler front and advertising.  Theypromote how these teas, waters, energy formulas, and sports drinks willactually improve your health standing. Hmmm.  Seems like the mostunhealthy, overweight people I know gulp these magic potions like, well, water.

 

So, let me breakdown what red flags one should look for and at least consider when choosing adrink you plan to have on a regular basis.

*Zero Calories:   If it has lots of flavor and zing, then restassured it has artificial sweeteners in it. 

        Artificial sweeteners are lab madechemical mixtures even if they contain something

        that was once naturally sweet.  There is a lot, and I mean a lot of evidencethat regular

        consumption of these sweeteners is justas bad, if not worse for you than plain old sugar. I      tend to trust nature over profit driven scientists. 

 

       Read some information for yourself onthis topic by following the links below.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57593133/artificial-sweeteners-could-lead-to-obesity-diabetes/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/04/saccharin-aspartame-dangers.aspx

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/artificial-sweeteners-milk

 

*BraggingLabel:  If the label is loud with lots ofbragging about what they've put into the product,

                               I'msuspicious.  What are they trying to makeup for or hide?  What bandwagon are             

                          they jumping on?  Yeah, not much scientific data here.  I'm just skeptical. 
                          Honest people and products tend to be morehumble in my opinion.

 

*BrightColored:  If the drink is eye catchingcolorful, you can bet the bank it has food coloring in it.

                          Food dyes may belinked to both short term and long term health problems.
                          Remember, ifyou'd like to see a reaction to Red 40 in person, you may borrow my
                          son and give hima Kool Aid pouch.

 

              Research foryourself, seriously, with the following to get you started.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/01/16/new-fear-about-food-dyes/

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/02/23/synthetic-food-dyes-raising-health-concerns-among-doctors-parents/

 

Maybe, you'rewondering what's the alternative?  Createyour own drink with natural ingredients! If you like teas, brew it at home. If you're a water fan you can jazz it up with the Pinterest worthy fruitinfusing trend.  If you like sodas, tryadding flavors to plain seltzer water. My favorite is seltzer with a lime squeezed in it.  It's so simple and refreshing. 

 

If you're not aDIYer, or just need something on hand, there are some better options outthere.  Check out these two I found.  Both can be ordered through Amazon.

 http://www.talkingrain.com/sparkling-water.aspx

 http://www.drinkhint.com/

 

Never trust that abeverage (or anything for that matter) is healthy just because it isn't soda orbecause of slick marketing.  You have toinvestigate and see what is acceptable to you. If it is truly just an occasional treat, I say don't sweat it.  Enjoy. But be careful what you are introducing to you or your child's tastebuds on a regular basis.  It's easy tostart bad habits or cravings.