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I read, sometime within the past few months, that artificial sweetener (all kinds) have been shown to actually INCREASE your weight, or at the very least, impede your weight loss. As an effect, I have sworn off diet sodas, splenda in my occasional coffee, and any "sugar free" labeled goods. There are times however, when the gallons of water I drink just ain't cutting my THIRST for a beverage...and I slip off the wagon and reach for a diet drink. I know, I know....bad fit-now-girl!! After all, the cherry flavor in a diet cherry Coke is sweet and helps with cravings, the carbonation makes it more desirable than other alternative drinks, and it just so happens to feel a little like cheating-even though it's technically not.
However, I recently came across these facts about soda, which have been published widely on the Internet. Resist hanging your mouth open as you read them-you might catch a fly. But after reading this, I suppose even that is better than reaching for yet another can of soda.
Miscellaneous facts:
- The pH of soda equals the pH of vinegar (2.5), making it the most acidic beverage you can buy.
- Phosphoric acid (which is the main ingredient) in soda can dissolve a nail in as little as four days? If you're worried about osteoporosis (and who isn't?) then you should also know that phosphoric acid, which takes calcium from our bones, can be a contributor to the disease.
- Did you know that the trucks carrying soda syrup concentrate have to use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials? Yeeks!
- If you put a T-Bone steak in a bowl of coke and let it sit, it will disintegrate within two days.
- Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures three to four-fold higher than those who do not
- Coke is powerful enough to clean the inside of a dirty toilet.
- In certain states in the US, the highway patrol officers carry two gallons of coke with them to remove blood from the highway after car accidents.
- Aluminum foil soda dipped in soda can remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers.
- Got greasy clothes? Pour a can of soda into the wash with the clothes and run the washer on the regular cycle. The soda will lift the grease.
- A can of soda can be poured over a car battery to erase corrosion. It can also be soaked into a towel and put over a rusty bolt to loosen it.
- If you've taken a trip and have a lot of windshield "debris", pour a soda onto your windshield to remove the bugs.
- It's been rumored that distributors of soda have been using it to clean their truck engines for years.
Whether you believe these facts are true or not, they deserve your attention, if only to make you realize that what we put into our bodies matters. These facts really raise the question, "How much can something assist with weight loss if it is putting a bunch of "junk" right back into your "trunk?" Think about it.
So what's a camel to do?? There's only so much water (I hate tea) that I can drink! Is there ANYTHING (other than lemon) that can be added to water to make it a little less drab? Why yes! There are 32 "natural" ingredients that are safe to add to water when you're just no feeling the plain old tap! (Courtesy of SmarterFitter.com):
- Citrus fruit – Lemons, lime, oranges, grapefruit. Flavor is just a squeeze away!
- Tea – A tea bag works just as well in cold water as it does in hot water. Just steep it for longer.
- Ginger – Steep slices of ginger in hot water. Pour over ice.
- Sliced cucumber
- Mint – Break apart the leaves to release the flavor. Also good with vodka and lime. =)
- Unsweetened fruit juice
- Fresh pomegranate seeds
- Wine – They recommend plum wine or umeshu. I'm sure the same can be done with other syrupy liqueurs.
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Peaches
- Pineapple
- "Sangri Water" - Mix ~ 4 slices each of lemon, orange and lime * 1 ripe peach, cut into quarters * 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks & let steep for four hours
- Fresh stevia leaves – Stevia is a naturally sweet non-caloric leaf that is usually sold in packets, but it also makes a nice houseplant.
- Mixed fruit – Orange, lemon, lime, strawberries, and cucumber go well together
- Lemongrass – Let a sprig of lemongrass steep sit in a glass of water for a few hours.
- Parsley – Break apart the leaves to release the flavor.
- Sliced cucumber and lemons
- Ginger and lemon
- Strawberries and mint
- Citrus fruit ice cubes – oranges can be frozen whole and used as ice cubes. You could do the same thing with mandarins, clementines or satsumas.
- Salt – I am sure you have heard of the term “electrolytes” in the marketing for energy drinks. Actually electrolytes are just ions that can be found in common table salt. Adding a little bit of salt to water helps your body absorb the liquid more quickly. As long as you don’t go overboard with the salt the water should be very quenching and it would be great for workouts since the body loses salt through sweat
- Vinegar – Adding vinegar to water is similar to adding citrus. You will get sour water that has vitamin C. When I was a kid I liked adding apple vinegar to water and then drinking it.
- Hibiscus (Red Zinger) tea.
- Cubed honeydew melon with cucumber
- Lavender buds
- Angostura bitters - This stuff is often used in martinis and other boozy drinks, but it’s also good in ice water. Just add a few dashes.
- Spiced Ginger and Citrus Infusion – Steep the following over hot water for 5 minutes, then drink it hot or on ice: 1/2 in of peeled ginger, a couple of cloves, a small piece of cinnamon stick, and a couple of slices of citrus fruit. You can add honey if you like as well.
- Watermelon juice
- Cucumber, lemon, mint and rosemary
- Sun Tea – Lipton tea bags and sliced lemons served over lots of ice. You can make it more interesting by adding mint, fresh fruit, lemons, whatever you fancy. It’s SO refreshing on a hot summer day.
That's a lot of additives! Happy drinking.
Until Tomorrow!Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!
Have an awesome day!
♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥
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