Low-Calorie Carbonated Drinks

By Greg Moore 

Soft drinks are a very popular drink in the United States. Many Americans drink them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are often the subject of frequent medical studies as medical publications attempt to determine the impact that these beverages have on our health. Recent studies have raised concerns that diet sodas can raise a person's risk of stroke. Both regular and diet sodas have also been linked to obesity, kidney damage, and certain kinds of cancers. Regular soft drinks have also been linked to elevated blood pressure. Even with all of the potential hazards of drinking sodas published in respected medical journals, soft drinks continue to be consumed at quickly increasing rates.

Like all medical studies there are always factors and results that are debated, and it is difficult to say with certainty whether or not sodas play a direct health risk. It is widely believed though, that sodas are a direct contributor to obesity because of the sugars and carbohydrates that these drinks contain. One fact that is not debated is that people in the United States just don't drink enough water.

Water is a magical drink. It is pure, offers the best level of hydration, and includes no sugars, sodium, or artificial additives. Water is essential for allowing the body's systems to function properly. It revs up the metabolism and helps you feel full. Dehydration can make you feel fatigued, and drinking plenty of water to remain hydrated can help you keep your energy levels up. It can help to keep you from cramping, can help your skin tone, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It is essential for digestion and for flushing the impurities from your body. So with all of these benefits, why do we not drink more water?

Many people enjoy drinking carbonated beverages, and will pick them over water if they have a choice. Others are drawn to flavored drinks over water, and will choose a soda if given the choice. A great alternative to store-bought sodas, is to make your own naturally flavored carbonated water. It is the best low-calorie carbonated drink around.

Using a home soda machine, you can take pure tap water and easily add CO2 to it to create your own sparkling water. These water carbonators are easy to use, and with a press of a button you can make your own soda water in a matter of seconds. This will allow you to drink a carbonated beverage that offers the same health benefits as drinking pure water. CO2 is a natural substance that will have no ill effect on the body.

There are a number of ways that you can naturally flavor your homemade soda water that will give you a health alternative to soft drinks. The juice from a lemon, lime, or orange can turn your carbonated water into a flavorful beverage that will rival any manufactured drink. A splash of grape juice, cranberry juice, or pineapple juice will offer a bolder flavor, and these can be mixed to create uniquely flavored drinks.

The next time you grab a store-bought cola or soft drink, take a look at the ingredients on the label. Don't be surprised when you see things like sucrose, phosphoric acid, caramel color, caffeine, high fructose, sodium benzoate, gum arabic, brominated vegetable oil, and yellow 5. Just what are we putting in our bodies?

Make an effort to consume more pure water on a daily basis. If you are compelled to drink soft drinks, consider a more healthy alternative like making your own carbonated water and adding natural flavors. At the WaterCarbonator.net website, you can find information on everything you need to know about making your own carbonated water at home. You will learn about the health benefits of drinking sparkling water, and how to use your home water carbonator to make beverages that are healthy and full of flavor.

Rapid Weight Loss Diet Fads - Important Information and Advice

How many diets or crazy weight loss regimes have you tried in the past? No doubt countless. In fact, because today's society has more overweight persons than ever before in the entire history of the human race, weight loss regimes are among the number one practices that humans spend so much time, effort and money on. I'm sure you would agree. But why are so many of us still fat? Clearly these rapid-burn weight loss regimes (i.e., fad diets) do not work, otherwise we'd all be skinny by now, and weight problems would be a thing of the past. The following paragraphs will relate some of the crazy fad diet ideas which clearly have proved to be faulty and non-fruitful.

Crazy diet fad #1 - The Grapefruit Craze

This promises rapid weight loss if you eat unlimited amounts of grapefruit (and little else) during the day. This is based on the belief that grapefruit speeds up one's metabolism to the point where weight will magically start to melt away. This diet is not only based on starvation methods but is also very dangerous and could cause one's body permanent damage.

Crazy diet fad #2 - The "No-Carbs" Diet

I honestly don't know who made this diet up, but when you think about it, it makes little to no sense. Everyone knows that if you have 100g of fat, 100g of protein, and 100g of carbs all lined up on the table - it is the fat should be avoided due to the high kilojoule content, not the protein or the carbs. In fact, carbs by themselves are very low kilojoule. I've never been able to work this one out!

Crazy diet fad #3 - The Low-fat to No-fat diet

This also makes no sense. Fat is a highly nutritious and important element to our daily food intake. In fact, avocado, olive oil, fatty salmon and walnuts all contain healthy omega 3 fats which are absolutely essential to a healthy diet. If these fats are omitted or drastically cut back from one's intake - cravings, low-energy, low-concentration and extreme bouts of will inevitably occur. Clearly this is not how we are supposed to eat in the long-run!

Crazy diet fad #4 - The Replacement Shakes

Although I see no harm in swapping one meal a day with low-calorie diet shakes, any more and a person is liable to start going crazy. That's right, literally bonkers! You know why; it's because us humans are born to enjoy fine food, and most days, we incorporate this into our social life. If we are not able to sit down and enjoy a meal anymore, depression and moodiness often take over our 'otherwise' happy or positive self. Can this type of diet be maintained for very long? You tell me.

Crazy diet fad #5 - Counting Calories to Lose Weight

Let's be honest - who of us has not attempted counting our calorie (kilojoule) intake at some point in the past? I know I have. It can sort of be fun at first, but after a few days of it you seriously start to go loony! Keeping this up requires a massive amount of work, not to mention a lot of time involved in reading food labels and recipe energy content, recording your energy consumed, and calculating your new daily total with each consumed addition! If you want to remain reasonably sane, then counting calories to lose weight is NOT the way to go! I'd stay clear from this idea altogether.

Clearly, there are no rapid weight loss diets (i.e., crazy fad diets/ crash diets) that are really safe or suitable to conform to for very long. Attempting to burn rapid amounts of weight off is not safe and is liable to damage your body. The initial weight that comes off from fad diets may excite you, but this is only water weight that you are losing, not actual fat. Rather than attempting to lose weight rapidly you should instead undergo a healthy diet plan and moderate exercise regime that will give you steady results and will be achievable.