It’s no secret that soda is not healthy for you. We all know that. I wrote about reasons you should quit drinking soda last year and offered juice alternatives but after extensive research, I discovered some of the juice alternatives were not as healthy as we thought. Before we get to that here is a refresher on why I recommended you stop drinking soda as detailed by Wellness Mama.
“A single can of soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This amount of sugar, especially in liquid form, skyrockets the blood sugar and causes an insulin reaction in the body. Over time, this can lead to diabetes or insulin resistance, not to mention weight gain and other health problems. Soft drink companies are the largest user of sugar in the country. Soda contains phosphoric acid, which interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium and can lead to osteoporosis, cavities and bone softening. Phosphoric Acid also interacts with stomach acid, slowing digestion and blocking nutrient absorption. In diet sodas, aspartame is used as a substitute for sugar, and can actually be more harmful. It has been linked to almost a hundred different health problems including seizures, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, diabetes, and emotional disorders. Most sodas contain caffeine, which has been linked to certain cancers, breast lumps, irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, and other problems.”
For people who quit drinking soda, fruit juice and various waters became the alternative. Experts deemed juice as the healthy alternative to the evil soda conglomerate that was causing obesity and other ailments but my Fitness Specialist, Brian Nichols said that “drinking juice is as good as eating cake!” he exclaimed. “There’s so much sugar/fructose in juice that it’s just not healthy for you,” he explained.
This was strange because I remember at one point, experts were saying that drinking juice was a substitute for eating our five servings of fruits and vegetables. Susan Jebb, a government advisor and head of the diet and obesity research group at the Medical Research Council's Human Nutrition Research unit at Cambridge University disputes this now.
In a recent Guardian article, writer Emaine Saner detailed how juice went from health food to junk food quoting Jebb who said, “the government's official advice that a glass (of juice) counts towards your recommended minimum five-a-day servings of fruit and vegetables should be changed because fruit juice isn't the same as intact fruit and it has as much sugar as many classical sugar drinks. It is also absorbed very fast, so by the time it gets to your stomach your body doesn't know whether it's Coca-Cola or orange juice, frankly. I have to say it is a relatively easy thing to give up. Swap it and have a piece of real fruit. If you are going to drink it, you should dilute it."
Food and Lifestyle Blogger, Rachel Mansfield found a healthier alternative to her soda habit saying, "As someone who basically had an IV of diet soda in their bloodstream, it's safe to say it wasn't easy to stop the soda fad. Ten years ago it wouldn't have been possible for me but with so many organic beverages coming into the space, brands are making it easier for us to quit soda without having to sacrifice flavor for health. I drink beverages like Aloe Gloe and Kombuchas that fuel my body and are healthy but still taste amazing.”
Aloe Vera contains more than 200 biologically active amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes and minerals that have been clinically proven to improve skin and cardiovascular health. Aloe Gloe creators state that their organic Aloe Vera is delicately harvested to retain the bioactive components of the Aloe Vera plant’s inner leaf.
Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of Aloe Gloe which is a certified organic aloe beverage understood that shoppers today were more informed than ever. “People enjoy the taste of carbonated soft drinks, but many are also reaching for certified-organic options with simple ingredient profiles, lower calories and often with functional benefits. With the number of beverages that fit the bill at a range of prices, it’s become easy for anyone to find many options, no matter where they shop. It’s all about finding new ways to deliver the taste consumers want with a clean ingredients panel. This has been our mission with Aloe Gloe, and I believe that paying attention to this shift has helped us achieve steady and continued growth.”
Along with Aloe Gloe, here are my alternatives to quench your thirst.
I like Bolthouse Farms Juices, I drink the green goddess and the Mango and Carrot. What I like about these juices is that they taste very pure and are organic. They’re only pasteurized for the shelf life.
I also like Punch This juice because its truly fruits and vegetables broken down into liquid form. They have an a Jamaican Oatmeal juice that also serves as a meal replacement. You can find this in New York and at LaGuardia. When it comes to Bottled water I drink Dasani. My other alternative is homemade detox water. I like to mix mine with ginger, cucumber, lemon, and oranges and turmeric powder