by Katerina Nikolas

Created on: April 12, 2010   Last Updated: May 13, 2010

Sodas are an accepted part of life for way too many people, who don’t see it as an occasional treat but an everyday drink, often consuming several litres a day. It’s a sad state of affairs when we need to ask what is a healthy substitute for soda, when we should be asking what did soda replace, and how can we stop the soda epidemic. Along with fast food and junk food, the consumption of soda has contributed hugely to the current obesity epidemic.

Soda comprises nothing more than carbonated water topped up with chemical food colorings and either sugar or high fructose corn syrup, which both make you fat. The diet versions are just as bad as they are sweetened with aspartame which leaves you craving more sweet things or junk foods, once again contributing to excess fat. They both rot your teeth as well and make you bloated.

Aspartame is one of the most controversial additives on the market, originally deemed as too toxic for human consumption by Searl Pharmaceuticals who discovered it. The FDA may have approved it but those who are not biased by the weight of the soft drinks industry more often advise to avoid it as it is suspected that long term consumption will increase the prospects of cancer.

Some people attest to liking the taste and appear to be obvious addicts. No doubt they think that Trans fats taste good too, which is why they so often wash down the fast food with a 20 oz cup of soda. Pursing a fast food nutritional guide was an eye opener as it revealed that the size of soda beverages are extremely large, with even the smallest size sounding oversized. It appears that Americans need to be educated in portion size even in their drinks.

The obvious thing for anyone who wants to lose weight to do, is simply ban sodas from their general diet and replace it with water, which is actually very refreshing, but may not appeal at first as doesn’t actually taste of sugar. If you find water to dull for your taste put a slice of fresh lemon into it, or a few mint leaves. Keep bottles of water in your fridge, and if the day is very hot pop them into the freezer. You should be drinking 8 glasses of water a day anyway, for optimal health. Water aids the absorption of nutrients into the body (those things you don’t get in sodas), and keeps your skin nice and elasticized, important when you are losing weight so that you can avoid excess flabby skin after weight loss.

Other good beverages to enjoy rather than soda are skimmed milk, which gives you calcium and vitamin D to prevent rickets, and tomato juice, which is a healthy low calorie alternative to an appetizer. It is excellent chilled with a slice of lemon and the addition of Worcestershire sauce. Commercial fruit juices are fine if you can find freshly squeezed ones, rather than a small percentage of juice topped up with sugar and additives. Cranberry juice is excellent for good health, as is pomegranate juice, as they are both high in antioxidants and vitamins.

If you prefer a hot beverage then black tea and coffee without sugar are both calorie free. There are lots of teas available from herbal to vanilla, fruit teas, Chinese teas, and even home made teas from steeped herbs.

Nothing beats a good cup of fresh coffee, and it tastes far better unadulterated with milk, cream or sugar. Treat yourself to real coffee beans instead of instant coffee; after all you’ll have made plenty of savings by not buying sodas anymore.

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