We all know about sugar addiction, right? Imagine a child living off soda while growing up. I mean, a child consuming 6-7 cans of Sprite a night and not ever drinking water. I would say that is quite the sugar addiction. That was me as a child, a sugar addict who lived off soda.
“In 1776—at the time of the American Revolution—Americans consumed about 4 lbs of sugar per person each year. By 1850, this had risen to 20 lbs, and by 1994, to 120 lbs, and now we’re closer to 160. Half of that is fructose, taking up about 10% of our diet. This is not from eating apples, but rather the fact that we’re each guzzling the equivalent of 16-oz soft drink every day; that’s about 50 gallons a year.” Nutritionfacts.org
As I get older, I have learned the terrible effects of sugar and the consumption of soda. Researchers have found that soda is full of empty calories, and contains no essential micronutrients. Growing scientific evidence shows that table sugar and high fructose corn syrup added in large amounts to food and beverages can trigger processes that can lead to liver toxicity and chronic diseases.
“Fructose hones in like a laser beam on the liver, and like alcohol, fructose can increase the fat in the liver, increasing the risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is one of the most remarkable medical developments over the past 3 decades—the emergence of fatty liver inflammation as a public health problem here and around the globe.” Nutritionfacts.org
Though this addiction of mine hasn’t been broken, I stopped drinking soda with high fructose corn syrup years ago. However, I still want a beverage with some flavor. After searching high and low, I have found multiple great options with real cane sugar. Some are high in sugar, and some are sparkling. Mostly, I have found one kind of soda with the least amount of sugar and best taste for my liking. Dry Sparkling soda only has 16 grams of pure cane sugar per serving, compared to 30-45 grams in more popular sodas. It has multiple flavors including blood orange, lavender, cucumber, ginger and watermelon. So when you are craving soda, but want something a little guilt-free, I recommend a vanilla bean dry sparkling soda. It’s satisfying in a whole new way!
With love, happiness, and health,
LAB
*These are only my opinions based off experience and research. This is not a sponsored post
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