Project Report ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR OF SOFT DRINKS &

HEALTH DRINKS

SUBMITED TO:

MRS. VANDANA SEHGAL (Faculty of Consumer Behavior)

SUBMITED BY:

TIMES BUSINESS SCHOOL

JAY KUMAR

(MBA THIRD SEMESTER)

A-39, KAILASH COLONY, NEW DELHI-48

CONTAIN

1. About Soft Drinks

2. History Of Soft Drinks Carbonated Drinks

Soda Fountain Pioneers

Soda Fountains Vs Bottled Sadas

Soft Drink Bottling Industry

Automatic Production Of Glass Bottles

Home-pack And Vending Machines

3. Production Soft Drinks Production

Ingredient Quality

Soft Drink Packaging

Ice Cream Sodas/Floats

Health Effects

Obesity And Weight-related Diseases

Dental Decay

Hypokalemia

Soft Drinks And Bone Density

Nutritional Value

Sugar Content

4. Government Regulations School

Taxation

Pesticides in India

Benzene

Alcohol Content

5. Health Drinks Herbal Infusion

Raw Milk From Grass-fed Cows

Non-dairy Milks

Natural Sodas

Organic Bottled Juices

Home Made juices And Smoothics

Organic Coffee And Organic Black Tea

Green Tee And Yerba Mate

All-natural Coffee Substitutes

Herbal Teas

Organic Beer And Wine

Other Healthy Drinks

6. Feedback From Customers About soft Drinks Why Are Soft Drinks Fizzy

5 Reasons To Quite Drinking Soda Drinks(And How To Do It?)

How To Quite Drinking Coke/Sodas Successfully?

8 Reasons Why People Drink Soda And 16 Reasons To Give Up Soda Drinking

16 Reasons To Stop Drinking Soda

Why healthy people Avoid The Soft Drinks?

7. Conclusion

ABOUT Soft drinkA soft drink (widely referred to as pop, soda, or soda pop) is a drink that contains no alcohol but is usually referred to as a sugary drink. Soft drinks are often carbonated and commonly consumed while cold and or room temperature. Some of the most common soft drinks include cola, flavored water, sparkling water, iced tea, sweet tea, sparkling lemonade (or other lemon-lime sodas), squash, fruit punch, root beer, orange soda, grape soda, cream soda, and ginger ale.

The term "soft" is employed in opposition to "hard", i.e. alcoholic drinks. Generally it is also implied that the drink does not contain milk or other dairy products. Hot chocolate, hot tea, coffee, tap water, juice and milkshakes also do not fall into this classification.

Many carbonated soft drinks are optionally available in versions sweetened with sugars or with non-caloric sweeteners.

HISTORY OF SOFT DRINKS

Soft drinks trace their history back to the mineral waters found in natural springs. Ancient societies believed that bathing in natural springs and/or drinking mineral waters could cure many diseases. Early scientists who studied mineral waters included Geber, Alkindus, Rhazes, Paracelsus, Robert Boyle, Friedrich Hoffmann, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, Hermann Boerhaave, William Brownrigg, Gabriel F. Venel, Joseph Black, and David Macbride.

The earliest soft drinks were sherbets developed by Arabic chemists and originally served in the medieval Near East. These were juiced soft drinks made of crushed fruit, herbs, or flowers. From around 1265, a popular drink known as Dandelion & Burdock appeared in England, made from fermented dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and burdock (Arctium lappa) roots, and is naturally carbonated. The drink (similar to sarsapirilla) is still available today, but is made with flavorings and carbonated water, since the safrole in the original recipe was found to be carcinogenic.

The first marketed soft drinks (non-carbonated) in the Western world appeared in the 17th century. They were made from water and lemon juice sweetened with honey. In 1676, the Compagnie des Limonadiers of Paris was granted a monopoly for the sale of lemonade soft drinks. Vendors carried tanks of lemonade on their backs and dispensed cups of the soft drink to thirsty Parisians.

Carbonated drinks

In late 18th century, scientists made important progress in replicating naturally carbonated mineral waters. In 1767, Englishman Joseph Priestley first discovered a method of infusing water with carbon dioxide to make carbonated water when he suspended a bowl of distilled water above a beer vat at a local brewery in Leeds, England. His invention of carbonated water, (also known as soda water), is the major and defining component of most soft drinks. Priestley found water thus treated had a pleasant taste, and he offered it to friends as a refreshing drink. In 1772, Priestley published a paper entitled Impregnating Water with Fixed Air in which he describes dripping oil of vitriol (or sulfuric acid as it is now called) onto chalk to produce carbon dioxide gas, and encouraging the gas to dissolve into an agitated bowl of water.

Another Englishman, John Mervin Nooth, improved Priestley's design and sold his apparatus for commercial use in pharmacies. Swedish chemist Torbern Bergman invented a generating apparatus that made carbonated water from chalk by the use of sulfuric acid. Bergman's apparatus allowed imitation mineral water to be produced in large amounts. Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius started to add flavors (spices, juices and wine) to carbonated water in the late 18th century.

Soda fountain pioneers

Artificial mineral waters, usually called "soda water," and the soda fountain made the biggest splash in the United States. Beginning in 1806, Yale chemistry professor Benjamin Silliman sold soda waters in New Haven, Connecticut. He used a Nooth apparatus to produce his waters. Businessmen in Philadelphia and New York City also began selling soda water in the early 1800s. In the 1830s, John Matthews of New York City and John Lippincott of Philadelphia began manufacturing soda fountains. Both men were successful and built large factories for fabricating fountains.

Soda fountains vs. bottled sodas

The drinking of either natural or artificial mineral water was considered a healthy practice. The American pharmacists selling mineral waters began to add herbs and chemicals to unflavored mineral water. They used birch bark (see birch beer), dandelion, sarsaparilla, fruit extracts, and other substances. Flavorings

were also added to improve the taste. Pharmacies with soda fountains became a popular part of American culture. Many Americans frequented the soda fountain on a daily basis. Due to problems in the U.S. glass industry, bottled drinks were a small portion of the market in the 19th century. (They were certainly known in England, though. In The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, published in 1848, the caddish Huntingdon, recovering from months of debauchery, wakes at noon and gulps a bottle of soda-water.ref>Wildfell Hall, ch. 30</ref>.) In America, most soft drinks were dispensed and consumed at a soda fountain, usually in a drugstore or ice cream parlor. In the early 20th century, sales of bottled soda increased exponentially. In the second half of the 20th century, canned soft drinks became an important share of the market.

Soft drink bottling industry

Over 1,500 U.S. patents were filed for either a cork, cap, or lid for the carbonated drink bottle tops during the early days of the bottling industry. Carbonated drink bottles are under a lot of pressure from the gas. Inventors were trying to find the best way to prevent the carbon dioxide or bubbles from escaping. In 1892, the "Crown Cork Bottle Seal" was patented by William Painter, a Baltimore machine shop operator. It was the first very successful method of keeping the bubbles in the bottle.

Automatic production of glass bottles

In 1899, the first patent was issued for a glass-blowing machine for the automatic production of glass bottles. Earlier glass bottles had all been hand-blown. Four years later, the new bottle-blowing machine was in operation. It was first operated by the inventor, Michael Owens, an employee of Libby Glass Company. Within a few years, glass bottle production increased from 1,400 bottles a day to about 58,000 bottles a day.

Home-Paks and vending machines

During the 1920s, the first "Home-Paks" were invented. "Home-Paks" are the familiar six-pack cartons made from cardboard. Automatic vending machines also began to appear in the 1920s.

Production

Soft drink production

Soft drinks are made either by mixing dry ingredients and/or fresh ingredients (e.g. lemons, oranges, etc.) with water. Production of soft drinks can be done at factories, or at home.

Soft drinks can be made at home by mixing either a syrup or dry ingredients with carbonated water. Carbonated water is made using a home carbonation system or by dropping dry ice into water. Syrups are commercially sold by companies such as Soda-Club.

Ingredient quality

Of most importance is that the ingredient meets the agreed specification on all major parameters. This is not only the functional parameter, i.e. the level of the major constituent, but the level of impurities, the microbiological status and physical parameters such as color, particle size, etc.

Soft drink packaging

U.S. containers in 2008. Various sizes from 8-67.6 US fl oz  (237 ml -2 l) shown in can, glass and plastic bottles

In the United States, soft drinks are sold in 3, 2, 1.5, 1 liter, 500 ml, 8, 12, 20 and 24 U.S. fluid ounce plastic bottles, 12 U.S. fluid ounce cans, and short eight-ounce cans. Some Coca-Cola products can be purchased in 8 and 12 U.S. fluid ounce glass bottles. Jones Soda and Orange Crush are sold in 16 U.S. fluid ounce (1 U.S. pint) glass bottles. Cans are packaged in a variety of quantities such as six packs, 12 packs and cases of 24, 36 and 360. With the advent of energy drinks sold in eight-ounce cans in the US, some soft drinks are now sold in similarly sized cans. It is also common for carbonated soft drinks to be served as fountain drinks in which carbonation is added to a concentrate immediately prior to serving.

In Europe, soft drinks are typically sold in 2, 1.5, 1 litre, 330 ml plastic or 500 ml glass bottles; aluminium cans are traditionally sized in 330 ml, although 250 ml slim cans have become popular since the introduction of canned energy drinks and 355 ml variants of the slim cans have been introduced by Red Bull more recently. Cans and bottles often come in packs of six or four. Several countries have standard recyclable packaging with a container deposit, typically ranging from € 0.15 to 0.25. The bottles are smelted, or cleaned and refilled; cans are crushed and sold as scrap aluminium.

In Australia, soft drinks are usually sold in 375 ml cans or glass or plastic bottles. Bottles are usually 390 ml, 600 ml, 1.25 or 2 litre. However, 1.5 litre bottles have more recently been used by the the Coca-Cola Company. South Australia is the only state to offer a container recycling scheme, recently having lifted the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents. This scheme is also done in the Philippines; people usually buy glass bottles and return them in exchange for a small amount of money.

In Canada, soft drinks are sold in cans of 236 ml, 355 ml, 473 ml, and bottles of 591 ml, 710 ml, 1 l, 1.89 l, and 2 l. The odd sizes are due to being the metric near-equivalents to 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 64 U.S. fluid ounces. This allows bottlers to use the same-sized containers as in the U.S. market. This is an example of a wider phenomenon in North America. Brands of more international soft drinks such as Fanta and Red Bull are more likely to come in round-figure capacities.

In India, soft drinks are available in 200 ml and 300 ml glass bottles, 250 ml and 330 ml cans, and 600 ml, 1.25 l, 1.5 l and 2 l plastic bottles.

Ice cream sodas/floats

The ice cream soda, also called float, is a drink that consists of one or more scoops of ice cream in either a soft drink or a mixture of flavored syrup and carbonated water. The most common of these is the root beer float.

In the United States, it is usually called an "ice cream float," but may be called an "ice cream soda," or soda for short, as they were made at the once-ubiquitous soda fountains. Some ice cream sodas have specific names such as "black cow," "brown cow," "purple cow" (vanilla ice cream in purple grape soda), and "Boston cooler" (vanilla ice cream in Vernor's ginger ale).

In Australia and New Zealand, it is known as a "spider."

In Scotland (mainly the west coast) it is usually referred to as a "float," for example, a "coke float" (as elsewhere, "coke" is often used generically to refer to any cola in Scotland, while "soda" in Scotland is usually taken to mean soda water).

In Belfast, Northern Ireland, there is a regional variation: cola (regardless of brand) and vanilla ice cream are called a "coke afloat."

Health effects

The consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental cavities, and low nutrient levels. Experimental studies tend to support a causal role for sugar-sweetened soft drinks in these ailments, though this is challenged by other researchers.

Many soft drinks contain ingredients that are themselves sources of concern: caffeine is linked to anxiety and sleep disruption when consumed in excess, and the health effects of high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners remain controversial. Sodium benzoate has been investigated as a possible cause of DNA damage and hyperactivity. Other substances have negative health effects, but are present in such small quantities that they are unlikely to pose any substantial health risk. Benzene belongs to this category: the amount of benzene in soft drinks is small enough that it is unlikely to pose a health risk.

In 1998, the Center for Science in the Public Interest published a report entitled Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans' Health. The report examined statistics relating to the soaring consumption of soft drinks, particularly by children, and the consequent health ramifications, including tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 (formerly known as "adult-onset") diabetes, and heart disease. It also reviewed soft drink marketing and made various recommendations aimed at reducing soft drink consumption.

Obesity and weight-related diseases

From 1977 to 2001, Americans doubled their consumption of sweetened beverages - a trend that was paralleled by a doubling of the prevalence of obesity. The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight and obesity, and changes in consumption predict changes in weight. One study followed 548 schoolchildren over 19 months and found that changes in soft drink consumption were associated with changes in body mass index (BMI). Each soft drink that a child added to his or her daily consumption was accompanied by an increase in BMI of 0.24 kg/m2. Similarly, an 8-year study of 50,000 female nurses compared women who went from drinking almost no soft drinks to drinking more than one a day to women who went from drinking more than one soft drink a day to drinking almost no soft drinks. The women who increased their consumption of soft drinks gained 8.0 kg over the course of the study while the women who decreased their consumption gained only 2.8 kg. In each of these studies, the absolute number of soft drinks consumed per day was also positively associated with weight gain.

Still, it is possible that people who lead unhealthy lifestyles consume more soft drinks. If so, then the association between soft drink consumption and weight gain could reflect the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle rather than the consequences of consuming soft drinks. Experimental evidence is needed to definitively establish the causal role of soft drink consumption. Reviews of the experimental evidence suggest that soft drink consumption does cause weight gain, but the effect is often small except for overweight individuals.

Many of these experiments examined the influence of sugar-sweetened soft drinks on weight gain in children and adolescents. In one experiment, adolescents replaced sugar-sweetened soft drinks in their diet with artificially-sweetened soft drinks that were sent to their homes over 25 weeks. Compared with children in a control group, children who received the artificially-sweetened drinks saw a smaller increase in their BMI (by -.14 kg/m2), but this effect was only statistically significant among the heaviest children (who saw a benefit of -.75 kg/m2). In another study, an educational program encouraged schoolchildren to consume fewer soft drinks. During the school year, the prevalence of obesity decreased among children in the program by 0.2%, compared to a 7.5% increase among children in the control group.

Sugar-sweetened drinks also cause weight gain in adults. In one study, overweight individuals consumed a daily supplement of sucrose-sweetened or artificially-sweetened drinks or foods for a 10 week period. Most of the supplement was in the form of soft drinks. Individuals in the sucrose group gained 1.6 kg, and individuals in the artificial-sweetener group lost 1.0 kg. A two week study had participants supplement their diet with sugar-sweetened soft drinks, artificially-sweetened soft drinks, or neither. Although the participants gained the most weight when consuming the sugar-sweetened drinks, some of the differences were unreliable: the differences between men who consumed sugar-sweetened drinks or no drinks was not statistically significant.

Other research suggests that soft drinks might play a special role in weight gain. One four-week experiment compared a 450 calorie/day supplement of sugar-sweetened soft drinks to a 450 calorie/day supplement of jelly beans. The jelly bean supplement did not lead to weight gain, but the soft drink supplement did. The likely reason for the difference in weight gain is that people who consumed the jelly beans lowered their caloric intake at subsequent meals, while people who consumed soft drinks did not. Thus, the low levels of satiety provided by sugar-sweetened soft drinks may explain their association with obesity. That is, people may who consume calories in sugar-sweetened beverages may fail to adequately reduce their intake of calories from other sources. Indeed, people consume more total calories in meals and on days when they are given sugar-sweetened beverages than when they are given artificially-sweetened beverages or water.

A study by Purdue University reported that no-calorie sweeteners were linked to an increase in body weight. The experiment compared rats who were fed saccharin-sweetened yogurt and glucose-sweetened yogurt. The saccharin group eventually consumed more calories, gained more weight and more body fat, and did not compensate later by cutting back.

The consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks is also associated with many weight-related diseases, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors, and elevated blood pressure.

Dental decay

Most soft drinks contain high concentration of simple carbohydrates - glucose, fructose, sucrose and other simple sugars. Oral bacteria ferment carbohydrates and produce acid, which dissolves tooth enamel during the dental decay process; thus, sweetened drinks are likely to increase risk of dental caries. The risk is greater if the frequency of consumption is high.

A large number of soft drinks are acidic, and some may have a pH of 3.0 or even lower. Drinking acidic drinks over a long period of time and continuous sipping can therefore erode the tooth enamel. Drinking through a straw is often advised by dentists as the drink is then swallowed from the back of the mouth and does not come into contact with the teeth as much. It has also been suggested that brushing teeth right

after drinking soft drinks should be avoided as this can result in additional erosion to the teeth due to the presence of acid.

Hypokalemia

There have been a handful of published reports describing individuals with severe hypokalemia (low potassium levels) related to chronic extreme consumption (4-10 L/day) of colas.

Soft drinks and bone density

Research suggests a statistically significant inverse relationship between consumption of carbonated beverages and bone mineral density in young girls, which places them at increased risk of suffering fractures in the future.

One hypothesis to explain this relationship is that the phosphoric acid contained in some soft drinks (colas) displaces calcium from the bones, lowering bone density of the skeleton and leading to weakened bones, or osteoporosis. However, calcium metabolism studies by leading calcium and bone expert Dr. Robert Heaney suggested that the net effect of carbonated soft drinks, (including colas, which use phosphoric acid as the acidulent) on calcium retention was negligible. Heaney concluded that it is likely that cola's prominence in observational studies is due to their prominence in the marketplace, and that the real issue is that people who drink a lot of soft drinks also tend to have an overall diet that is low in calcium.

Nutritional value

Unless fortified, they also contain little to no vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, or other essential nutrients. Soft drinks may also displace other healthier choices in people's diets, such as water, milk, and fruit juice.

Sugar content

While the USDA recommended daily allotment (RDA) of added sugars is 10 teaspoons for a 2,000-calorie diet, many soft drinks contain more than this amount. High caloric intake contributes to obesity if not balanced with exercise.

Until 1985, soft drinks obtained nearly all of their food energy in the form of refined cane sugar or corn syrup. Today in the United States high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is used nearly exclusively as a sweetener because of its lower cost, while in Europe, sucrose dominates, because EU agricultural policies favor production of sugar beets in Europe proper and sugarcane in the former colonies over the production of corn. HFCS has been criticized as having a number of detrimental effects on human health, such as promoting diabetes, hyperactivity, hypertension, and a host of other problems. Although anecdotal evidence has been presented to support such claims, it is well known that the human body breaks sucrose down into glucose and fructose before it is absorbed by the intestines. Simple sugars such as fructose are converted into the same intermediates as in glucose metabolism. However, metabolism of fructose is extremely rapid and is initiated by fructokinase. Fructokinase activity is not regulated by metabolism or hormones and proceeds rapidly after intake of fructose. While the intermediates of fructose metabolism are similar to those of glucose, the rates of formation are excessive. This fact promotes fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis in the liver, leading to accumulation of fat throughout the body and

possibly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Increased blood lipid levels also seem to follow fructose ingestion over time.

Government regulation

Schools

In recent years, debate on whether high-calorie soft drink vending machines should be banned in school has been on the rise. Proponents believe that soft drinks are a significant contributor to childhood obesity and tooth decay, and that allowing soft drink sales in schools encourages children to believe they are safe to consume in moderate to large quantities. Proponents note that children are not always mature enough to understand the consequences of their own food choices and should not be routinely exposed to the temptation of readily available soft drinks. They also argue that schools have a responsibility to look after the health of the children in their care, and that allowing children easy access to soft drinks violates that responsibility. Opponents believe that obesity is a complex issue and soft drinks are not the only cause. They also note the immense amount of funding soft drink sales bring to schools. Some people[who?] take a more moderate stance, saying that soft drink machines should be allowed in schools, but that they should not be the only option available. They propose that when soft drink vending machines are made available in school grounds, the schools should be required to provide children with a choice of alternative drinks (such as fruit juice, flavored water and milk) at a comparable price.

On 3 May 2006, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and the American Beverage Association announced new School Beverage Guidelines that will voluntarily remove high-calorie soft drinks from all U.S. schools.

On 19 May 2006, the British Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, announced new minimum nutrition standards for school food. Amongst a wide range of measures, from September 2006, school lunches will be free from carbonated drinks. Schools will also end the sale of junk food (including carbonated drinks) in vending machines and tuck shops.

Taxation

In the United States, legislators, health experts and consumer advocates are considering levying higher taxes on the sale of soft drinks and other sweetened beverages to help finance the epidemic of obesity among Americans, and its harmful impact on overall health. The reasoning is that extra taxes could fund educational activities to make consumers more aware of the unhealthy effects of drinking excessive soft drinks, and also help cover high costs to reform the US healthcare system. The food and beverage industry holds considerable clout in Washington, DC, as it has contributed more than $50 million to legislators since 2000.

Pesticides in India

In 2003, the Delhi non-profit Centre for Science and Environment published a disputed report finding pesticide levels in Coke and Pepsi soft drinks sold in India at levels 30 times that considered safe by the European Economic Commission. The Indian Health Minister said the CSE tests were inaccurate, and said that the government's tests found pesticide levels within India's standards but above EU standards. A similar CSE report in August 2006 prompted many state governments have issued a ban of the sale of soft drinks in schools. Kerala issued a complete ban on the sale or manufacture of soft drinks altogether. (These were later struck down in court.) In return, the soft drink companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi

have issued ads in the media regarding the safety of consumption of the drinks. The UK-based Central Science Laboratory, commissioned by Coke, found its products met EU standards in 2006. Coke and the University of Michigan commissioned an independent study of its bottling plants by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), which reported in 2008 no unsafe chemicals in the water supply used.

Benzene

In 2006, the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency published the results of its survey of benzene levels in soft drinks, which tested 150 products and found that four contained benzene levels above the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water. The agency asked for these to be removed from sale.The United States Food and Drug Administration released its own test results of several soft drinks containing benzoates and ascorbic or erythorbic acid. Five tested drinks contained benzene levels above the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended standard of 5 ppb. The Environmental Working Group has uncovered additional FDA test results that showed the following results: Of 24 samples of diet soda tested between 1995 and 2001 for the presence of benzene, 19 (79%) had amounts of benzene in excess of the federal tap water standard of 5 ppb. Average benzene levels were 19 ppb, about four times tap water standard. One sample contained 55 ppb of benzene, 11 fold tap water standards. Despite these findings, as of 2006, the FDA stated its belief that "the levels of benzene found in soft drinks and other beverages to date do not pose a safety concern for consumers"

Alcohol content

A report in October 2006 demonstrates that some soft drinks contain measurable amounts of alcohol. In some older preparations, this resulted from natural fermentation used to build the carbonation. Modern drinks introduce carbon dioxide for carbonation, but there is some speculation that alcohol might result from fermentation of sugars in an unsterile environment. A small amount of alcohol is introduced in some soft drinks where alcohol is used in the preparation of the flavoring extracts.

Healthy Drinks

Keep in mind that healthy drinks should be consumed throughout the day, not just with your meals. If you drink too much with meals, this may dilute your digestive enzymes and lead to poor digestion!

Healthy drinks are a very important part of any healthy meal plan. Fresh filtered water should, of course, make up a certain percentage of the fluid you take in, but most people don't want to drink just water (though if you add some fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice, you may enjoy it more). Some other suggestions for healthy drinks include the following:

Herbal infusions

Herbal infusions are a great healthy drink option because they are so high in minerals. They can be served warm or cold and can take the place of some of the water you drink during the day.

Raw milk from grass-fed cows

Raw milk is a good source of protein, calcium, enzymes and natural healthy fats. If raw milk is unavailable or you choose to avoid it, the next best type of milk is pasteurized, unhomogenized whole milk. Why whole milk? Whole milk is best because the fat is necessary for the assimilation of the fat-soluble nutrients it contains). In my area, raw milk can be purchased at the Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent, NY and unhomogenized milk is available from Evan's Farmhouse Creamery. Two national companies, Natural by Nature and Strauss Family Creamery, offer organic grass-fed milk (both homogenized and unhomogenized, I believe). Try A Campaign for Real Milk for more resources and know that Organic Pastures in California ships fresh raw and cultured dairy products nationwide.

Non-dairy milks

Many of these are currently available, from soy milk to rice milk to almond milk to hemp milk. I advise staying away from soy milk because it is very processed and not really a natural food. Rice milk and the others are ok- some are very sweet and high in carbs and again, they are pretty processed, but they are fine in small amounts. I personally like Living Harvest vanilla hemp milk- it is creamy and sweet- good for beverages that you might want to sweeten, like tea. I don't think packaged almond milk tastes that good- I far prefer homemade nut milks, and these are easy to make.

Kombucha

Kombucha- the fizzy drink high in probiotics and B-vitamins. Make your own or buy it- it's widely available at natural food stores, but pretty expensive. It's wonderful for enhancing digestion and immunity, and it may be the best energy drink I know. Another similar option is to make your own homemade fermented soft drinks (recipes for these coming soon). These are much better for you than high fructose corn syrup and chemical-filled sodas. Commercial soda is best avoided entirely as it has no health benefits and it can upset the mineral balance in your body. This can damage your bones and lead to osteoporosis. Commercial sports drinks are not very good for you, either- most contain high fructose corn syrup, a very unhealthy sweetener that has been implicated in the obesity epidemic.

Natural sodas

If you want healthy drinks that resemble actual soda occasionally, look for the naturally sweetened brands that contain absolutely no high fructose corn syrup (ex. Reed's Ginger Brew is deliciously spicy and it has some actual health benefits; naturally sweetened root beers made from herbal ingredients are also available). Fruit-flavored "sodas" made by companies like Izze are very tasty, and children usually love them.

Organic bottled juices

Organic juices that are diluted with pure filtered water, sparkling mineral water or seltzer (Lakewood and Biotta are two of my favorite juice brands) are delicious. Look for juices made from fruits that are exceptionally nutritious, such as pomegranate and acai, and try to use mostly water and just a little juice for flavor, as juice is high in sugar. Coconut water is also very good- the brand O.N.E makes a lovely coconut water in aseptic packaging; they make some other very interesting juice-like drinks, as well, with flavors such as amazon acai berry, cashew, and coffee berry. Vita Coco and Zico make similar high quality products.

Homemade juices and smoothies

Vegetable or fruit juices made fresh in a juicer are wonderful healthy drinks. The only downside is the cleaning of the juicer, but the Breville Juice Fountain gets high marks for being easy to use and clean. Smoothies can be purchased, but they are much healthier and less expensive if you make them at home. They are easy to make, especially if you use a high speed blender such as a Blendtec or a Vita-mix. You are only limited by your imagination when it comes to what you can put in a smoothie- see healthy smoothies for more information and recipes.

Organic coffee and organic black tea

Organic coffee and black tea are not at the top of the list of healthy drinks, but they are o.k. provided you drink them in moderation (no more than 1-2 cups/daily. It is important to drink organic coffee and tea so that you do not ingest unwanted chemicals. It is also important to look for fair-trade, shade-grown coffee because in this way you are supporting organic and sustainable farming practices that benefit the environment, as well as ensuring workers are paid a paid a fair wage for their product. I do not suggest drinking too much coffee or tea because you will be adversely affected by the caffeine (and if you are not in good health or if you don't even enjoy your coffee or tea but drink it solely to give you energy, I suggest you give it up altogether). Definitely avoid coffee if you are trying to get pregnant of if you are already pregnant.

Green tea and yerba mate

Green tea is one of the best healthy drinks- it does have some caffeine but it is a great source of antioxidants and may help with weight loss and weight maintenance. I enjoy green tea frequently, either plain or in the form of a Green Tea Latte. Yerba mate is a healthy herbal drink made from the leaves of a tree that grows in the South American rainforest. It has a little caffeine but is high in nutrients, as well. My favorite brand is Guayaki: they make loose-leaf mate, mate tea bags, and bottled yerba mate ice tea.

All-natural coffee substitutes

Coffee substitutes may be grain or herbal-based. Cafix and Pero are made from roasted barley and chicory and they make a dark and rich coffee-like healthy drink especially when made with raw cream and a little raw honey. Raja's Cup and Teecino make herbal coffee substitutes that are high in antioxidants. Teecino can be brewed just like coffee- I enjoy it when made in a french press with some vanilla hemp milk.

Herbal teas

Organic herbal teas that do not contain caffeine can be warming and comforting healthy drinks. Mint and chamomile are both good choices after a meal, as they promote good digestion, but there are numerous types of herbal teas available almost everywhere- Republic of Tea and Numi are two brands I like a lot. A little stevia or raw honey may be added to sweeten your tea, if desired. Another one of my personal favorite herbal teas is Good Earth Organic ("original flavor"). It has a nice spicy taste but is very sweet on its own, and does not require any added sweetener.

Organic beer and wine

If you are going to indulge in beer and wine occasionally, why not switch to organic? These are cultured/fermented beverages, after all, and they can only be better for you when made with grapes and other ingredients that have not been sprayed with pesticides. More and more companies are offering organic varieties- these companies should be supported for their commitment to organic and biodynamic farming practices that are so much better for the environment. The more demand increases, the more we will see new healthier products in the marketplace. Check out the The Organic Wine Company for more information. Coop America has a great article on organic beer and wine with a list of great resources at the end.

If you are the type who likes to undertake an adventure in the kitchen every so often, you could also try to make your own wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverage. I personally have had mixed results in this department. I once made dandelion wine and found it pretty unpalatable, but I also made a delicious mead (fermented honey wine) for my mom's wedding... (Definitely avoid all alcohol, though, if you have a personal or family history of alcoholism, you are pregnant, or if you are trying to conceive).

Other healthy drinks

Two more healthy drinks to consider are:

• Warm chicken stock. This can be enjoyed anytime of the day. You can add a little miso or coconut milk (or both) to it, as well. I always drink this when I am not feeling well- it's a natural immune booster.

• Apple cider vinegar or herbal vinegar or lemon juice mixed with warm water and a bit of maple syrup or raw honey- very cleansing and one of my drinks of choice when I am trying to avoid all caffeine, do a detox, etc.

Feedback from customers about Soft Drinks & Health Drinks

Q: Why are soft drinks fizzy? A soft drink is a beverage, often carbonated, that does not contain alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are more commonly known as soda, pop, tonic, or soda pop in parts of the United States and Canada, or fizzy drinks in the U.K.; sometimes called minerals in Ireland.

The name "soft drink" specifies a lack of alcohol by way of contrast to the term "hard drink". The term "drink", while nominally neutral, often carries connotations of alcoholic content.

Beverages like colas, sparkling water, iced tea, lemonade, squash, and fruit punch are among the most common types of soft drinks, while hot chocolate, hot tea, coffee, milk, tap water, alcohol, and milkshakes do not fall into this classification.

5 Reasons To Quit Drinking Soda Drinks (And How To Do It)

Do you drink soda drinks? How often do you drink it?

When I was young, I was an avid drinker of Coca-Cola and other soft drinks. Actually, I was pretty much a coke addict. I could never get past a day without drinking Coca-Cola. It was normal for me to have days when I would finish almost a whole 1.5 liter coke bottle.As I grew up, I became more conscious of the need to be healthy. I started to relook into my diet, including my staple drink of Coke and soda. Over time, I realized Coke is actually quite detrimental to our health – so much so that I wonder why it even became such an ubiquitous drink! In my pursuit for a healthier life, I made the decision to quit drinking Coke at 18. I started to slowly forgo Coca-Cola and soda drinks. When I reached my early 20s, they were almost completely out of my diet. In the rare occasions where I do drink it, I would find the taste excessively sweet, acidic and unpalatable. When I look back, it was hard for me to even fathom myself putting so much of this chemical junk into my body when I was younger.Here is a list of 5 top reasons why you should just quit drinking Coca-Cola and soda drinks.

1. Counteractive to Weight Loss Efforts. One 330ml can of Coke contains around 160 calories. Assuming you drink one can of Coke everyday: that’s 4800 extra calories every month or 1.4lbs. In a year, that adds up to 57,600 extra calories or 16.8lbs! Granted, you will not be gaining an absolute 16.8lbs since our body metabolism adapts accordingly from consuming more/less calories, but you will still be gaining an extra layer of weight just by drinking Coke/soda drinks over other healthier, lower calories options.Contrary to popular belief, Diet Coke/soda is counteractive to weight loss efforts as well. I used to think Diet Coke should be a diet staple when I was trying to lose weight, which I later I found out wasn’t the case at all.Diet soda has been found to increase possibility of weight gain by 41%. While there are many theories explaining this counter-intuitive finding, I thought to test this out for myself. I tried the following two scenarios in separate stretches of time: one drinking diet coke and another drinking just water.The result? I found a much higher tendency to go into binging attacks when I drink diet coke. The most plausible explanation I found is artificial sugar in diet sodas confuses your body when it tastes something sweet that isn’t sugar. As a result, it makes your body crave for actual, sweet food. So while you may be taking in 0 calories from drinking diet soda, there is a higher likelihood you will grab consume more food after drinking the soda, which then leads to weight gain.

2. Stains and corrodes your teeth.

Coca-Cola and sodas with colorings stain yourteeth, as many are already aware. In addition, they have been shown to destroy 10 times more teeth material than fruit juices in just the first three minutes of drinking in a test. Slices of enamel were placed in Coke and other carbonated drinks for 48 hours, where there was a 5% weight loss of the enamel in the end. The high acidity content (pH 2.0~4.0) causes corrosion of your enamel. Granted, lab conditions do not mirror reality, but the corrosive effect of Coke on your teeth is something that accumulates over time.

3. Limited hydration.

Coke and soft drinks contain caffeine, which is a diuretic. A diuretic is a drug that speeds up the rate of urine production – meaning it removes water from your body. While you can get your thirst quenched when drinking Coke, you do not get as hydrated as compared to if you just drink pure water.

4. Artificial stimulant which alters your mind.

Caffeine is also a psychoactive stimulant drug. It affects the central nervous system and alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior. By increasing the levels of adrenaline (a stress hormone) in your body, you end off setting off feelings of anxiety and tension in your body. Instead of being able to operate as a fully conscious being, you end up having less control of your thoughts, emotions and behavior.I noticed that whenever I do drink Coca-Cola or soda, my mental thinking is not as clear. It feels as though my thoughts become more rapid, jumbled and haphazard. Even though I’m supposedly more alert, I’m not fully in control of the higher faculties of my mind. It feels more like my mind is operating by itself and my conscious self is only allowed to observe in the background to give limited inputs. If this was in the past where I was drinking Coke everyday, I would never have been able to make this observation. However, drinking Coke after being Coke/soda-free for many months made the contrast very stark to me.

5. Causes insomnia and sleeping disorders.

The caffeine prevents drowsiness by (i) blocking the effects of hormones serotonin and melatonin and (ii) blocking adenosine receptors (sleep-inducers) from being binded. Apart from causing insomnia, it also prevents you from getting the full benefits of sleep, as the excerpt below from How Stuff Works shows:The most important long-term problem (of caffeine) is the effect (it) has on sleep. Adenosine reception (sleep inducers) is important to sleep, and especially to deep sleep. The half-life of caffeine in your body is about six hours. That means that if you consume a big cup of coffee with 200 mg of caffeine in it at 3:00 p.m., by 9:00 p.m. about 100 mg of that caffeine is still in your system. You may be able to fall asleep, but your body will probably miss out on the benefits of deep sleep.The last time I drank (diet) coke, it kept me up all night until 6am, even though I tried turning in at 2am. My mind just went into overdrive mode and I could not sleep even though my body felt physically tired. If you drink coke/soda and you are finding it hard to manage your sleeping schedule, it might be the caffeine causing the problem. The problem is further aggravated if you are a naturally hyperactive person too (like me).While you may appreciate caffeine for keeping you awake for a particular morning meeting or presentation, bear in mind that the boost is only temporaryand at the expense of the natural functions of your mind (see point 5 above). While you may feel more alert after a dose of caffeine, it is just a stimulated feeling. Whenever I consume caffeine, I feel like my mind has been pried awake beyond its desires. Even though the lights are on in my brain, I can only perform low level tasks which do not require much thinking. Higher functions of my mind seem to be beyond me. I pretty much feel like a zombie walking around with limited mental capacities and a body heavy as lead.To make things worse, after the initial effects wear off, I am left with a state of fatigue worse than beforesince I was denying your body of the rest it deserved. To quote Jacob Teitelbaum, “Caffeine is an energy loan shark. What it lends you in the morning it takes back with heavy interest in the afternoon.”

How To Quit Drinking Coke / Sodas Successfully?

So, how can you quit coke and soft drinks?

1. Identify a substitute drink (that’s healthier). For me, after I quit drinking soda, my natural inclinations for drinks are:

(1) Plain water – (nearly) free, healthy, gives a fountain of benefits. Doesn’t get any better than this. If you are to dine outside, plain/mineral water will always be a reliable option.

(2) Fruit and/or vegetable smoothies which I make myself using my blender.I would recommend not to substitute it with coffee – the higher caffeine levels makes it an unhealthy drink as well (more than 2 times compared to Coke, on a per oz basis). I personally do not drink coffee because of that. I have also never been fond of the taste of coffee anyway – it has a bitter undertone which does not sit so well with my taste buds.

2. Get rid of the soda drinks in the fridge. Remove all traces of Coke and soda drinks inside your fridge. It may seem like a waste but it’s better than downing them into your body and ruining it.

3. ….And stop buying them home. After you eliminate the remaining traces of those drinks, don’t purchase them anymore! Tell your family (or housemates if you live with other people) about your goal and tell them to stop buying the drinks. Better yet, educate them on why they should quit drinking and get them to quit as well. If this is not possible, ask for their help to put the drinks out of your side.

4. Tell your friends of your goal. This way, you are accountable to them as well. Your friends can serve as gatekeepers of your decision.

5. Mentally block out the soda section in the menu when you dine outside. Since you are going to give up sodas, there is no need for you to look at the soda section. This prevents any second thoughts.

6. Ensure you have enough sleep. So you do not have to resort to drinking caffeinated sodas to keep you awake later in the day.

7. Keep a record of the days you go without drinking Coke or sodas. Mark it on your calendar if you have one. When you start seeing a whole succession of soda-free days, you will be tempted to keep the ball rolling.

8. Persevere. As you start cutting away Coke and sodas from your life, you may find withdrawal symptoms in the first week (depending on how heavy a drinker you were before). These symptoms may come in the form of restlessness, anxiety, cravings to drink again. Push through! They will start melting away after a few days in the face of your determination.Try it and see how it works for you Chances are, as you start freeing yourself of Coca-Cola and soda drinks, you will find your body feels so much more refreshed and cleansed. You can feel yourself becoming healthier. Your thinking becomes clearer as well.

8 Reasons Why People Drink Soda & 16 Reasons To Give Up Soda Drinking Most of us drink soda. Some drink more than others. And probably many regular soda drinkers are aware that soft drinks are bad for the health. At the same time, United States ranks first among countries in soft drink consumption.I think we need to know more about this drink that we love so much. And so here are 8 reasons why we drink soda:

1. It's Very Tasty!

The taste could be one thing that gets us addicted to drinking soda, it is delicious. In fact, it is so good, that many people drink it with every meal!

2. It's Everywhere! Even if you wanted to drink something else, you would be hard-pressed to find it as prominently displayed in vending machines, at fast-food chains, and supermarket checkouts. You might not realize how ubiquitous Coke, Pepsi, and the like are in our society until you try to stop drinking soda.

3. Convenience, "Grab-n-Go"!The most addictive thing about soda is the convenience. If you want something quick or are in a hurry, it is so easy to grab and convenient to drink.

4. Promotion and Advertising Soft drinks are heavily consumed in part because companies promote them vigorously - Billions of dollars are spend on advertising sodas - and market them everywhere - in stores, restaurants, gas stations, museums, and even schools.

5. Soda Habit

For some people, drinking several sodas a day is a force of habit. You know drinking soda is a habit when you find yourself going to the grocery store at 10 p.m. because your refrigerator is tapped out.

6. It Is Cheap

Soda may be pretty inexpensive when compared with fruit juice and milk. With combo meals, a large soda is only an extra dollar, and you get fries!

7. Thirst

Often people drink soda to quench the thirst. However, this is probably the worst time to drink soda, because when you are very thirsty or dehydrated you have low levels of saliva. And saliva helps to neutralize acids (soda is the most acidic beverage you can buy) and wash your teeth clean.

8. Caffeine Addiction

Many soft drinks contain caffeine and caffeine is mildly addictive. This fact is part of the reason soda is such a hard habit to break. If you're addicted to the caffeine in soda, you're really having two habits - the soda habit and the caffeine habit.

16 Reasons To Stop Drinking Soda

These were reasons why we drink soda and here are 16 powerful reasons to give up soda drinking.Do you know the extent to which drinking carbonated, caffeinated, sugared, or artificially sweetened beverages harms your body? Giving up soft drinks can be one of the best things you can do to improve your health.

1. Soda Is Useless.

First of all, there are no nutritionally beneficial components in soft drinks. Soft drinks mostly consist of filtered water and refined sugars. Yet the average American drinks about 57 gallons of soft drinks each year.

2. Weight Gain & Obesity Many people either forget or don't realize how many extra calories they consume in what they drink. Drinking a single 330 ml can a day of sugary drinks translates to more than 1lb of weight gain every month.Several scientific studies have provided experimental evidence that soft drinks are directly related to weight gain. The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers2 calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times.According to the results of high quality study3 reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages helped reduce body mass index in the heaviest teenagers.

3. Diabetes This is a consequence of #2. Anything that promotes weight gain increases the risk of diabetes. Drinking soda not only contributes to making people fat, but it also stresses the body's ability to process sugar5. Some scientists now suspect that the sweet stuff may help explain why the number of Americans with type 2 diabetes has tripled from 6.6 million in 1980 to 20.8 million today.Rapidly absorbed carbohydrates like high fructose corn syrup put more strain on insulin-producing cells than other foods. When sugar enters the bloodstream quickly, the pancreas has to secrete large amounts of insulin for the body to process it. Some scientists believe that the unceasing demands that a soda habit places on the pancreas may ultimately leave it unable to keep up with the body's need for insulin. Also, insulin itself becomes less effective at processing sugar; both conditions contribute to the risk of developing diabetes.Interestingly, women who consumed a lot of fruit juice--which is high in natural fructose--were not at increased risk of diabetes, leading researchers to speculate that naturally occurring sugars may have different metabolic effects than added sugars. They also speculate that vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals in fruit juices may have a protective effect against weight gain and diabetes, counterbalancing the adverse effects of sugar.Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School4 analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study II, a trial tracking the health of more than 51,000 women. None of the participants had diabetes at the onset of the study in 1991. Over the following 8 years, 741 women were diagnosed with the disease. Researchers found that women who drank one or more sugary drinks a day gained more weight and were 83% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who imbibed less than once a month.

4. Weakened Bones And Risk Of Osteoporosis

Frequent consumption of soft drinks may also increase the risk of osteoporosis,6 especially in people who drink soft drinks instead of calcium-rich milk7. High soda consumption (particularly cola15) in children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones.In the 1950s, children drank 3 cups of milk for every 1 cup of sugary drinks. Today that ratio is reversed: 3 cups of sugary drinks for every cup of milk. Tellingly, osteoporosis is a major health threat for 44 million Americans. Most experts now say that the real culprit is soda's displacement of milk in the diet, though some scientists believe that the acidity of colas may be weakening bones by promoting the loss of calcium.

5. Dental Caries And Erosion

Soda eats up and dissolves the tooth enamel8. Researches9 say that soft drinks are responsible for doubling or tripling the incidence of tooth decay.The acidity can dissolve the mineral content of the enamel, making the teeth weaker, more sensitive, and more susceptible to decay. Soda's acidity makes it even worse for teeth than the solid sugar found in candy.Dental experts continue to urge that people drink less soda pop, especially between meals, to prevent tooth decay and dental erosion.

6. Kidney Damage

People who down sugary drinks don't feel as full as those who consume the same amount of calories in solid food. This theory was born out by researchers at Purdue University who, in 2000, gave 15 volunteers 450 calories a day of either soda or jelly beans for a month and then switched them for the next month, while monitoring their total calories. The candy eaters compensated for the extra calories by eating less food and maintained their weight; during the soda phase, the volunteers ate more and gained (MSN Health)There is good evidence that cola beverages can increase the risk of kidney problems, more so than non-cola sodas.Researches clearly demonstrated that large quantities of cola result in enhanced kidney stone formation16-17. If you're wondering exactly how soft drinks cause kidney stones, it's because of their acidity and radical mineral imbalances. Your body must buffer the acidity of soft drinks with calcium from your own bones. As this calcium is eliminated through your urine, it slowly forms kidney stones.In a study published in the journal Epidemiology14, the team compared the dietary habits of 465 people with chronic kidney disease and 467 healthy people. After controlling for various factors, the team found that drinking two or more colas a day (whether artificially sweetened or regular) was linked to a twofold risk of chronic kidney disease.

7. Increased Blood Pressure

Experts have reasons to believe that overconsumption of fructose, particularly in the form of soft drinks, leads to an increase in blood pressure22.

8. Likely To Cause Heartburn

Soft drink consumption is a strong predictor of heartburn20-21.

9. Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factor

Soft drink consumption is a significant risk factor for developing of metabolic syndrome18, a combination of the symptoms such as high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance.

10. Harmful Effects On Liver

There is evidence that consumption of too many soft drinks puts you under increased risk for liver cirrhosis similar to what chronic alcoholics have19.

11. Impaired Digestive System

Soda, no matter who makes it, is the most acidic beverage you can buy, with a pH of about 2.51, about the same as vinegar, but the sugar content disguises the acidity. To put that into perspective, consider that battery acid has a pH of 1 and pure water has a pH level of 7.Interesting fact: A pH below 4 or above 10 will kill most fish and very few animals can tolerate waters with a pH below 3 or above 11.Why does that matter? Throughout the digestive system, that starts from the mouth and ends up at the anus only the stomach can resist an acidic environment up to pH 2.0. But before the acidity of soft drink reaches the stomach it passes through all the other organs involved in the digestive system thus causing an abnormal acidic environment. The linings of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus are highly sensitive to acids.The phosphoric acid present in soft drink competes with the hydrochloric acid of the stomach and affects its functions. When the stomach becomes ineffective, food remains undigested causing indigestion, gassiness or bloating (swelling of stomach).

12. DehydrationAnother problem with sodas is that they act as dehydrating diuretics. Both caffeine and sugar cause dehydration.Caffeine is a diuretic and causes an increase in urine volume. High concentration of sugar is drawing off water because your kidneys try to expel the excess sugar out of the blood. When you drink a caffeinated soda to quench your thirst, you will actually become thirstier.

13. High Caffeine Content

Another advantage of avoiding sodas is that you will avoid the unnecessary caffeine. Soda drinks are a major source of caffeine in the American diet. High doses of caffeine can cause irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disturbance, excessive urination, irregular heartbeat and other side effects.

14. Toxins - Aspartame

If you think diet soda is better think again. The poison in diet soda is an artificial sweetener aspartame. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. It is used because it's about 200 times sweeter than table sugar.Despite US FDA approval as a "safe" food additive, aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances added to foods. After you drink an aspartame-sweetened product, aspartame breaks down into its starting components: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol (that further converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.). There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption10-13.

15. Possible Cell Damage Ability

A new health scare erupted over soft drinks recently amid evidence that they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative E211, known as sodium benzoate, found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.

Sodium benzoate occurs in small amounts naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks.

16. There Are So Many Healthy Alternatives! Soda replaces healthier drinks. By drinking soda, you cut the intake of fresh juices, milk, and even water and deprive yourself from essential vitamins and minerals.• Water. Water is the best drink in the world.• Tea. Any kind of tea - herbal, green or black - is rich in antioxidants, which were shown to protects the body form many health problems.• 100% Juice. Fruit juice can be also useful for flavoring your water and teas.

Why Healthy People Avoid The Soft Drinks?

I would like to share with you a certain topic that is very important when you are trying to lose weight. That is if you want to lose weight, you must avoid soft drinks. You see there are many reasons why many people become obese. One reason is that this people constantly consume the wrong kind of food and drinks which will add weight to their body. In this topic I am going to discuss the link between soft drink and obesity. Studies have shown that many obese people drink it during their meal time.You may asked, is it really harmful? Do you know that it contains empty calories? Empty calories have no nutritional value at all. When you drink it, all you do is putting in sugar into your body. Studies have shown that a can 250ml contains at least 9 teaspoons of sugar. In short you are just pumping sugar into your body. A soft drink has no nutritional value at all.To make matter worse modern soft drinks now add synthetic sugar that allows you to drink more. You see in the past, you could not consume more than 3 glasses without throwing out because human being just cannot take so much sugar in the body. The problem is with synthetic sugar it allows a person to drink much more without throwing out.To be fair, I know they are very tasty and nice. However if you really want to loss weight and be healthy, you need to stop drinking. However if for some reason you cannot stop drinking, at least try to cut it intake. I have shown you very carefully that the link between soft drink and obesity is very real. The next time instead of drinking soft drink you should consider drinking water.

CONCLUATION

Again after 3 years, pesticides level found in soft drinks was found way above allowable limits. Coca-cola is spending quite a huge amount on telling people how it is safe to keep drinking the soft drinks. They aired a ad. in which some pestiside experts talks about the pesticides levels. He says that the even the human milk has insecticides. Is this relevant to pesticides found in coca-cola? (which are being manufactured). Instead of spending money on such things, I wonder why not they spend money to reduce the insecticide levels? Does coca-cola think that Indians are

guinea pigs? Or something like that? And how can they comment that human milk contains quite high level pesticides? Have they done some research? If yes, they must have spent quite a large amount of money in doing so; instead of reducing the level of insecticides in their products. And if its true, then what is Govt. of India doing? Is government sleeping? There are many NGO's in India which are working on such issues. Are they sleeping also? Well, I am just thinking. Not trying to come to any conclusion. The conclusion which I came to is I am going to stop drinking soft-drinks henceforth (though I drink not more than 1 300 ml bottle per month in a year).

THE END