Four healthy alternatives to diet soda

Ditch the
diet soda
Michele Thompson, MS

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Though diet soda seems like a perfect drink (with its zero calories and thirst-quenching carbonation), there are far healthier choices. The artificial sweeteners, potential bone-leaching additives, and near-zero nutrients in diet cola make it a poor choice if you are hoping to drink for your health. Here are four truly healthy alternatives to that diet drink.
Woman Drinking

Pom

POM Tea

Why not try a refreshing iced tea that is a high-antioxidant combination of POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice, hand-picked, whole leaf tea and POMx, the most potent, antioxidant-rich pomegranate extract available?

If you like POM Wonderful 100 percent pomegranate juice, made from ripe California-grown pomegranates, you are going to love POM Tea. Available in 16-ounce plastic bottles, which are portable and user-friendly, POM Tea comes in seven delish flavors including three new Light flavors with half the calories.

Though POM Tea isn’t a zero-calorie drink, it will deliver a potent dose of antioxidants, which can help you combat cancer, heart disease, and premature aging. And if the tea alone isn’t enough for you, try these refreshing POM Tea cocktails.

Emergen-C

Emergen-C Health and Energy Water

Chances are, you have seen or tried the handy little Emergen-C powder packets, which pack a healthy combination of vitamins and minerals for everything from bone health to immune defense. Did you know that Emergen-C also comes in a flavorful drink?

Emergen-C Health and Energy Water comes in 16-ounce bottles that provide 1000 milligrams of vitamin C, B vitamins, and seven mineral complexes. Like the packets, the drinks come in variety of flavors. Emergen-C Health and Energy Water is available in lemon lime, dragonfruit, raspberry and tangerine.

Emergen-C is available at natural health stores including Whole Foods and GNC. Visit EmergenC.com to find a location near you.

Hint Essence Water

Hint Essence Water

If your palate demands a crisp flavored drink, give one of the many HINT flavors a try. This premium essence water is pure water with just a lovely hint of flavor.

Hint Essence Water contains no sweeteners, has no calories, and gives you over a dozen ways to flavorfully hydrate. In addition to the usual fruit flavors, Hint is also available in peppermint and cucumber and four new exotic offerings: hibiscus vanilla, watermelon, honeydew hibiscus and blackberry.

Based out of San Francisco, Hint is available at select retailers in California, specialty markets, and fine spas and hotels. However, you can have Hint delivered right to your door. Visit DrinkHint.com for more information.

Balance Water

Balance Water

When your thirst requires the simple, refreshing quench of pure water, choose Balance Water, the first wellness water infused with flower essences from Australia.

There are four Balance Water options, each with unique flower essence blends, that are said to enhance your mind-body health: Water for the Mind, Water for Women, Water for Traveling and Water for Children.

Balance Water products do not contain any flavors, colors, preservatives, artificial additives, caffeine, sugar or calories -- instead, they're pure spring water with flower essences used by naturopaths and homeopaths for focus, concentration, calm, clarity and to ease water retention.

Visit BalanceWater.com to have Balance Water delivered to your home, or pick up a bottle at Whole Foods in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. New locations are being added, so check back to locate a store near you.

Read more:

Drink your way to a summer body

Four tips to treat your water

The revitalizing properties of water

Do you really need to drink your vitamins?

High-antioxidant teas


Michele Thompson, MS, food and health editor for www.SheKnows.com and www.ChefMom.com, is a health and wellness expert, personal chef, and freelance writer specializing in food and fitness in Bozeman, Montana. You can reach her at michele.thompson@sheknows.com.


Comments
By mchalk Sep 15, 2008

The only problem with degenhardt's comment is that the municipal water systems (even after passing through a water filter) typically contain 32 added chemicals. Many of these chemicals are harmful in even small doses. Chemicals such as Hydrogen Peroxide and Sulfuric Acid are added to the water. These are not removed by a water filter. Check with the FDA or your municipal water provider and ask them for a list of the 180 outdated chemicals that have been approved since 1968 for addition to the water supply. I know I am a biochemist. And Shada may be interested to know that (according to the CDC in Atlanta) 1 in 3 Children born in the USA after 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes because of the massive calorie intake contained in food and beverages in the United States.

By shada Jul 30, 2008

Nice ideas, I like hearing about new products... but I dont think anything out there is going to make me not want to have my diet fizzy wonder beverage!

By degenhardt Jul 30, 2008

Or you could be like me and hate these articles because they're giant adds! How much ginseng or vitamin C is good for you in one day? Get a water filter and a reusable bottle....add water and lemon or lime wedges for a low cost yummy alternative and save yourself some money.

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