The truth about drinks

Most people are aware that flavored sodas such as cola are packed with chemicals, preservatives, artificial colorants, sugar and calories. Today a lot of people replace these regular sodas with a number of alternative refreshments, often because they believe that these alternatives are healthier. In today's post I have put together a list of drinks that are popular and mistaken for being healthy, when in fact they are almost as unhealthy as regular soda!

1. Flavored coffee.
An average cup of Americano or filtered coffee with milk contains about 20 calories. The problem begins when we add extra "pumps" of flavor to hot or cold coffee and frappes. These additions can add an extra 20-40 grams of sugar, extra calories, chemicals such as artificial flavors and enhancers, preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial colorants. In addition, adding a topping such as whipped cream and syrups further increases the calories, sugar and fat in one cup! An iced caffe caramel mocha topped with whipped cream can reach 800 calories, half of an average person's daily recommended calorie intake!

Always prefer regular coffee with low fat milk and no sugar. Sugar free syrups are available but be aware that they also contain artificial flavors and colorant.

2. Flavored water.
The bottle looks pure and innocent just like regular water–-however this is not the case! Although this option is an improvement over sugared sodas, flavored water also contains sugar, preservatives and artificial flavors. Flavored water often contains about 20 calories per 100ml, adding up to about 100 calories per bottle.

Always prefer plain water, or make your own infused flavored water by adding fresh mint leaves, lemon and orange wedges to a bottle or pitcher and placing it in the fridge.

3. Bottled juices.
It may say 100% natural fruit juice on the bottle. But when we look at the sell-by date we see that it can sit on the shelf for a year! As natural fruit cannot last that long, this is because other ingredients or preservation methods have been used to prolong the shelf life of this juice. In addition, fruit juices are naturally high in sugar, so even if it is freshly squeezed it should still be consumed in moderation.

Always prefer freshly squeezed juice and dilute with water, or even better eat fresh fruit!