Never Drink Store-Bought Vitamin Water Again—Make Your Own!
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What Is Store-Bought Vitamin Water?
Store-bought vitamin water is a bottled beverage often marketed as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Most contain several added vitamins such as vitamins A,B, C, and E as well as minerals like potassium or magnesium. Some of the most popular brands are:
- Vitaminwater (Coca-Cola)
- Sky water
- Activate
- Hint Water
What’s The Problem With Store-Bought Vitamin Water?
Despite its misleading name, vitamin water actually has about the same amount of sugar as packaged juices and pops. Anyone chugging these as if they were actually water, is actually pumping their bloodstream full of fructose.
Hidden Cause Of Obesity
Research has shown that drinking high sugar beverages, including vitamin water is a major cause of today’s obesity epidemic. Not only do they contain really high levels of sugar, they don’t do much to satisfy hunger and cravings, and most people don’t take them into account when they try to burn off calories by working out. In other words, these sugary drinks are one of the most overlooked elements of your “healthy” diet.
Inflammation And Deficit In Brain Performance
Scientists have recently found that not only does sugar (in food, or as a liquid) lead directly to weight gain and risk of obesity, it is also related to deficits in memory ability, even before obesity becomes an immediate problem. This is because high-sugar diets actually cause inflammation in some areas of the brain, affecting cognitive power.
Sneaky “No-Sugar” Versions
Some brands of vitamin water also promote “zero-calorie” or “no-sugar” versions of their product. Rather than using cane sugar, they sweeten the drink with a combination of a sugar alcohol called erythritol and aspartame.
While not technically sugar, these alternatives come with their own disadvantages. The following are some conditions sugar alcohol causes many people, especially when over 50g is consumed (that’s less than 2 bottles of Vitaminwater, by the way!):
Make Your Own Vitamin Water
Here’s an example. “Essential” Vitaminwater by Coca-Cola boasts being a good source of Vitamins C, B3, B5, B6, and magnesium. If you actually need to boost these levels in your diet, you can:
- Get Vitamin C from pineapples, papaya, and oranges
- Get Vitamin B3 from tuna, chicken, and brown rice
- Get Vitamin B5 from mushrooms, avocado, and sweet potatoes
- Get Vitamin B6 from salmon, spinach, and bananas
- Get Magnesium from pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and black beans. More magnesium-rich foods.
Mix And Match Your Favorite Fruits To Make Refreshing Vitamin Water
Make drinking water fun and interesting for your family.
You can make a few jars of this with different fruits so that you have a variety. This also helps the kids drink more water and benefit from the vitamins/enzymes.
Method:
- Cut fruits of choice
- Tear some mint or basil leaves, or rosemary
- A pinch of natural sea salt for its minerals (optional)
- Put all the above into mason jars
- Use the food pusher from your juicer to crush the fruits gently to release the vitamins/enzymes into the water
- Add pure drinking water
- Close lid tight and refrigerate overnight
- Drink within 48 hours
Make Instant Vitamin Water
In a big glass, fill half with frozen fruits (the type you buy and use for making smoothies). I use strawberries, peaches and pineapple. Then pluck a few cilantro leaves and throw in with the fruits. You can also use parsley or mint leaves.
This is an easy way to make an instant vitamin water, gives your water a nice, sweet, fruity flavor, and keeps it cool. Use frozen fruits in place of ice cubes.
Enjoy!
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16895873
https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2011/02/08/why-vitaminwater-is-bad-for-public-health/#44948ff76bdb
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26970578
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