Flavored Water: a Go or a No?

We all know the negative stats on drinking regular and especially diet sodas, but what about flavored water? Diet Coke used to be my go-to drink. I've always been light on the flavored drinks though. When I was a kid, I couldn't have milk products because I am lactose intolerant. So they switched me to juice boxes. That failed when I broke out in hives everytime I had one because of the citric acid. You can see my aversion to things? Diet Coke did find a place with me at dinner time though. Then I switched to Sprite and Mountain Dew when I found out how bad Diet Coke was for me, and I haven't had one since (Spring 2006). Then with HFCS coming out about how awful that was, I ditched my flavored fake sugar and went for a "healthy" alternative, flavored water. My choice was Crystal Light. 

What a great choice right? It comes in small packets for your water bottle or bigger ones to make 2 quart batches. Light on calories, no sugar, tastes good, it's a win-win-win? Well sadly, I left that train a few years ago. No more flavored water for me. Geesh right? I know. But have you ever looked at the ingredients on your flavored water? Most are riddled with the ingredients "potassium sorbate, red 40, polysorbate 60, citric acids, flavorings" etc. and it is compiled with another list of ingredients made up in a lab. 

I advertise it EVERYWHERE; eat whole foods. God created an abundant source of delicious flavors that we don't need to come up with in a lab. So do flavored waters get my stamp of approval? No. That's just the way it is. Have I looked at every single one out there? No. Could there be good sources at the stores? Possibly. If you love flavored drinks, feel free to shoot me a pic of the ingredients list and I can walk you through if it's a good choice or not. 

So I bet you're wondering, what do I drink? Anyone who knows me can attest that I drink water. I love the stuff! Did you know that water makes up about 75% of your body? Yup. It has massive amounts of benefits for your body. I know it's crazy! How simple and satisfying. Did you know that properly filtered water has no negative side effects on the body? Amazing. We need it to live, literally. So that's the scoop on what I 99.9% of the time drink throughout the day and with meals. Are there other things I drink that have flavor? Yes. Are they healthy? Yes. Let me explain....

Juiced drinks. I use a combination of fruits and vegetables to come up with a tasty and amazingly healthy drink. Smoothies. I also love smoothies and have these regularly. Juiced drinks are typically heavier on the vegetables side and smoothies are heavier on the fruit. I post very regulary drink ideas and have several on my blog as well. 

What are other alternatives if you don't have a juicer or high powered blender? Flavor water yourself. Woah. Yes. Slices of lemons, limes, cucumbers, fresh mint, strawberries, raspberries, oranges, the options are vast. Squeeze some into your drink or crush them in. Letting them sit will add flavor. Experiment with herbs, add some honey, and don't be afraid to try something new. Pinterest has a host of ideas that you can easily find. I make my own lemonade. Sometimes I use sugar, but it's at least real, and I have found that you can sweeten almost as well with honey. I have lemonade recipes you are welcome to try that taste really good (HERE, HERE, HERE). 

What's the take-away? Well now you know that I don't advise anyone to drink flavored waters, but I think there are plenty of alternatives that will not dissapoint. The more water we can ingest, the more healthy we will be. We know this is supported time and time again. Once again, God's provision is the winner :)