1. Soda is addictive

The addictive properties of soda come from a number of its ingredients–first, the caffeine. Caffeine causes children to be addicted to soda, and some might be more susceptible to caffeine’s effects due to their smaller body weight.

Plus, sugar also leads to an addiction complete with cravings and withdrawals. Diet soda is not the solution either as it contains artificial sweeteners that can trick the brain into wanting more.

2. Soda has no nutritional value

Although this may seem obvious, soda is not providing much needed nutrition to our bodies. It does, however, provide empty calories and can suppress the appetite. Consuming soda may cause children to eat less of the foods they need to fuel their bodies. Those who drink soda regularly are also more likely to get less than the recommended amount of vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium, an important mineral to overall health.

3. Soda is harming children’s brains

When a kid drinks soda, they are consuming chemicals that can alter their brain. MSG can be presence in the citric acid of soda, as well as in the artificial flavors. This excitotoxin has been shown to damage the neurons in the brain of mice. In addition, high levels of excitotoxins have been linked to brain tumours, diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, brain damage, learning disorders and behavioral problems.

Aspartame, found in diet soda, is causing the same effect. Long-term consumption of aspartame leads to an imbalance in the brain. Aspartame’s methanol content is also concerning for brain health, as it converts to formaldehyde, a known neurotoxin.

4. Soda is weakening kids’ bones

Drinking soda can actually deplete bones of much needed calcium. Phosphorus, a common ingredient in soda, leads to bone loss when in disproportionate levels to calcium. Caffeine is also a culprit here, as it is known to interfere with the absorption of calcium and bone density.

5. Soda is causing bad behavior

The possible reasons for behavior issues from children who drink soda are many. It could be from the caffeine, sugar, artificial colors, or blood sugar spikes and drops. According to a survey of more than 3000 mothers, children who drank soda were more aggressive, withdrawn, and had trouble paying attention.

6. Soda is destroying kids’ teeth

Sugar isn’t good for teeth, and neither are the acids within soda. Both the citric acid and phosphorus can wear away tooth enamel and lead to decay.

7. Soda is contributing to childhood diabetes

Mice fed artificial sweeteners, like aspartame found in diet sodas, developed glucose intolerance, which can be an early sign of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. What’s more frightening, is simply drinking soda in moderation may not reduce the risk. As little as one single 12 ounce can of soda a day can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 22%.

8. Kids who like the sweetness of soda are more likely to be overweight

A two year study of 3-5 year olds determined that the consumption of sugary beverages significantly increased the likelihood of childhood obesity. In addition, children who developed a preference for fatty or sweet foods were more inclined to be overweight. Even choosing diet soda to avoid sugar won’t prevent this, because aspartame increases sugar cravings by telling the brain to consume more.

9. Soda can lead to heart disease

When we are talking about children, heart disease rarely comes up in the conversation. However, with the news that just one soda a day can increase the risk of a cardiovascular event by 61%, it’s a conversation worth having. That same amount of soda is also linked to a 19% increase in heart disease. Considering the risk of a soda dependence, children who begin drinking soda are more likely to consume it regularly. Over the span of their lifetime they will consume far more soda than someone who began drinking it in adulthood, increasing their risks.

10. Soda can inhibit digestion

Soda and caffeine are diuretics and can lead to dehydration, especially if soda is replacing water. Sugar and caffeine can increase the level of acids in the stomach leading to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Carbonation is also a common IBS trigger, as it results in more gas.

Watch this space for our next article on what can you do, if your kids are already addicted to soda. Stay tuned!

1. Cook Veggies

Did you know that you can cook vegetables in carbonated water? Famous French chefs like Thierry Marx came up with this idea, when trying to find a creative alternative to plunging vegetables in salted boiling water. Cooking vegetables in boiling sparkling water helps them stay crunchy and retain their original, vibrant color.

2. Tempura

Tempura is a Japanese assortment of fried vegetables and fish, often served as an appetizer. To make tempura you need to prepare a batter that is light and airy, and sparkling water is the way to go! Simply mix flour with sparkling water, dip the vegetables, fish or shrimp in the batter and then lightly fry. The sparkling water will make the batter extra crunchy and light.

3. Cake

Believe it or not, using carbonated water in cake results in the lightest, moistest cake you’ve ever had! Start off by whisking eggs with sugar, and then add oil, cake flour, chocolate and some crushed hazelnuts. Finish with a bit of sparkling water, and don’t be surprised if your batter starts to froth a little! Bake the cake for 50 minutes at 350° F and prepare to be wowed!  

4. Crepes

Sure, there are loads of classic crepe recipes out there. But have you ever tried making crepe batter with sparkling water? To do this, simply replace some of the milk for an equal part of fizzy water. Your crepes will end up extremely light and airy thanks to this substitution! And don’t forget to let the batter rest for at least an hour before you start to cook them – no matter what you replace in the recipe, this important steps remains unchanged!

5. Mojito Cocktail

Mojitos are light and refreshing thanks to sparkling water, lime and mint. To make a delicious mojito, add some fresh mint leaves to the bottom of a glass, along with some cane sugar syrup and lime wedges. Crush these ingredients together using a muddler, and then add ice cubes and sparkling water.

6. Sparkling Ribena Float

This sweet and creamy dessert beverage puts a fruity twist on traditional ice cream floats. In a tall glass add the Ribena syrup and a splash of soda (reserve the rest for later). Stir until the Ribena has thinned out a bit. Add the ice cream and top with the remaining soda and serve immediately.

7. Waffles

Adding sparkling water to waffle batter will give you light, airy and deliciously crunchy waffles. Simply substitute one part of milk with one part of sparkling water. Proceed with the recipe as you usually would, and get ready to eat the best waffles you’ve ever had!

8. Sparkling Ice Tea

If you’re tired of plain old ice tea and are looking for an original recipe, replace tap water with sparkling water. Fizzy ice tea is delicious and a great thirst-quencher, minus the calories that other carbonated drinks and sodas usually contain. We call that a win-win!

 So what are you waiting for? Go grab yourself a SODAXPESS MACHINE now!!!!!

Source:

How can you tell if you're dehydrated? You might feel tired, cranky, moody, or have a headache. As the body gets dehydrated, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the vessels.

If you think drinking plain water is too boring, you can also trick your taste bud by making fruits infused water, making sparkling water,  – or do it the best of both worlds, make fruits infused sparkling water! Stay tuned to our space where we will talk more about infused water and benefits of drinking infused water! Drink up today!

Fact to Take Note Of!!

There are subtle differences between sparkling water. Some are carbonated water, while others are often marked as "mineral water", which often have added sodium. Bubbly water with sodium is both good and bad, says Palinski: "Sodium is an electrolyte. When you sweat, you don't just lose water but electrolytes as well. Drinks containing electrolytes can be very hydrating. However, too much sodium can have a negative impact on health, so it is important to not drink only mineral water as your sole source of fluid each day."

You have just completed a big achievement in life! Whether it’s a 10km, half marathon or a full marathon, it’s your first and there’s no comparison on how satisfying the feeling is!!

What’s next? For many runners like myself, running is truly addictive.

You would immediately want to jump on the next training, and then looking forward to the next achievement. I would like to emphasize the importance of taking care of your body in order to run faster, better and longer!

We can’t stop talking about hydration, because that’s really the main factor. Technology has now made it possible for us to use tools to remind ourselves amidst our busy schedule. I took a stroll around the big World Wide Web and found the following tools to be exceptionally useful.

Camelbak positions themselves as the best online hydration calculator available. I use this to find out how much water I would drink to properly hydrate during sport or exercise.

http://www.camelbak.com/HydrationCalculator

Based on few simple questions asked on your physique, body hydration level and activities, the tool suggests a recommended intake of water to be consumed.

In a separate video clip titled “HOW CAN I MAKE MY OWN HYDRATION BEVERAGE?” Camelbak recommended a simple tip – just add a little lemon juice and a pinch of table salt to regular water for a great tasting hydration beverage. (Refer to the link below for the video)

I am practising that now, I prepare my version of hydration beverage in a regular water bottle and I carry that with me, at work, at meetings or even going to the gym. It gets bored on certain days, and I get that crave for carbonated canned drinks. So I add a little excitement to my hydration beverage. Bubbles, sparkles, gas – whatever you call it. It makes my drink fizzy and refreshing, especially on a hot afternoon. It’s a guilt-free fix for me, and it’s possible with the SodaXpress machine.

Setting the right target is half the battle won. Executing and measuring the target completes the whole picture. Available on both Android and AppleStore, I downloaded an app to remind myself to achieve my hydration objective everyday.

I tend to forget in the first few days, but subsequently, with constant reminders, it seems to have grown in me as a habit. Now I sip on water, as and when, wherever I am. I guess, I may not even need the app to remind me after few more weeks.

On the days when I sparkle up my drinks, people surrounding me would be so curious and won’t resist asking me what kind of magic I am performing. I think, the spectacular hissing sound from the SodaXpress machine does the trick. It helps me capture the attention I want, and I get that ice-breaking opportunity to share my hydration tips.

Good things are meant to be shared – and that’s why blogging is such a wonderful experience!

Stay hydrated with sparkling water even after the run!

Please raise your hand if you are guilty of feeding your body with lots of food, yet “starving” it with insufficient intake of water!

The good news is, you are not alone. Thanks to the run organizers these days, to help  – who would always prepare bottled water and isotonic beverage for the runners when you crossed the finishing line.  To me, that’s really the most valuable finisher medal!!

I am guilty of not drinking much water thereafter. It’s always an amazing feeling after finishing a run – and I usually spend the rest of the day indulging in this amazing feeling. In actual fact, there’s way too much fluid lost during the workout and replenishing them is very important!

 Here’s my very own 3-steps approach to stay hydrated after a big run!

1. Weigh FIRST

I now hop on the scale in the morning before I go for the run, and after exercise, I weigh myself again. For each 500g lost during activity, I will drink 2 big glasses of water (That is approximately 500ml). Drinking 2 cans of isotonic drinks do the trick too. But, 2 cans of isotonic drinks contain way too much sugar my body needs – therefore, I replaced that with my own DIY version using lemon, ginger and homemade sparkling water.

WHY lemon and ginger?

• Lemons are good source of electrolytes, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, which help hydrate the body and regulate its functioning
• Ginger is well-known as an anti-inflammatory and for its gastric properties that assist the digestive system.

Most importantly, lemon in combination with ginger provides a “thermogenic” effect that helps activate the metabolism, making it a potent fat and calorie-burner. I want my body to continue burning fat, even when I am not running. Come on, who doesn’t want love that?

2. EAT fruits NEXT

Many fruits are a great source of both electrolytes and fluids, though the dose of electrolytes can differ from fruit to fruit.  Runners usually also receive one banana as part of their “goodie bag” in completing the run. Bananas have high levels of electrolyte potassium, making it a perfect option for re-fuelling after workout too.

I also munch on high water-content fruits, usually I eat watermelon and strawberries. Do you know that both these fruits contain 92 percent water?

3. FINALLY, check the toilet.

YES – IT IS TRUE!! SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE WAY to check whether what you have done/drank so far is good enough. Your body signals you through the colour of your urine.

When properly hydrated, urine should be pale yellow in colour. Dark yellow urine may indicate dehydration. Fret not, it’s not the end, all you need to do is, repeat step 1 & 2.

Quick Recipe to make your own lemon ginger sparkling drink J

 Remember, remember, and remember 3 important steps:

1. Weigh FIRST
2. Eat Fruits NEXT
3. FINALLY, check the toilet

 More importantly, take good care of your body so that you can continue achieve greater heights in your running “career”. It’s no longer about how fast you can run, how long you can run, it’s about sustaining this passion towards healthy wellbeing.

References:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/tips-to-prevent-dehydration-during-summer-sports-1.2468552

https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/Directory/H/hydration

http://dailyburn.com/life/health/healthy-foods-stay-hydrated-without-water/

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/top-10-ways-to-stay-hydrated

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=watermelon+help+stay+hydrated

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/top-30-hydrating-foods/slide/10

Many exercise nowadays focus on the body very few people focus on the simple and easy exercise – “Face” 

• Raise your eyebrows as high as you can and hold them for five seconds.
• Open your mouth as wide as possible and stick your tongue out as far as you can and hold for a few seconds.
• Using your three center fingers, press down on your cheeks and smile as hard as you can to raise your cheek muscles against your fingers.
• Move your nose as much as you can from side to side.
• Lift your eyebrows as high as you can, open your eyes as wide as possible and frown at the same time.
• Pucker your lips out as far as possible into the shape of an "O." Then change your expression into a wide smile. Repeat several times.
• Sit in a comfortable chair and look up at the ceiling. Pucker your lips and stick your tongue out as far as possible to exercise your neck muscles

Method of using it!

Monthly

Once a month, fill a bowl of sparkling water drunk your face in for 10 sec, no more. Do not rinse. ** This is not recommended for those have sensitive skins

Weekly
Once a week, prepare a bowl of sparkling water drunk your face in t for 10 ~ 20 sec
**Oily skins can do it twice a week,dry, sensitive skin only once a week

Daily

Every day, after all the make up remover, pour a litte bit of sparkling water on a cotton ball and gently press it all over your face (avoid rubbing). Do not rinse

You will see the result within a month but only if you’re disciple about it!

Sparkling water by SodaXpress have the advantage for Malaysia to try out this method. Besides giving you hydration – excersive with facial have become another sport solution for all Malaysian to try out during tropical weather. To work the magic, drink and facialies it will give a great beauty magic

References

http://www.instyle.com/news/why-you-should-wash-your-face-with-carbonated-water

http://www.wishtrend.com/glam/brighten-skin-using-sparkling-water/?ckattempt=1

http://thestream.sodastream.com/transform-your-beauty-routine

http://missbish.com/the-new-facial-sparkling-water-for-your-face/

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2010/05/18/the-best-exercises-for-your-facial-muscles-to-stay-looking-young.aspx

http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-Facial-Muscles

http://www.eruptingmind.com/face-exercise-how-to-do-a-complete-facial-workout/