Lemonades. Are diet sodas safe? How to make healthy lemonade to start your day

LemonadeThis is one of the most refreshing and delicious drinks, which can be prepared at home. Many people prefer to enjoy it on hot days, but in fact it is the perfect drink for all occasions! Try it and you will notice the difference!

The advantage of lemonade over other refreshing drinks and juices is that it contains minimum calories and at the same time many nutrients which bring invaluable health benefits.

Thereby lemonade can easily fit into any, even if you drink it several times a day.

Because of all these benefits Recently, lemonade has become a very popular drink to start the day.. After all, it is in the morning that our body absorbs nutrients best.

And so that you too can develop such a good habit, today we will tell you 8 reasons why you should start your day with lemonade.

1. Helps hydrate the body

The first reason why it is advisable to drink lemonade right in the morning is Our body loses moisture during the night.

Fluid leaves our body through sweating and urine and must be replenished. And it’s better if it’s a healthy drink. A great option if you don't like drinking "tasteless" water.

2. Prevents urinary tract infections

The antiviral and antimicrobial properties of this drink will help ensure prevention and treatment of diseases affecting the urinary tract.

Consuming this lemonade daily on an empty stomach helps remove harmful bacteria. They usually multiply in the kidney area or directly in the bladder.

3. Reduces bloating

To date, there is no scientific evidence that water with lemon helps you lose weight. However, there is a hypothesis that this drink, being a diuretic, helps eliminate bloating after a heavy meal.

4. Helps cleanse the body

Day after day, our body accumulates waste and toxins. This includes food, environmental pollution, and exposure to chemicals... All these factors harm our health and disrupt the functioning of our internal organs.

If you start your day with lemonade, then you can cleanse your body of harmful substances.

5. Restores and maintains acid-base balance

Many people think that because lemon has a sour taste, it must increase the level of acidity in the blood.

However, it has already been proven that it is one of the best natural products with alkalizing properties. He Helps absorb nutrients (metabolism) and restores body pH.

If you start your day with lemonade, you can avoid increased levels of acidity in your body.

6. Strengthens the immune system

Vitamin C is known to help strengthen the immune system.

Drinking lemonade every morning will help prevent the development of many viral diseases. After all, he can resist them.

7. Improves digestion


Many disorders of the digestive system can be “cured” with ordinary lemonade (you just need to drink it on an empty stomach).

Lots of water and fiber in this drink will prevent the formation of constipation, relieve inflammation and relieve heartburn.

8. Helps skin stay youthful


How to make healthy lemonade to start your day?

To take advantage of all the above benefits of this drink, it is best to prepare warm lemonade and do not add any sweeteners to it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 glass of water (200 ml)
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Cooking method:

  • Boil water in a saucepan over medium heat. Then cool until the temperature is acceptable for consumption.
  • Squeeze the juice and add it to warm or hot water.

How to drink correctly?

  • Try to consume this lemonade every day, on an empty stomach, immediately after waking up.
  • After this, wait 30-45 minutes before eating breakfast.

As you can see, the drink is simply magical. It not only refreshes, but brings great benefits to the body. Train yourself to drink it every morning and You will see how your body becomes more and more healthy and attractive.

More than 1.8 billion bottles of Coca-Cola are sold per day. Nearly half of Americans (48%) drink at least one glass of soda per day. It's safe to say that many of us love a sweet drink. But what happens to our brain and organs if we only drink soda?

As the drink fills your mouth, the high acid content begins to eat away the enamel on your teeth and also feeds the microorganisms in your plaque. sugar, which can lead to caries. By drinking a can of soda, you consume over 46 grams of sugar. Receptors on your tongue sense this and send a signal to the cerebral cortex, activating the brain's reward center, which says "more please!"

After a week of drinking cola instead of the recommended daily 8 glasses of water, you are consuming about 5432 additional calories. And this is one of the biggest health problems associated with carbonated drinks - weight gain. It has been estimated that ⅕ of the weight accumulated in the US between 1977 and 2007 can be attributed to carbonated drinks.

Additionally, Yale researchers found that when people drink soda, they also consume more calories, largely because they don't account for the added calories in the drink. Additionally, high fructose corn syrup, which is the main sodium sweetener, is not metabolized in our bodies the same way as other types of sugar. It leads to fatty liver, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, does not stimulate the production of hormones such as insulin and leptin. These hormones send a signal to the body when we are full, protecting against overeating. Impaired insulin levels also increase the risk of developing diabetes.

Overall, research suggests that reducing the amount of sugar in drinks could prevent 1 million cases of obesity. So, should we replace regular cola with diet cola? Surprisingly, there is still a connection between artificial sweeteners and weight gain.

Experiments have shown that sweet tastes, whether real sugar or artificial sweeteners, increase appetite. Not to mention people who drink diet soda and allow themselves to eat more because they think they've already cut calories, thinking, "I have a diet soda, so I can eat a big hamburger." But soft drinks can also age us.

Telomeres are protective caps at the end of our chromosomes that shorten over time. And it turns out that the rate of their shortening in a person who drinks 600 ml of cola per day is the same as that of a smoker. What if you drink 2 liters of soda every day? Well, one woman did just that for 16 years straight until she was hospitalized at age 31. Having no heart problems in her family, she suffered from arrhythmia and fainting. Tests showed a severe potassium deficiency in her body, as fructose and caffeine can lead to potassium loss through urine and diarrhea. Luckily, our bodies have an amazing ability to heal. And once she stopped drinking soda, her potassium levels and other complications began to improve.

Lemonade should initially (as the name suggests) be made from lemon. So it was until the recipe began to vary. And now dozens of types of different lemonades from different fruits and berries triumph on our summer table. Why summer? So this is the best drink for a hot summer! And vitamin, and cooling, and quenching thirst. And what a useful one! Can you compare it with the lemonade that is on supermarket shelves? We will begin our story about drink recipes with the classic type of homemade lemonade. From that very lemon one.

Lemon lemonade

For it, prepare 2 liters of water, 6 lemons and 150 grams of sugar. This is how we will make homemade lemonade.

Rub the lemons with a brush under running water. Thinly zest three of them. It is better to do this with a potato peeler. Then it is cut very thin. Remove the white part of the lemons with a knife. If you don't remove it, the lemonade will taste bitter. Place the finely peeled zest in an enamel bowl, squeeze the juice from all six lemons into it, and add sugar. Throw away the remainder of the squeezed lemons. Pour in 1.5 liters of boiling water, stir, cover and let it brew for 8-10 hours in a cool place.

The next day, mix, add more sugar, but to taste, if you think it’s not enough. Stir until sugar dissolves, if added. Strain through one layer of gauze or a large sieve so that a little lemon pulp remains in the drink. This is piquant and indicates the naturalness of the product. We seal the lemonade into bottles. We cool it in the refrigerator and drink it with great pleasure in the summer heat, take it with us on picnics and to the country house. You can, by the way, dilute the lemonade before serving with highly carbonated water and add ice to it. It will turn out like a real carbonated lemonade drink.

Lemonade-tarragon

Half a lemon (how would lemonade be without it?);
half a lime;
mint leaves;
tarragon leaves;
5-6 garden strawberries;
medium-sized sugar to taste;
ice.

Cut the citrus fruits into pieces and squeeze the juice out of them into a jug. We throw the crusts from them there too. We also put herbs, berries, and sugar in the jug. Pour in hot water (cooled boiling water, but do not pour it too hot so that the glass jug does not crack). You need to pour just enough water to cover the contents of the jug. Literally ¼ of the entire capacity. Let the future lemonade brew.

Add the rest of the cold water to the jug. Throw in ice cubes. Serve the drink chilled with ice to the summer dinner table.

Due to its almost complete absence, we immediately omit the question “Why is it useful?” and let's move on to the main thing:

And so, we take ANY bottle with ANY lemonade. Let's look at the label. We temporarily skip the inscriptions with “obscene” words about the composition of the product, we will return to them soon, and admire the inscription “DRINK CHILLED” or something like that.

Yeah, do you think that manufacturers care about your taste sensations in this way, like with cognac “to feel all its aroma you need to warm the glass in your hands, etc.”? Yeah, right now! In this case, the call to “DRINK CHILLED” is completely consistent with other warnings, such as: “DO NOT INVOLVED! WILL KILL!” or “STOP! BACK! DANGEROUS AREA!" Those. This is the “line” beyond which it is dangerous to go.

Why? I explain:

Now we look at the composition, and in 9 out of 10 cases we find there, in the category of sweeteners, aspartame(E-951) . Found it? Well, who would doubt it!

So, aspartame is a synthetic sweetener that is almost 200 times sweeter than sugar and at the same time has almost zero calorie content. Of course, such a product is simply a godsend for the manufacturer, because instead of a ton of sugar, only about 50 kg of sweetener is required to make lemonade. What savings on warehouses, and on price! Moreover, it’s so convenient to advertise: “Coca-Cola Light - 0 calories!”

So, aspartame contains a small amount of methanol. Do you know what this is? Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol, yes, the same one that kills or blinds lovers of “scorched” vodka. When methanol enters our body, it is converted into formaldehyde, which belongs to the same group of toxic substances as arsenic and hydrocyanic acid.

But the most interesting thing is that When heated above 30 degrees Celsius, the amount of this methanol in aspartame increases! So the recommendations to “drink chilled” have very strong arguments.

It’s funny, but with chilled drinks everything is also not so simple, although for other reasons:

Back in 1969, our Soviet radiologists encountered an unusual problem when conducting their intricate experiments: it turns out that if food is washed down with cold drinks (for example, Pepsi-Cola with ice), then instead of being carried out in the stomach, as it should be 4 -5 hours, food doesn’t stay there longer than 20 minutes! Do you know what this threatens? Yes, that’s a small thing: it’s impossible to get enough of such food, and you find yourself hungry again, and this is a direct path to obesity. And putrefactive processes begin in the intestines, because such food did not receive normal digestion.

By the way, this is precisely the principle that McDonald’s works on, and we are still surprised - why are Americans so fat?!

Hence the conclusion: never drink food with cold drinks, be it water, juice, or lemonade. It turns out that you should drink cold liquid only on an empty stomach.

But that's not all. Let's return to aspartame.

It's funny, but drinks containing aspartame do not quench your thirst. The fact is that our saliva does not know how to properly remove residual sweetener from the mucous membrane of the mouth. And that is why, after such lemonades, an unpleasant feeling of cloying remains in the mouth, which you constantly want to wash down with a new portion. So, dear ones, such lemonades are not a means of combating thirst, but on the contrary, they are sources of it!

Aspartame contains phenylalanine, which is used in the food industry. Phenylalanine contained in aspartame changes the threshold of sensitivity, depletes serotonin reserves, which can ultimately lead to the development of manic depression, panic attacks, anger and violence. Phenylalanine accumulates in brain structures, causing mental retardation. Still want some lemonade?

We continue to study the composition of the product. What else is there? ABOUT!

Sodium benzoate (E211). In truth, it is a cough medicine with an expectorant effect, but in the food industry sodium benzoate is used as a preservative. Of course, sodium benzoate is allowed and approved by all sorts of relevant authorities in different countries, but here's the problem: when sodium benzoate is combined with vitamin C - a simple ascorbic acid that people like to add to soft drinks - benzene is formed, a strong carcinogen. And sodium benzoate itself, in large doses, can suppress in cells the activity of enzymes responsible for redox reactions, as well as enzymes that break down fats and starch.

We asked doctor Artemy Okhotin to tell us how much sweet carbonated drinks you can drink without harm to your health.

Can cola (not the brand, but the type of drink) really make a hole in your stomach?

No. It is a myth that cola can corrode the stomach wall. The acidity of cola is lower than that of gastric juice. And there is also no evidence that stomach ulcers or gastritis are associated with cola consumption.

So cola doesn't actually dissolve anything?

No, it really dissolves. It contains phosphoric acid and can leach calcium from teeth, corroding the enamel. And sugar contributes to the development of caries. Cases of severe dental damage have been described with long-term consumption of cola in large quantities. This is what the teeth of a man who drank one and a half liters of cola every day for several years turned into.

But he did not brush his teeth well and had a habit of rinsing cola in his mouth before swallowing it. If you don’t abuse cola, brush your teeth and go to the dentist, this won’t happen to you.

What then is the main harm of cola? In preservatives?

No. The main harm is that it is very high in calories.. A 330 ml can of cola contains 35 grams of sugar - nine teaspoons. Sugar is an easily digestible carbohydrate. A connection has been established between the consumption of easily digestible carbohydrates, including those found in soda, and the risk of obesity and diabetes.

They say scientists have already refuted this connection.

Yes, there is work that questions the link between sugar consumption and the obesity epidemic. The authors of these works consider a sedentary lifestyle to be the main cause of obesity. The problem, in their opinion, is not how many calories to consume, but how many to spend. But recently it turned out that some of the scientists who defend this point of view are quite closely associated with the Coca-Cola company. This undermines the credibility of their work.

Are diet sodas safe?

To date, there are no studies that link diet soda consumption to long-term health risks.

Diet sodas (defined as no- or low-calorie carbonated drinks sweetened with aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, or other low-calorie sweeteners) are not harmful to a person's health, well-being, or appearance. Moreover, there is no evidence that drinking soda prevents weight loss or increases insulin to levels that are detrimental to our health. we have already written a large and detailed article about this.

Is it true that cola helps with stomach pain?

In many countries, warm or settled cola serves as a home remedy for indigestion. But there is no scientific evidence of its effectiveness. Doctors do not recommend using cola if you are dehydrated due to intestinal infections, especially in children: it contains too little sodium and too much sugar. The only disease for which cola is truly effective is phytobezoars - balls of plant fibers that form in the stomach when eating certain fruits, for example, unripe persimmons.

So how much can you drink sweet soda without harming your health?

According to most recommendations, simple carbohydrates should make up no more than 10% of the total calorie intake. This means that the average man can consume up to nine spoons of sugar per day, a woman up to six spoons, and a child up to three. It turns out that a man can drink a can of cola (330 ml), a woman can drink a glass (200 ml) - and this is provided that they do not add sugar to tea and coffee and do not eat sweets. And it is better to protect children from sugary drinks altogether.

So, in general, all sweets are harmful?

No, not all. The so-called added sugar is considered harmful, that is, it is not naturally found in foods. Carbohydrates contained in sweet fruits and vegetables are not considered harmful. Honey, brown sugar and fructose are no healthier than regular sugar.

What should I do if I really like soda? Give up completely?

No. You just need to maintain a balance between the benefits and joys of life. We hope that after reading our article, you will not stop enjoying sugary carbonated drinks, but will exercise moderation and maybe start doing physical exercise. And most importantly: never drink Mentos with cola.

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