HOW TO SURVIVE DAYS WITHOUT FIZZY DRINKS - SAVE YOUR WAISTLINE

 Sugar is in the centre of attention again: the government has announced war against our old enemy, - specially sugary fizzy drinks are targeted.

That is not a news that we eat too much sugar. 

The news is that there are action plans developing. I am really happy to see this.

Details are here on the BBC webpage:
Call to halve target for added sugar

Most of the people think, oh, I don't eat too much sugar, I drink even my coffee with sweetener. But the hidden sugar content is the real problem. Those food products can contain sugar what you wouldn't consider sweet like bread and pasta sauces.  There are products on the supermarket shelves which are considered healthy, and as such are highly recommended, - however certain type of them has incredible high sugar content. For example yoghurt. Yes, natural yoghurt is healthy. But we have to be suspicious with any kind of flavoured yoghurt, especially the chocolaty ones. So we cannot trust the product category, we have to check the small prints on the back of the individual products before putting them into our trolley.

"Instead of fizzy drink, have water or low-fat milk, instead of a chocolate bar, have a piece of fruit."

Back to fizzy drinks. When we are thirsty the best drink is water. And we should drink about 2 litres a day. I prefer water to fizzy drinks - easy for me, fizzy drinks cause heartburn for me, so I never been keen on them. But I know some people just find water boring. Especially if they are got used to drinking coke or energy drinks only. So the government's advice to swap fizzy drinks to water is right, - but for sugary-drink-addicted people this is not an easy step. They have to find a way to stop their old habit. It must be like giving up smoking. It starts with a decision but it is a process.

When I find water boring...

I have tried flavoured waters but if you check the label on them you can see, this is another marketing trick. These are not "just" water, these are sugary drinks again. But they are sold as healthy alternatives. Okay, they have less sugar content, but they still have some.

When I find water boring, I make my own drink, which are not just free of sugar, but have benefits to you skin or waistline too.

• Water with mint leaves and lemon. Refreshing drink with Vitamin C. Good for our immune system. Preparation time 2 minutes: put a slice of lemon and 2-3 fresh mint leaves into a glass, bruise the leaves a bit and add water. Ice cubes makes it more stylish.
• Apple tea - hot or cold. I very often makes this in cold weather as it strengthen the immune system and so tasty. Preparation time is 5 minutes. Cut up an apple (do not need to peel or core, just wash it), add some cinnamon, add 600 ml water and boil it for 2 minutes. Cool a little bit and add a tbsp lemon juice. Sieve it in a jug.
• Cherry tea. This is my favourite as it is super quick and and it's additional benefit that cleanse your skin. But really, if you have skin problems just drink a glass every day for a week, and you will see. Preparation time 5 minutes. Boil 300 ml water. Put 1 tbsp sugar free black cherry jam and two tbsp lemon juice in a glass. Add the boiling water. I usually use the St. Dalfoul Black Cherry jam, but home-made jam is even better.

• Ginger and apple tea. My family drink this with me, especially, in winter time. It is good when you have a cold or flu because it good for your immune system and warm you up. Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cut up an apple, peel a small piece of ginger and cut it into thin slices. Put them in a pan and add 1 litre water. Boil it about 5 minutes. When it has cooled a little bit add a juice of a lemon. You can add some honey if you prefer.
• Water with fresh fruit. This is the summer favourite. Preparation time: 1 minute. Simply add some frozen berries to your glass of water.