FCI Staff Writer Sacramento 
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While we are all from different regions of the world one common experience that most of us have, especially in the Western World, is our memories of having fizzling soda with a meal.
Especially if you are from the South in America.
When you were a child, how many back yard BBQs, camping and fishing trips, family outings at football or baseball games and other recreational activities would be complete without hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and soda?
We all had our favorites.
Was yours grape, strawberry, orange, Big Red, A&W Root Beer, RC Cola, Coca Cola, Pepsi or another flavor or brand?
Those memories are cherished because given the solid evidence that sugary sodas are a leading a direct cause of diabetes, for many of us, precious though those childhood experiences may be, due to very real health concerns, consuming those soft drinks are becoming a part of the past.
“I don’t know too many parents that want to feed their kids soda, but high-fructose corn syrup is cheap. The price of soda in 20 years has gone down 40 percent while the price of whole foods, fruits and vegetables, has gone up 40 percent and obesity goes up right along that curve.”… Tom Colicchio
For those of us who have diabetes or witnessed friends and relatives have their legs amputated, lose their sight or die from this powerful disease, we don’t need to keep reading the studies.
So, what can we do to keep enjoying soda with our meals?
Non-sugary alternatives might be an option but diet soda is not necessarily the complete answer but may be consumed in moderation.
An article in Reader’s Digest shared, “Though there’s concern among researchers, the American Diabetes Association still suggests that diet soda is a better alternative to a sugar-packed version for people watching their blood sugar.”
Good to know.
And yes we are aware of other soft drink alternatives like sweetened tea, fruit juice and the like but the operative word is that they are sweet, thus still not healthy.
Most importantly, they are not soda.
We love that fizz.
There is hope.
There is a popular alternative.
SodaStream International Ltd. is an Israeli manufacturing company best known as the maker of the consumer home carbonation product of the same name.
The device, like a soda syphon, carbonates water by adding carbon dioxide from a pressurized cylinder to create soda water (or carbonated water) to drink. The company also sells more than 100 types of concentrated syrups and flavorings to make carbonated drinks.
The company was founded in 1903 in England. After the company merged with Soda-Club in 1998, it was relaunched with an emphasis on healthier drinks.
The SodaStream drinksmaker is a device that forces carbon dioxide (CO2) gas (stored under pressure in a cylinder) into water, making it fizzy. The product includes a machine, a carbon dioxide cylinder, and one or more reusable beverage bottles.
Varieties of concentrated syrups are available, to create regular or diet soft drinks by adding a small amount of concentrate to the bottle after carbonation. Different flavors are created by adding fruit-flavored concentrates.
Some 20% of households in Sweden owned SodaStream machines as of 2010.
So how does it taste?
Fox News shared, “To most testers, the Cola tasted “just like Coke,” but one test subject noted, “a die-hard Coca-Cola fan would taste the difference.” The lemon-lime tasted so similar to Sprite that another test subject said, “I probably wouldn’t be able to tell that this wasn’t Sprite if I didn’t know.” In addition to brewing flavors similar to most name-brand sodas, SodaStream offers a variety of mixes to suit any preference.”
Is it a healthier substitute for soda?
According to sodasherpa.com, “Most of the SodaStream mixes are have less sugar than soda you get at the corner store. There are several different flavor options and even other companies that make syrup for the SodaStream machine.
The SodaStream comes with the advantage that you can make your own syrup. This means you have full control over how much sugar is in it and you can even use real fruit juice to make different syrups if you really want to be healthier. And of course you also get to skip the health effects of BPA, which is kept out of all SodaStream bottles.”
What is BPA?
As reported at healthline.com, “Several years ago, there was a flurry of research on the potential health effects of plastic. Studies suggested that one ingredient, bisphenol A (BPA), could interfere with hormonal activity. The chemical was originally used as a synthetic form of estrogen before it became common in plastics.
Federal agencies agreed that BPA at normal exposure levels could be dangerous for infants, and they have banned BPA in products such as sippy cups.”
Very good to know.
How popular has SodaStream become?
Big news spreads fast.
On August 20, 2018, slate.com shared, “The world’s No. 2 soda giant is trying to save itself by buying a company whose main purpose is to get people to buy less soda. PepsiCo announced Monday that it had agreed to buy SodaStream for $3.2 billion, a more than 10 percent premium on the Israeli-based company’s stock price at the end of last week. This is the biggest PepsiCo acquisition in almost a decade, according to data collected by Bloomberg.”
The Los Angeles Times adds, “With soft-drink sales hurting in recent years as consumers shy away from sugary beverages, SodaStream Chief Executive Daniel Birnbaum has shifted the company’s marketing to focus on how the machines can produce carbonated water without the flavored syrups.”
So while the news is mostly good, depending upon your social awareness and conscience, unconnected to health, there is some controversy surrounding the company.
The widely respected group at National Public Radio educated, “SodaStream was at the heart of a controversy in the Middle East two years ago. The Israeli company, which makes a kitchen gadget to turn plain water into a flavored, carbonated drink at home, came under pressure for being an Israeli company operating in the West Bank.
Pro-Palestinian groups argue that Israeli businesses located there lend support to the Israeli occupation of the land Palestinians seek for their state. Now, SodaStream has left the West Bank.”
The hope is that the social issues surrounding SodaStream will improve.
It certainly seems to be a much healthier alternative to sugary sodas and other soft drinks.
Yes we will always cherish and love our childhood memories.
Hopefully we love our health even more.
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OPENING PHOTO fci elite competitor, fciwomenswrestling2.com articles, pexels.com bruce mars photo credit
https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/best-worst-drinks-for-diabetics/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SodaStream
https://sodastream.com/collections/sparkling-water-makers
http://www.sodasherpa.com/sodastream-reviews/
http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2012/08/31/tried-it-sodastream.html
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/bpa-can-make-blood-pressure-spike-120814
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-sodastream-pepsi-20180820-story.html
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