I have a drinking problem

Hi, my name is Tasha, and I am addicted.

Addicted to cold, fizzy drinks.

Years ago, you would not find me without a diet Coke in my hand. I drank it for breakfast. I drank it after going to the gym. I drank it on road trips. I drank it all day long. I had the cutest little mini-fridge in my office that held exactly 6 cans of diet Coke. That 12oz can of deliciousness and I have a long history.

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Even when I was very, very sick, and literally hooked up to an IV in my doctor's office, I had a 32oz, frosty cold, diet Coke sitting next to me. It was my pick-me-up when I felt lousy. I told myself I had given up nearly everything- gluten, hundreds of other ingredients, chemicals, all of my traditional personal care products (full of chemicals and fragrance), everything I owned (all contaminated by mold in my apartment), my full time job (I was down to part time)- I was NOT going to give up diet Coke.

The whole routine of going into a QT station (they have the best convenience stores and drink fountains), getting the BIG cup, filling it with ice, diet Coke, and if I was feeling particularly daring, a splash of vanilla, cherry, or Rooster Booster (that's their brand of energy drink), was comforting and familiar. On a long trip up to the doctor's office, knowing that I would stop & get the giant fountain Coke was the bright spot in the day.

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I would sit there in the IV room, sipping on my icy cold Coke. The nurses would tell me diet Coke was unhealthy and I should stop drinking it. I replied, "You can pry my diet Coke from my cold, dead fingers." I meant it. I rationalized that I was not consuming any other unhealthy thing or ingredient I was sensitive to. How bad could it be??? It was just sweet, fizzy, colored water. It doesn't even have any calories, for crying out loud. How could it hurt me?

Later on, I learned that the caramel color in diet Coke is derived from corn. I was VERY sensitive to corn at that time- even putting on makeup that contained cornstarch made me break out in a rash. Eating corn made my eyes swell, and I'd be asleep for days. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I would have done anything, given up anything, just to feel better.

That was it for the diet Coke. That was how ready I was to feel better. If that was it, if that was the last thing holding me back, it was GONE! It wasn't easy, but I kicked the habit.

My health did not improve right away, as I'd hoped, but I was glad I stopped the diet Coke. I'd tried to quit in the past, but with no real incentive to stick to it, I didn't. Those thoughts of "c'mon, how bad can it be? I don't drink or smoke, if diet Coke is my worst vice, so be it" would creep into my psyche, and I'd start up again. But at times, it really was ridiculous. I spent way too much money on diet Coke. I was way too grumpy in the morning if I didn't have one. I never wish to be a slave to anything, but I was pretty addicted to diet Coke. It was a good feeling to let that addiction go.

So, let's fast forward a bit, shall we? I didn't drink anything but water and fresh juices for a time. And I was happy with that. But, because of my health issues, I was exhausted ALL OF THE TIME. Nothing helped. There was a point when I was sleeping 23 hours/day, and I was still exhausted. I wanted to get up. I wanted to be productive. I needed to work. I had medical bills out the wazoo, and how in the world was I going to pay them if I couldn't... drag... myself... to... my... desk?!

That's when I discovered energy drinks.

Oh boy.

I discovered an organic energy drink with ingredients I tolerated. At first, I hated the taste. I didn't care. Caffeine would be the answer to all of my problems.  It would get me by, until my health improved. It would help me function.

As you might imagine, I was quickly hooked on energy drinks. I started ordering them by the case from Amazon. That was a huge cost savings, but then I had ample supply in my pantry, and one a day became two a day... and you see where that is going.

Later, I found a commercial brand of energy drink that seemed to be safe for me (ingredients). I switched brands because that was cheaper. Again, I hated the taste at first. But I got used to it. Those became my crutch.

Never mind that of course caffeine was NOT the answer to my problems or a good way to mask my symptoms. I know that. And now, I'm trying to kick the caffeine habit as well.

Enter... light bulb moment. I realize... I really, really like cold, fizzy drinks. Perhaps my addiction to diet Coke and energy drinks is less about the caffeine (doesn't really help much anyway) or the taste (not great, but bearable), but all about the sensation of cold and fizzy. I like the sound of the pop-fizzzzz when you open the can or bottle. Obviously, I am not the only one, Coke even uses that sound in its commercials. I like seeing the bubbles rise up to the top. I like the feel of the bubbles on my tongue. Bubbles make me happy!

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I actually like drinking water. I have no problem getting in the recommended amount of water per day. I also love fresh juice and green smoothies, and believe they are a great way to start the day. But neither of those things satisfy my desire for something cold and fizzy first thing in the morning.

So- my NEW thing is sparkling water. No chemicals, no colors, no flavors. Just water. I am trying to switch to sparkling water instead of soda/pop/Coke/energy drinks.

My favorite one at the moment- and this preference is very much influenced by cost- is Whole Foods sparkling mineral water. There are some other fizzy waters out there that I like very much, but they are not at the price point where I would want to drink it every day.

Today, I am trying a new Whole Foods sparkling water- Lemon Raspberry flavor. Just for a little extra flavor with the fizz.

 

My verdict thus far (I've had about half of this bottle) is it is a bit too sweet. I may stick with plain sparkling water and just add a squeeze of lemon or lime or slices of ginger, which has been working well for me.

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At some point, I may wean myself off fizzy drinks altogether, but for now, I am happy with the mineral waters. I do not like that I now have many plastic bottles to recycle. I have been thinking of ways to repurpose them- more on that later- but one can only re-use so many plastic bottles. And then there is the eco-guilt of shipping water halfway around the globe, but I can only take this one step at a time. If this sparkling water kick seems like it is going to last, I may invest in a Soda Stream, so I can make my own. Less packaging, less fuel, no plastic bottles to recycle. Has anyone used a Soda Stream? Thoughts?

Do you have any favorite sparkling waters, or favorite items to add? I'm thinking I'll try watermelon in my fizzy water this summer.

Ginseng Soda

Guess what? I know it's hard to believe (haha), but I have another cookbook that I'm VERY excited about : )

 

I want to figure out how to make my own energy drinks. Currently, I drink way too many of these...

Which is not terribly healthy, and not to mention, expensive. I would like to learn to make my own, to save money, and adjust the ingredients. Sure, eventually, I'd like to not drink any energy drinks, but I'm not quite there yet.

Needless to say, I was very excited when the Homemade Soda book arrived this week. If I could get one good recipe out of there, that book will more than pay for itself in money NOT spent on GURU energy drinks :) Even if I don't figure out how to make an energy drink, there are many other soda recipes in that book that look delicious, and some are even functional (healthy).

Trivia: Speaking of functional, did you know that flavored "soda" was originally created to mask the bad taste of medicines? That's why soda fountains were in pharmacies. There is a neat article about the history of soda fountains here: Fizzy Taste Bubbles Up From the Past (NPR)

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Yesterday was my first attempt at making one of the recipes in the book. I opted for the "Ginseng Soda" recipe, since it was pretty straightforward and I had all of the ingredients on hand. I made some adaptations, but it was pretty close to the recipe in the book.

Ginseng is a fascinating herb, and it plays an important role in Asian culture and cooking. I encourage you to read more about it. One excellent book I found on this topic is this one, which I borrowed from my local library:

Below is some information about asian ginseng from the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

How Ginseng Is Used

The root of Asian ginseng contains active chemical components called ginsenosides (or panaxosides) that are thought to be responsible for the herb’s medicinal properties. The root is dried and used to make tablets or capsules, extracts, and teas, as well as creams or other preparations for external use.

What Ginseng Is Used For

Treatment claims for Asian ginseng are numerous and include the use of the herb to support overall health and boost the immune system. Traditional and modern uses of ginseng include:

• Improving the health of people recovering from illness
• Increasing a sense of well-being and stamina, and improving both mental and physical performance
• Treating erectile dysfunction, hepatitis C, and symptoms related to menopause
• Lowering blood glucose and controlling blood pressure

Click here to go to the full page for more information.

OK, now that you know about ginseng- on to the recipe!

Ginseng Soda Recipe

Ginseng Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup filtered water
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 Tbsp powdered ginseng (original recipe called for 4 ginseng tea bags)
1 Tbsp organic agave nectar
1 tsp unflavored rice vinegar

Method
Bring water to a boil, add sugar and stir until dissolved.

The original recipe says to then add the 4 tea bags, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes. I didn't have ginseng tea bags, so I let the sugar syrup cool a little, and then added 1Tbsp powdered ginseng. I'm not sure if that is equivalent, it was just a guess.

Add agave nectar and rice vinegar and stir. Let cool to room temperature. The book says this syrup will keep in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

To make the soda, mix 1/4 cup ginseng syrup with 1 1/4 cup seltzer water. Best served cold.

Honestly, I didn't particularly care for the taste- but that might have been because I used straight ginseng and not the tea bags (might have been too much ginseng). Also, I was impatient and didn't chill the syrup or the seltzer (I just used ice cubes) so my drink was not as cold as I would have liked. Colder would have been better.

It wasn't terrible, I did drink it. But it could have been better. I will try this recipe again, perhaps using tea bags, or finding the right equivalent for the powder. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other recipes in the book- there is a whole chapter on "Herbal Sodas and Healing Waters"!