On my post 23 “Health” Drinks That Contain Crystalline Fructose, Dina asked a good question in her comment. She wanted to know if I had any suggestions for alternatives to the flavored, bottled water type of drinks (containing crystalline fructose) that I listed in my article.

My list of alternatives is very short, containing only 3 that do not contain crystalline fructose (or other sugars), #1 being plain ole’ water.

Yes, my #1 alternative is plain water. I know, it might not be the most popular choice, but it is definitely the healthiest for you. Your body is approximately 70% water, and you can only survive 3 days without it. Water helps to flush your system of toxins, and helps hydrate your skin. Water is where it’s at. 😉

You can add lemon or lime to your water, and Becky left a comment on my post What is Crystalline Fructose with a great alternative suggestion: adding lemon and fresh mint to your water. I haven’t tried the fresh mint before, but it sounds good! It’s great for your health to drink an entire 100oz of water each day, something that I learned on the 6WBMO plan. When you are drinking this much water, you won’t have a lot of room for other drinks, anyway!

For a soda, I really like Diet Rite soda. It contains zero sodium, aspartame, or caffeine. It is sweetened with Splenda, which is another sweetener that has differing views as to whether or not it is healthy for you (future article). I don’t have a reaction to it like I do to Nutra Sweet (aspartame), and I currently use it (Splenda). If you wish to avoid it, you would save yourself money by sticking with plain water.

I used to be a big Diet Coke and Pepsi drinker, but both gave me a funny feeling on the top of my head. I believe it was the aspartame. Diet Rite does taste different that those other colas, but I now prefer it. It is also a soda that is OK to drink on the 6WBMO, as long as it’s in moderation. You do have to be careful and monitor whether or not it causes you to crave sweets. Actually, I did not drink it (or any soda) when I conducted my ban on refined sugar experiment.

Another soda that doesn’t contain sodium, caffeine, or aspartame is Diet Hansen’s Soda. Like Diet Rite, it is sugar-free, sweetened with Splenda, and is also OK for the 6WBMO (again, in moderation). Diet Hansen’s is also free of preservatives and artificial colors or flavorings. It does contain that ingredient “natural flavor“, though.

Since both of these sodas are sugar-free, this means that they don’t contain cane sugar, or high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose, corn syrup solids, or any of those sugars. Remember, these are all just a different form of sugar. Just because you don’t see the word “sugar” listed in the ingredients doesn’t mean that there is no sugar in the product. 😉

If you want to avoid all processed ingredients 100%, then the best thing to stick with is water. I own a reverse osmosis water treatment system that puts my drinking water through 5 different processes, so I don’t drink plain tap water. The systems aren’t cheap but I’ve had mine for years and it has paid for itself multiple times. Instead of buying bottled water (unless I take a trip), I put that money into the water treatment system. There really is a difference; I actually have friends that say they’ve gotten hooked on my water.

If this is something you are interested in, you can search for them here: