The day when the addition of sugar to water was conceived was arguably the moment in time when all of western civilisation was doomed to rounder tummies, thighs and hips – as well as an escalating obesity epidemic.Just think about it for a moment: isn't it better just to stick to plain, unsweetened water and other low-kilojoule drinks and have the odd piece of chocolate cake, instead of piling on the kilos with sugar-laden beverages?
Beverages were never meant to be kilojoule bombs – except, perhaps, for bone-boosting milk, sports drinks and special formulations for the clinically malnourished. Beverages were meant to be, well, beverages. Their sole purpose: to quench thirst.
Right now, however, we're at a point where one of the most popular drinks on the planet – a 340ml can of Coke – fetches a whopping 585 on the kilojoule scale. And don't be fooled by the healthy image of fruit juices. While these may be more "natural", a drink such Grapetiser ranks even higher on the scale: 762kJ for a 340ml can.
Maybe it's time to take a good look at the drinks in your life. Consider the following table:
Now, bear in mind that a single slice of Blue Ribbon white bread (without any toppings) has a kilojoule count of 221.
Effectively, this means that a 250ml glass of dry white wine has as many kilojoules as four-and-a-half slices of bread. A can of cider or milk stout isn't far behind, and neither are Coke, Fanta and Grapetiser. Even a small glass of apple juice has more kilojoules than two slices of bread.
Think of what you had to drink during the whole of yesterday: orange juice for breakfast, two cups of coffee and a latté at the office, a can of Coke on your way home, a glass of wine with dinner, and a glass of water before bed. A rough estimation of your kilojoule intake: 3400kJ (equivalent to 15 slices of bread!).
For more on this story visit: http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/Beverages/15-3337-3483,39176.asp
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