Study Hopes To Prove Iron Deficiency Cured By Having A Coke And A Smile

Is it possible that drinking a Coke with pizza cures anemia?

The lines between good, meaningful nutritional research and propaganda financed by certain economic and business interests keeps getting muddied by so-called scientific studies like this one that hope to prove Coca-Cola can serve as a healthy dietary supplement for people who have iron deficiency. This is NOT a joke!

Lead researcher Sue Fairweather-Tait, professor in the School of Medicine, Health Policy & Practice at the Norwich, England-based University of East Anglia (UEA), is recruiting 16 female volunteers to consume a pizza and a Coca-Cola so they can analyze what impact that will have on their iron levels. Iron deficiency leads to anemia when the red blood cells are lacking this key mineral.

When the Coca-Cola company caught wind of this proposed study, predictably they quickly ponied up the money to fund it. Well I wonder what THEIR interest could be in this study? Can you say marketing? Drink Coke for your health, they'll say. Oh brother! More about this in a moment.

Fairweather-Tait wanted to see if drinking a Coke helps the body to absorb more of the iron from the foods consumed. Since pizza is a popular food item, especially among the young women involved in the study, the researchers will have them eat a cheese and tomato pizza (no meat since that is metabolized differently) and wash it down with either a regular Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, or mineral water to see which beverage will be most effective in helping the body take in the iron from the food.

The idea for this suspicious study didn't just come out of thin air, though. It turns out Fairweather-Tait met with a former Coke CEO who put a bug in he ear about it. Oh really?! Just talking small talk about the weather, politics, and oh, by the way, did you hear drinking Coke helps with iron deficiency...PUHLEEZ!!!

Preliminary tests found that iron absorption was "pretty high" when a meal is complemented with a regular Coca-Cola. The researchers are excited to see if the same results bear out in their study.

"The volunteers come in and eat the pizza and have one of the drinks, then do the same the next day and we measure the iron level in the blood to see what affect the drink has," Fairweather-Tait explained. "Then we send them away and they come back a couple of weeks later and do it again."

What is the goal of the study from The Coca-Cola Company's perspective? If the findings hold true, then they can promote the heck out of their product being an inexpensive way to treat anemia brought on by iron deficiency--potentially a "huge boost" for the company at a time when they are under fire for contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Interestingly, Fairweather-Tait and Coca-Cola claim the results of the study, which should be released sometime near March 2008, will be published regardless of the results. How noble of them since it's probably already a foregone conclusion what they will find! Ridiculous propagandist research for the sake of the Almighty Dollar!

While I appreciate what Coke is doing trying to get stevia approved by the FDA as a sweetener, it is pure madness for them to pretend that their regular high fructose corn syrup-infested soft drinks are healthy for people to consume, iron deficiency or not. They've tried to make similar kinds of health claims before and nobody bought into it before.

The Coca-Cola Company has been bending over backwards over this past year trying to position themselves as a maker of products that are a part of a healthy lifestyle. We've seen it with their Enviga energy drink and most recently with Diet Coke Plus. While those are noble attempts to offer consumers better options, this new study they are funding is grasping at straws in a fit of desperation to lift the cloud of scorn that has been hanging over them because of the extremely high sugar content of their regular sodas.

Regardless of what this study finds, the stigma is still gonna stick! Perhaps Coke should keep looking at ways to REDUCE or ELIMINATE the HFCS altogether from their product if they truly care about the health of their customers. Something to think about!

You can e-mail Sue Fairweather-Tait about her study at s.fairweather-tait@uea.ac.uk.

Is Coca-Cola Putting Stevia On The Fast-Track To Approval As A Sweetener?

Did you know Diet Coke in Japan is sweetened with the plant-based stevia?

About a year ago I blogged about the controversial all-natural sugar alternative called stevia. At the time, I lamented that stevia was not approved by the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) to even be called a sweetener...yet! But that may be about to change if a joint venture with The Coca-Cola Company and a major food additive business has anything to say about it (and you KNOW they will because money talks!).

This USA Today story notes that Coke as well as Cargill Foods have decided to take a serious look at a sweetener they want to call rebiana (a shortened word used for Stevia Rebaudiana). Remember that name they have come up with because it's the term these companies are going to be using for stevia soon and it's been three years in the making.

For people who are livin' la vida low-carb and choose to avoid the use of the chemical-based sweeteners that dominate the marketplace, such as saccharin (Sweet 'N Low), aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal), and sucralose (Splenda), many of us have been using stevia instead because it contains ZERO calories and carbohydrates. That's certainly impressive nutritional info for a natural alternative to sugar.

But it's gonna be a bit of an uphill battle to get stevia approved since the FDA has come down so strongly AGAINST approving it while this list of sugar alternatives get a free pass--all of which are made from chemicals. But there are still a lot of people who have concerns over the safety of these products (and I get e-mails from people ALL THE TIME about my support for Splenda--get over it already people. That stuff helped me overcome morbid obesity, so leave it be!).

As a result, that's the allure of having commercial acceptance of stevia in a popular product like Diet Coke. With crazy new product concepts like the vitamin-infused Diet Coke Plus (made with aspartame), the "calorie-burning" Enviga (also sweetened with aspartame and a touch of ACE-K), and their marketing darling of the moment Coke Zero (yep, you guessed it, sweetened with aspartame and ACE-K), this idea of making a Diet Coke with Stevia is the best thing they've come up with since my favorite sugar-free soda Diet Coke with Splenda was released to the market (although they've never given it the proper marketing IMHO!).

Interestingly, stevia IS already being used in Diet Coke--in Japan, where stevia boasts a robust 40% of the sweetener market, as well as in Brazil, China, and nine other industrialized countries. So what's taking America so long to get going with this in this country already? The FDA needs to get its head out of their backside and approve stevia as a sweetener.

Are they afraid of the competition it will give that disgusting NASTY-tame? If so, then GOOD! They should be because it's high time people have other alternatives. I'm tired of seeing Nutrasweet in EVERYTHING sugar-free/low-carb I would want to purchase. Put Splenda or stevia in some of these products already! There's a bunch of us who don't like aspartame at all!

Currently, the Coca-Cola Company has been seriously looking at this since 2004 and last week filed a total of 24 patents to begin removing the sweetest parts of stevia so they can come up with the perfect taste and blend of rebiana to be used in their future versions of Diet Coke.

It's not yet known if this new sweetener will eventually be phased in to replaced aspartame or if it will be mixed with ACE-K or other sweeteners in totally different products altogether. But clearly Coke is ready to put stevia on the fast-track to FDA approval.

As for Cargill Foods, they intend to use this stevia-based sweetener in foods like yogurt, cereal, ice cream, and other sugar-free sweet treats. This is expected to be a huge undertaking that could quite literally shake up the food and beverage industry unlike anything that has come along in the past few decades. This is long overdue in America and I can't wait to see it come.

A Cargill representative said this was a "significant investment," so don't expect them to take no for an answer from self-serving interest groups who will oppose the use of stevia in this manner to cover their bedonkadonks with the artificial sweetener companies. That's why Cargill has already begun the process of petitioning the FDA to use stevia as a food additive. It's gonna be difficult, but I'm confident they'll get approval. Stay tuned!

Although Coke is saying the stevia they have tested in several of their products has performed just as well as the aspartame and sucralose for sweetness, I'm not as convinced about it. Sure, stevia is an excellent product and I have used it myself in various forms, but the black licorice-like bitterness can be a real turn-off to some people. The blend will have to be perfect.

I'm sure if stevia finally does make it into a Diet Coke product in the next few years that they'll make it taste as sweet as possible by very likely using an ACE-K blend. It'll probably resemble the aspartame/ACE-K blends that dominate the Coca-Cola line of sugar-free products today. This will be a HUGE step in the right direction for the world's #1 beverage maker (although I wouldn't mind having more Splenda-sweetened options, too--HINT HINT!).

If rebiana becomes a household name thanks to Coke and Cargill Foods, then you can expect PepsiCo, Dannon, and other rivals in the sugar-free/low-carb market to develop their own versions of stevia-sweetened products--perhaps they'll be allowed to actually call it stevia. Actually, if they're smart, then they'll start working on this NOW!

I've long held that having an "all-natural" sweetener like stevia is already on the cutting edge and it's only a matter of time before it is as widely used in the United States just as it is in Japan today. It's not a matter of if, but when. I can't wait to try a Rebiana Coke with a green stevia leaf on the can as a logo to distinguish it from the other versions. This will be the most unique diet soda product to ever release!

Are you ready for a Diet Coke made with stevia?

Will You Try Vitamin-Infused Diet Coke Plus?

Get ready for the brand new Diet Coke Plus coming in April 2007

The "healthy diet soda" wars continue on with the upcoming release of the brand new Diet Coke Plus™ coming to a store shelf near you in April. With nationwide distribution set for next month, The Coca-Cola Company is excited to provide their very first calorie-free, carbohydrate-free soda product that has been infused with vitamins and minerals.

According to the nutritional label, Diet Coke Plus includes 25% of the recommended daily allowance of niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 as well as 15% of the RDA for magnesium and zinc in each 12-ounce serving. It is sweetened with an aspartame/ACE-K blend that has become the industry norm for just about every diet drink nowadays.

Attempting to get a leg up on their primary competition--Pepsi-Cola North America--as that company is set to release their own diet "energy" drink called Diet Pepsi MAX in June 2007, Coca-Cola North America is seeking to provide their loyal consumer base with a diet soda product that will serve as a supplement to their healthy diet, according to Coke's senior VP Katie Bayne.

“Consumers, including Diet Coke drinkers, are increasingly looking for more beverage options, and we wanted to offer them the convenience of a calorie-free beverage that is a good source of several essential vitamins and minerals, and one that delivers on the great taste that they have come to expect from us,” she said.

This is the second such "energy" drink that will be released in 2007 by the #1 beverage company in the world. In January 2007, the Coca-Cola Company in conjunction with Nestle launched Enviga, aka "The Calorie Burner," under a cloud of controversy from some who believe the product is misleading to consumers. But many people have been curious about the product likely BECAUSE of the criticism which is why Enviga spokesman Ray Crockett reports in this news story that it is "doing very well."

I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to try the new Diet Coke Plus today when the media press kit arrived at my door this morning. The packaging for this product is top-notch as we have come to expect from the folks at Coke. It's includes the famliar Diet Coke logo along with a multi-colored "Plus" with the wording "Diet Coke with vitamins & minerals" listed on the product.

Here's the packaging for the 20-ounce bottle, 12-ounce can, and 12-pack:



I really didn't know what to expect when I went to taste this new Diet Coke Plus. I just assumed it would taste like all the other new aspartame/ACE-K drinks that have come out over the past year or so including Diet Pepsi Jazz and Coke Zero. Boy was I wrong!

When I took my first swig from the 20-ounce bottle, I noticed a somewhat recognizable (but not in a good way!) taste I hadn't had in my mouth in a while--REGULAR Diet Coke! EWWWW! I'm so used to drinking my FAVORITE Diet Coke product--that would be Diet Coke with Splenda--that this Diet Coke Plus was not nearly as sweet as I have grown accustomed to.

Nevertheless, after that initial shock to my tastebuds, I put it back in the fridge for a few hours and tried it again to discover that although it wasn't nearly as sweet as say Coke Zero or Diet Coke with Splenda, it is certainly a little bit sweeter than a regular Diet Coke. I'd have to say that the creators of this new drink have hit a pretty happy medium between the aspartame-only and the aspartame/ACE-K blend versions that fans of both should enjoy Diet Coke Plus.

Even still, whenever a new version of Diet Coke comes out the diehard lovers of the original version worry that their beloved drink is changing formulas. Not to worry, loyal fans of regular Diet Coke who do not want the ACE-K! The Coca-Cola Company learned their lesson about messing with a formulation (remember New Coke from the 1980s?), so you can rest assured your favorite diet soda is not gonna change one bit.

“The millions of current Diet Coke devotees across America shouldn’t be concerned – America’s #1 diet sparkling beverage is staying just as it is,” Bayne added.

Diet Coke Plus is the next in an ever-growing line of Diet Coke products on the market today, including original Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Cherry Coke, and Diet Coke with Splenda (which I'll explain in a moment why it is still hanging around despite the fact it was supposed to be discontinued in 2006).

You will begin seeing advertising for Diet Coke Plus in the near future with the slogan "Great Taste Has Its Benefits." They want to push the fact that this Diet Coke product has several essential vitamins and minerals while giving people the familiar taste of Diet Coke they have grown accustomed to. It's an intriguing concept that will certainly capture the attention of a public looking to live healthier. We'll have to wait and see if that can translate into positive sales numbers.

Personally, I like the idea of having a vitamin-infused diet soda. Heck, if you're gonna drink diet soda (and I AM!), then why wouldn't you want to add some vitamins and minerals to the mix to make it even better? Drinking just four 12-ounce cans of Diet Coke Plus daily will provide you with 100% of the RDA of vitamin B in your diet. Now that's just cool!

I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Coca-Cola North America spokeswoman Susan McDermott today about a few concerns from the low-carb community regarding her company. On the issue of aspartame use, she said they have conducted field marketing tests and the aspartame/ACE-K blend has been preferred by consumers as well as universally accepted across the industry as the blend for sweetening diet drinks. Fair enough.

When I stated that many of my readers would prefer a Splenda/ACE-K blend instead, McDermott insisted that aspartame is the most tested artificial sweetener in history and has been found to be completely safe by the Food & Drug Administration. While I acknowledged her point, I did express that my readers would like to have some more Splenda-sweetened options available as well. She said there are no new Diet Coke products in the works for the rest of 2007, but to not give up hope for the products you desire in the future. I guess we'll just have to be patient for now. :)

Speaking of Splenda, I asked McDermott specifically about Diet Coke with Splenda and what the availability of this product was like in 2007 since it was set to be discontinued last year. She said the product tends to sell great in certain regions and not at all in others, but it is still available for purchase. With so many different Coke products available today, local stores will only stock what they think they can sell. So if you want it and it isn't available in your area, then let the manager of your favorite grocery or retail store know. I was assured it IS available!

I'm so glad they took the feedback from so many of my readers last year after all and decided to keep Diet Coke with Splenda around for a little while longer just for us. Awww, wasn't that just so nice of them? :) Now if we can only get them to make Diet Cherry Coke with Splenda (and maybe caffeine-free), I'll be one happy camper!

Feel free to send your comments and feedback to The Coca-Cola Company regarding what you think about their product line by clicking here.

What's The Real Deal On 'Calorie Burner' Enviga?

Coca-Cola wanted me to be one of the first to try Enviga

Earlier this month, I blogged about the very peculiar secrecy about the new energy drink called Enviga. This brand new beverage expected to be released nationwide in January 2007 as a joint venture between Nestle and The Coca-Cola Company has generated quite a bit of speculation about what the real contents of this product they are nicknaming "The Calorie Burner."

Because of the confusion about the product just two months from being released in the United States, a marketing representative from Coke contacted me last week to see if I would like to sample Enviga for myself. I agreed, but was cautious about the contents of what they were sending to me. What would be in this energy soda? Would it have the sugar I was concerned about? If not, what would it be sweetened with? These were just a few of the questions going through my head as I waited on the arrival of the package.

When it arrived this week in a bubbly, bright-green box, I was greeted by those three tall skinny cans you see in that picture at the top of this post. My wife Christine said they looked like beer cans, but I explained to her that shape of the 12-ounce can is typical for the "energy" drinks these days. "Oh," she said.

Before I dared to try one of these Enviga drinks, I read the label like a hawk and went immediately to the nutritional information. Guess what I looked for first? Yep, it was sugar. How much sugar does Enviga have? Would you believe there was ZERO sugar? As in zilch, zippo, not a bit! WOO HOO! I'm likin' the sound of that!

So then I went to the ingredients list to see what kind of artificial sweeteners that were used--once you get past all the healthy ingredients they put in this stuff (which I'll talk about in a moment), you see what they use to sweeten it. Aspartame is the third from the last ingredient and acesulfame potassium (ACE-K) is the very last ingredient. While most people who are livin' la vida low-carb don't care much for aspartame (at least I don't!), it doesn't look like they use a large amount of it in this product. I still wish they could have sweetened it with Splenda, but we already know about Coke's position on using that sugar substitute. But that's another story.

What about those "healthy" ingredients that supposedly help burn calories in this zero carb, 5-calorie per can drink? They include the following for each can of Enviga:

90mg of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from concentrated natural green tea extracts. EGCG is a powerful antioxidant that combines well with caffeine to work wonders with your metabolism.

100mg of caffeine, the same amount found in a cup of coffee, to further enhance the calorie-burning process.

200mg of calcium to help people meet their daily need for strong, healthy bones.

According to the verbage on the can, not everyone will benefit from drinking Enviga.

"Three cans per day of Enviga have been shown to increase calorie burning by 60-100 calories in HEALTHY NORMAL WEIGHT 18-35 YEAR OLDS. Individual results may vary. Drinking more than three cans per day will not have an additional effect." (bold and capitalized are MY emphasis)

So, basically children, middle-aged and older adults, overweight and obese as well as people with any health problem don't need to drink Enviga to experience the "calorie burning" phenomena because it won't work in them. That's what Coke is saying right there on their packaging! They may not say it that explicitly, but it can certainly be inferred from that strange disclaimer on the can. And don't even think about trying to drink MORE than three cans in a day to burn more calories. It doesn't work that way, according to Coke. Okeydokey!

Coke says the ingredients in Enviga are recognized as "safe" by the FDA. What are those ingredients? I'm glad you asked. In the order from top to bottom on the can, they are:

Carbonated Water, Calcium Lactate, Concentrated Green Tea From Tea Leaves, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Sorbate and Potassium Benzoate (to protect taste), Aspartame, Caffeine, and Acesulfame Potassium

I like the heavy emphasis on the calcium and green tea and less on the sweeteners and caffeine. That is better than most of the energy drinks out on the market today which are loaded with caffeine and sugar that are decidedly unhealthy for you.

You probably want to know the answer to the $100,000 question--HOW DOES IT TASTE? They were kind enough to send me one of each of the flavors, including Berry, Peach and Green Tea. I drank all three of them for myself over several hours to give you my honest evaluation of each one.

So I took a big swig of the GREEN TEA flavor...



I really didn't know what to expect, so I was bracing myself. After an intial reaction to the less-than-sweet taste of the product (which is a good thing since most diet drinks these days are WAY too sweet), I liked it. The more I drank it, the better it tasted. I could feel a slight build-up of something on my tongue while drinking it, but the taste was pleasant enough to drink to the bottom of the can.

The same could be said about the PEACH flavor, although I am not a fan. Not bad, though, but my wife turned her nose up after one sip. She wasn't impressed, but she's used to drinking sugary sodas anyway.

Then I saved what I thought would be the best one for last, the BERRY flavor. Little did I know...



Puck-a-roo, what is that bittersweet wang in this flavor that made my eyeballs feel like popping out of their sockets?! It plumb made my face turn into Popeye the Sailor Man! Yuck-yuck-yuck! I think putting some spinach in this can would have made it taste better than this. But I will admit, it slowly (VERY SLOWLY!) got more tolerable as I drank it to the very bottom of the can. But watch out for that first swallow, it's a doozy! 8-O

When Coke rolls this product out in full force in January 2007, look for the distinctive sleek cans in individual, 6-packs and 12-packs. Each can of Enviga will have a suggested retail price of $1.29-1.49.

Obviously, there are very high hopes for Enviga and it should sell well thanks to the marketing muscle that both The Coca-Cola Company and Nestle will provide for it. If people don't expect too much out of the product and the alleged "calorie burning" hype that has surrounded it so far, then it may have a shot at reaching that target audience of people desiring a drink for their healthy lifestyle. People wanting to lose weight shouldn't put their hope in this drink.

I certainly don't see anything wrong with people on a healthy low-carb lifestyle drinking this product as part of their ongoing health and exercise plan since we all need to be consuming more green tea in our diets. This unique product may be exactly what you need to get more EGCG in your body to do the incredible thermogenesis process to invigorate your metabolism. And that would be a GREAT thing, don't ya think?!

A special THANK YOU to Coca-Cola for allowing me to try their Enviga product before it hits the shelves and share what the real deal is on this new product. I think most people will appreciate their attempts to provide a healthier alternative to the HFCS-laden garbage that has become the staple of the soft drink industry. Creating Enviga is a step in the right direction and I applaud Coke and Nestle for their efforts.

For more information on Enviga, visit Enviga.com.

Buzz Around 'Enviga' Energy Drink From Coke, Nestle Omits High Sugar Content

Coke says drinking their new Enviga is as healthy as "taking the stairs"

"This is the biggest thing to hit the health market in a decade!"
"Nothing is as unique as this new product!"
"A healthy revolution has begun with the release of this product!"

Just when you think you've heard every marketing and sales pitch possible, along comes buzz about some new product that has everyone talking. This time, it's a new joint venture from two of the big boys--Coca-Cola Company and Nestle--and the product is called Enviga, a carbonated green tea beverage that purports to burn as many as 100 calories a day just from drinking three 12-ounce cans.

Expected to hit the U.S. market in Jauary 2007 with a ton of marketing dollars behind it, Enviga is the latest in an ever-growing line of new beverage products that are on store shelves today. With high hopes from both Coke and Nestle (who has already dipped their toes in the diet and health market by purchasing Jenny Craig for $600 million this year), corporate executives at both companies are very interested in tapping into the market's apparent need for drinks loaded with green tea and caffeine--widely known as an "energy drink."

The negative calorie effect, often referred to as thermogenesis, of Enviga happens when the green tea extract called epigallocatechin gallate speeds up the metabolism and increases energy expenditure when combined with caffeine. Coke scientist Dr. Rhona Applebaum said this new creation is the "perfect partnership of science and nature."

"Enviga contains the optimum blend of green tea extracts (EGCG), caffeine and naturally active plant micronutrients designed to work with your body to increase calorie burning, thus creating a negative calorie effect," Dr. Applebaum explained. "It makes this product stand out as unique. Enviga brings the benefits of green tea to the forefront in a convenient and accessible, great tasting beverage."

Researchers at Nestle say EGCG is a naturally occurring antioxidant in green tea and this new product provides 90 mg of EGCG in each serving. Guzzling down just three cans of Enviga sets off a chain reaction inside the body of "healthy subjects in the lean to normal weight range" that results in 60-100 calories burned.

So what about overweight and obese people? What kind of calories can they be expected to burn drinking this so-called healthy energy drink, Dr. Applebaum? Is Enviga truly "healthy" for people who are trying to lose weight and get healthy or is it meant to consumed only by those who are already in the healthy range? These are important questions that need to be asked before you go start spending your money on this product.

Coke does say they believe Enviga should be promoted to those who are following a physically active and nutritionally healthy lifestyle, according to Coca-Cola senior vice-president of marketing John Hackett.

"We've seen a shift in consumers' attitudes toward diet and health and wellness, with more consumers seeking product choices that support active lifestyles, rather than just eliminating things from their diet," he exclaimed. "Enviga is a great tasting beverage that invigorates your metabolism to gently burn calories, and it's a positive step people can take as part of a balanced lifestyle--like taking the stairs."

Oh please, Mr. Hackett! Drinking Enviga is as good for you as "taking the stairs?!" Not hardly, my friend, but nice hyperbole to get your point across. Again, I am concerned that people will erroneously think this new health beverage will be good for them because of the aggressive marketing that will be used to convince them of that. As someone who has struggled with being morbidly obese weighing in at over 400 pounds in my life, it saddens me to think that millions of people will be fooled into believing the hype about Enviga and shell out their hard-earned money to try it.

This new Nestea energy drink from Coke will come in green tea, berry and peach flavors and sold in tall skinny 12-ounce cans at around $1.50 a piece.

Enviga isn't the first beverage product to lay claim to the calorie-burning effects of mixing EGCG with caffeine. Jana Skinny Water was released to the active lifestyle market as well. But there is a clear difference between the Jana product and this new Enviga--Jana is WATER and Enviga is NOT!

There is absolutely no claims by Coke or Nestle that their much-balleyhooed new product will help with weight loss since it is so packed with sugar and or high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), both of which are detrimental to any healthy lifestyle like livin' la vida low-carb. So what's the point in drinking something like this, hmmmm? If you wanted to drink sugar, then just have a Coke. Are they really thinking people are too stupid to know that all that sugar they will get in Enviga is not good for them? I guess they are!

Here's a thought: why not just brew up your own fresh green tea yourself? It's a whole lot cheaper and you get the same benefits that you would out of this Johnny-come-lately product from Coca-Cola and Nestle.

Just a little something for you to think about when you start seeing the advertisements about Enviga in 2007. While it will be pushed as the next great product for your healthy lifestyle, you'll know better now, won't you?!

10-15-06 UPDATE: Blogging friend and sugar foe Connie Bennett also discusses this subject of Enviga at her popular SUGAR SHOCK! blog today.

Havey: Coke, McDonald's Need To Continue Being Sued For Making Americans Fat

Julia Havey offers plenty of weight loss motivation in my interview

One of my favorite people in the whole wide world joins us today at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog for an interview. It's Julia Havey and she's a very special woman who has taken her amazing weight loss story and turned it into a career built around motivating people to make changes in their life to lose weight and overcome the problems that plague them. You WILL be motivated and inspired by Julia as she shares her thoughts on what's making us fat and unhealthy in America today.

1. Joining us today is Julia Havey, life coach and author of the book "The Vice-Busting Diet." Julia is a friend I met when I first started this blog and I was attracted by her amazing weight loss success story and what she is doing to help people now. Tell my readers a little bit about yourself and how you got involved in helping others lose weight and get healthy.

Jimmy, I lost 130 pounds and it changed my life for the better, forever. That could have been the end of it but I shared my story with Women's World magazine in 1997 and they were flooded with letters and calls asking HOW did I lose so much weight and get the fairy tale happy ending to my story (married a younger handsome doctor, won the title of Mrs. Missouri...happily ever after stuff). I tried to answer those women, and those who kept writing and calling. TV shows, the National Enquirer all seized upon my story and gave me my "15 minutes of fame," I decided that rather than talk about "me" that it would be much more rewarding to talk about the woman out there who was struggling with her weight, her unhappiness and to try to help her get motivated to change and improve her circumstances.

I never in a million years dreamed that I would have 2 acclaimed books (Awaken The Diet Within, Warner Books #2 Amazon.com health ranking and The Vice-Busting Diet, St. Martin's Press--Oprah's Dr. David L. Katz and Dr. Mehmet Oz endorsed!) but it is the most rewarding life that I can imagine leading, yet I spend my days getting to speak to groups of people who are looking to improve their health, personally coach women to their dreams and goals, writing for a major weight loss web site as their "Master Motivator" and I sincerely feel like I have grown into who I was meant to be.

2. You describe yourself as a "master motivator" and the articles you write (which appear at LowCarbNewsline.com and at Julia's blog) bear that out. Were you always as confident as you are now or did you blossom into the fireball of energy and excitement that you are today following your amazing weight loss experience.

I am so proud of that title, but it was bestowed upon me by my editor. He will tell you, he didn't hire me for my amazingly poor grammer skills but rather my knack for motivating the reader and my personality! He saw in me what I hadn't yet seen in myself and helped me to grow into the role of Motivator that I now have. My husband also saw in me what I did not and encouraged me to use my experience with Obesity to help others to empower their lives.

So, NO, I was NOT always the confident "ball of energy and excitement" that you see me as, that confidence grows each day from the knowledge that I am right and that my message must be told as loudly, passionately and repeatedly as necessary because lives literally are at stake. Obesity killed 2.6 million people prematurely last year and it is only getting worse. My message isn't sexy, it isn't a fad but it is the truth--you can't consume soft drinks, eat fast foods and lay around watching TV and expect to be healthy. We have got to bust the 3 biggest/worst vices in our society that are the biggest contributors to the Obesity Pandemic--Coca-Cola (and Pepsi a close 2nd!), McDonald's and TV viewing for hours on end without having gotten any exercise that day.

3. There's a lot of debate over the various diets that are out there today. People are desperate to lose weight and keep it off, but very few of them are able to do it. How did you finally overcome your obesity once and for all? Describe what kinds of foods you ate and the methodology you used to shed the pounds. Do you still eat this way today?

I lost 130 pounds over a 15-month period. When people hear this, they usually say, “That’s so fast!” However, the reality is that I lost my weight at the recommended 2 pounds a week rate. Basically, I was consistent over the entire 15 months. This enabled me to lose 8 pounds a month, each and every month.

Here are the small changes I implemented:
- The first small change I made was to give up eating my #1 vice: ice cream.
- Then, I started drinking 64 ounces or more a day of water.
- After that, I stopped eating fast food.
- The next hurdle was giving up Coke.
- Eventually, I added exercise.

I tackled each small change gradually until it was second nature to me. That’s when I’d add another change to my regime. If a person is consistent with their health resolutions, it is just a matter of time until all their excess weight comes off! I do continue to abstain from my biggest/worst vices and I will never consume them, not even a nibble! There will never be a picture of me in the "National Enquirer" licking on an ice cream cone!

4. Let's talk about sugar and its evil twin high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for a moment. You have been very outspoken against companies like Coca-Cola for promoting a product that is decidedly unhealthy. With people like Dr. John Foreyt from Baylor University defending Coke consumption as part of a healthy diet, what message are we sending the next generation about the impact of sugar on the body? What can we do to emphasize how harmful sugar is to people?

Dr. John Foreyt is a hired gun and most likely has trouble sleeping at night because his PAID supportive comments about HFCS make it sounds like drinking the CRAP is healthy for the human body, and thus helped Coca-Cola assist in the "beverage consumption assisted suicide" of 2.6 MILLION people! He won't return my calls or emails asking him about how he can possibly tell an Obese society that HFCS is a good thing to consume. I can't image why!

We can keep talking about the problem and keep spreading the word. It's a HUGE uphill fight because I don't have a few million dollars laying around to spend on advertising and Coke spends that much a week! Recently studies showed that advertising to children does impact their eating/drinking choices and is a contributor to childhood obesity.

Coca-Cola tries to say they are the good guys and are helping SOLVE Obesity, yet they won't take their soda out of schools EVER. They are taking COKE out, but putting "energy" drinks in (they have MORE calories and sugar) and drinks like Monster that are basically liquid speed (yeah, we need teens more strung out than they already are?!) AND they are keeping DIET versions that are filled with cancer causing embalming fluid like chemicals. I don't want my children influenced by this marketing machines tactics, but you can't go ANYWHERE without being slapped upside the head by it.

Today at the new Cardinals Stadium, HUGE Coca-Cola cafe area, signs EVERYWHERE for Coke, McDonalds, Hardees, and one little tiny Ice Mountain sign. Everyone around me had plates piled with nachos, hot dogs, beer, soda, for God's sake a 2 year old behind me had a 12 ounce bottle of COKE.

I just sat there with my bottle of water and wanted to cry. Perhaps I should have streaked onto the field, assaulted Fred Bird and poured a Coke on the Umpire......then, in the holding cell of the jail, I could have maybe, MAYBE gotten a reporter to quote me as saying Coke is unhealthy for us, but it is more likely that I would be called crazy and misinformed--just what Coca-Cola called me for suing them over their contest that encourages DRINKING enough Coke to KILL a person to win a used couch among other such wonderful prizes.

5. Refined carbohydrates are a big problem and it's getting bigger as the days go on in the United States. Fast food is another industry taking a lot of heat for obesity which recently led them to donate $2 million towards childhood obesity for the first time in their history. Are companies like McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell responsible for making people fatter? If so, then what needs to be done to hold them accountable?

Yes, they are the #2 reason that people are getting fatter. Their "food" is high in calories, high in salt and high in FAT!

I think continued litigation is the only way they will ever come around and make healthier foods. I take that back. More litigation might make them actually serve FOOD to us.

For anyone interested in learning just how disgusting McDonald's food is for human consumption, do this:

BUY a happy meal. Take it home and do NOTHING with it. Leave it untouched in the box and come back to it in ONE MONTH, then Open it and LOOK in side.

At the same time, take an orange, an apple, a banana, a grilled chicken breast, some whole grain bread and put them in a bag, do nothing with them and come back in ONE MONTH and see what happened to them.

Keep the Happy Meal for one year........two years.......open it up from time to time and see how it is aging. I can tell you this, the damn things are aging better than me, they don't change, there is not ONE change in 2 1/2 years in my happy meal! It looks like the day it was bought!

YOU want to eat that? you want your kids eating that?

It isn't food.

6. Your book "The Vice-Busting Diet" was quite entertaining and informative to read. You note in the book that we all have our vices and overcoming them is the secret to not only weight loss but many other aspects of our lives. Discuss some of the top diet vices that people struggle with and what they can do to defeat them for good.

The top diet vices in our nation are fast food, soft drinks, chocolate, pizza, cookies, candy, donuts and ice cream.

The only way to defeat them is to give up thinking you can "have the foods you LOVE in moderation", if we could handle the foods we LOVE in "moderation" we wouldn't be Obese and overweight. It's like.....duh! If we can't have just ONE, we are better off having NONE!

What is wrong with dieting is that it requires a person to totally transform how they live overnight, which is a very steep slope of change to scale in one day. The word “diet” means the food indicative to the species; it does not mean a reduced calorie, food group restrictive program. Yet we keep trying to change our ingrained habits by following a menu plan filled with foods we aren’t familiar with and perhaps don’t even like.

Most people eat both healthy and unhealthy foods within the course of their day. It’s the unhealthy foods that must be addressed. That’s what Vice Busting is all about. It’s much more effective to start out eliminating unhealthy foods from one’s diet than to start following a completely different menu overnight.

Without a doubt the #1 worst food habit or “Vice” of the average American (and humans around the world for that matter) is the consumption of soft drinks. There is a direct correlation with the introduction of high-fructose-laced beverages and increase in obesity rates. Recent studies also show that diet soft drinks do not positively affect weight loss. Water should be the beverage of choice.

The #2 Vice would be unhealthy, fatty and high calorie “fast food." I can tell you hundreds of stories of readers who simply vow to not eat anything from a restaurant that can hand them a bag of food through a window/drive up and have gone on to lose at least 50 pounds! Eating fast food is a fast way to obesity.

7. You and your husband Dr. J. Patrick Havey are involved in a business that involves a juice product that you believe needs to be consumed by anyone and everyone on a healthy lifestyle. What is this product including all the nutritional information (sugar and carbs especially!), why do we need it, and how can people get it if they are interested?

My friend, the leading breast cancer radiologist in St. Louis, a VERY respected doctor, tried to get me to listen to her about a fruit and vegetable whole food product for over a year. I turned a deaf ear because of my very negative preconcieved opinion of "multi-level" marketing "scams." She was relentless and kept telling me that for my health, I needed to take this.

Finally, I asked her point blank, "Look, you make a lot of money as a doctor, why are you peddling this junk?" Her answer is why I now take it, read all of the research about it and recommend it to everyone who will (and won't!) listen to me: "Each year, I see patients who are younger and younger coming to my office with breast cancer. I never knew that nutrition played a role in the risk of developing cancer. Knowing what I know now, I think every man, woman and child needs to eat 9-13 servings of raw, fresh fruits and vegetables a day and if they can't, won't or don't--they need to take this product!"

It is so simple really, it is just 17 vine rippened fresh fruits and vegetables and some oat and barley in capsules--very "Jetsons"-like, but very real, very affordable and very important for prevention of disease.

Is it a miracle, cure-all "drug" or solution? NO, there is NO such thing. BUT, I sincerely believe that coupled with a healthy diet, water consumption and exercise, it is the best available support tool for our health that we have.

It isn't just my "opinion", there is research and a lot of it, from some of the most respected institutions in the world. Anyone can, and should learn more about it by visiting JuliaHavey.com. I recommend taking the Garden/Orchard capsules and if you like protein shakes, the Complete is excellent. I have one every morning for my breakfast, my husband, Dr. Havey has one before he works out and our children have one most days disguised as a "milkshake."

8. As a weight loss success story yourself, you have a unique position for someone who talks about weight and health issues because you have lived it yourself. What do you think about these so-called health "experts" like Sally Squires at The Washington Post who are overweight and dishing out advice? Are they being hypocritical or what?

You know Jimmy, that's a very tough question. I think they care, I think they are trying to share what they have learned, if not what they have necessarily applied to their own lives. I bashed Dr. Phil when his first book came out and said "he is overweight, who is he to spout advice" and someone emailed me very upset and said that a great and effective counselor need not be a drunk to help a drunk get sober, or that a teacher need not be an F student to guide an F student to better understanding and learning. So, I was humbled that day and realized that ANYONE who sets out to help another person, does so with the best of intentions in their heart and in mind, so hypocritical? No, not really.

BUT, I still think that you can have a more empowering effect and successful outcome when you lead by example than if you ask for others to follow you on principle.

9. Does the government have a role to play in correcting the obesity epidemic? If so, then what should they be doing differently? If not, then how do we go about encouraging individuals to make changes in their life to improve their weight and health?

Another good question. I think that we already have too much goverment in our society and people would rebel if the government got too involved in this matter. It is more of a question of responsibility from a governmental, corporate and personal perspective.

Government should subsidize the soda earnings that schools make so they can kick Coke and Ronald McDonald out of schools. Government should put a high tax on fast food, soda, Twinkies, etc. so that those who CHOOSE to eat them will have some money set aside to care for them as their obesity related health care bills soar to unmanagable amounts. Corporations need to realize that the very shareholder to whom they have fiscal responsibility to, is also a human and that if they die due to obesity and being overweight brought on by the marketing tactics and products of such companies that it isn't right and they must change for the sake of helping better mankind and improving the lives of people rather than focusing on fattening their stock portfolios.

Advertising needs to be honest. SHOW obese people eating at McDonald's, let the TRUTH show and then people will make informed decisions rather than thinking if they "love it" they will look like Justin Timberlake or drinking Pepsi will give them Britney or Christina's abs! Personal responsibility overall, tell these products to stuff it and to stop stuffing us!!

Obvious answer......anyone wanting to lose weight needs to bust their vices, drink water and get some exercise regularly. In my opinion, there is no better way to transform from the life that they are living today that supports excess weight to one that supports health and fitness than mine, learn more about it at ViceBustingDiet.com. You have my personal guarantee that if you use my program for the full 26 weeks and don't lose at least 25 pounds, I will refund your money in full!

10. THANKS so much for joining me for an interview today, Julia! I admire what you are doing to help people and wish you continued success with all that you do. Being the great motivator that you are, would you like to share any closing thoughts or words of wisdom with my readers who are struggling with weight loss?

Thanks Jimmy! I think you are my male counterpart in the "ball of energy" weight loss and healthy living journey!

'Fried Coke' May Be Coming To A Fair Near You

Gonzales revels in his latest state fair concession invention--FRIED COKE!

They always say "everything is bigger in Texas." But bigger doesn't necessarily mean better, especially when you are talking about the waistlines of those who will be lining up at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas at the end of this month to try to latest and craziest concession stand gimmick I think I've ever seen.

We've all heard about Fried Twinkies as well as the equally infamous Fried Snickers Bar. But Abel Gonzales, Jr. thinks he may have the most unique deep-fried idea that anyone has ever come up with--he's making Fried Coca-Cola!

When I told you about the doughnut bacon cheeseburger being served at a minor league baseball concession stand back in July, I had no idea there would be an even worse item to come along. But here it is winning "most creative new fried treat" for Texas fairgoers to try this year.

You might be wondering how Gonzales fries the Coke, eh? Well, as you can see in that picture above, he pours Coca-Cola into a bowl of batter to make the nuggets, deep-fries them in hot oil, and finally tops them with even more Coca-Cola syrup and whipped cream. Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick...BLECH!

“People are going to want to try it just for the novelty,” Gonzales told the Dallas Morning News.

If sales of his best-tasting winning entry from last year--Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly and Banana Sandwich--are any indication, Fried Coke could be consumed by at least 25,000 people over the three-week state fair.

Why is our culture so obsessed with creating bigger and bigger hamburgers and deep frying everything but the kitchen sink (and that's probably next!) while obesity is still such a dead serious problem. Are we ever going to learn from the nutritional mistakes we have made overloading our bodies with excessive sugar and refined carbohydrates?

I don't even want to think about how many carbs are in that "Fried Coke" creation, but with the sugary Coke mixed with the high-carb batter and then topped with even more concentrated sugar-laden Coke syrup and whipped cream this thing has got to be packing about 150-200g carbs MINIMUM for ONE serving. Getting...dizzy...think I'm gonna pass out now...

(thump)

Whoa, what happened? I must have fell off my chair in disbelief at the carb count in this "Fried Coke." Okay, I'm back now from my shock-induced fainting spell, but I'm still appalled that we keep allowing foods like this to be served to the public and everyone seems to get a big kick out of it.

When are we ever going to learn that eating foods like this does absolutely no good whatsoever for our bodies and, more importantly, for our health? Is obesity and the subsequent illnesses caused by that condition really going to have to engulf the vast majority of Americans before we FINALLY get a clue and end the madness?

This is the kind of thing that frustrates me more than anything as an advocate for healthier living. We bemoan the fact that the number of overweight and obese people is getting higher and yet we don't speak up and tell people like Gonzales that we don't need to be serving people "Fried Coke" at the fair. What is the purpose? The thrill of encouraging poor eating? UGH!

If we truly care about the health and welfare of our fellow citizens, then we will declare making foods like this is just plain wrong and irresponsible. No more silly food experiments just for the sake of doing something different than before. Call me a party pooper, but wouldn't it be funny if the next time you go to the fair all they sold was low-carb foods?

"Um, yes, I'll have the grilled chicken breast topped with cheese, a side salad, and a diet soda please." Wouldn't that be AWESOME?! Talk about your new and unique ideas!

Sigh. But, of course, you know I'm only dreamin' here because it looks like "Fried Coke" is on its way to a fair near you if this sells well in Texas. Even "Fried Diet Coke" would be disastrous because you're still getting the carbs from the batter. EWWWW! I think I'll pass thank you very much!

Psychiatrist: Drinking Coca-Cola Is Healthy

Dr. Foreyt says Coke adds 'balance and variety and moderation' to diet

As the 10th International Congress on Obesity commences this week in Sydney, Australia, the nearly 3,000 health experts participating are trying to figure out why obesity rates have gotten completely out of control worldwide. This meeting of the minds, which happens every four years, is supposed to help bring about changes that would start to bring obesity rates down (ironically, though, since the first meeting in 1970, obesity has exploded to astronomical rates in virtually every country in the world with no sign of slowing down anytime soon).

One of the people attending this year's obesity conference is Dr. John Foreyt, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Houston, TX-based Baylor College of Medicine, whose role there is to convince attendees that sugary soft drinks such as Coca-Cola are not responsible for making people get fat. That's right, the Coca-Cola company has actually paid Dr. Foreyt to attend this event on their behalf to plead the case that soft drinks are not the reason for obesity.

In a radio segment on ABC Australia's "The World Today", Dr. Foreyt explained why he believes the criticisms of products like Coke are unwarranted and that sugary soft drinks have become an unfair target and scapegoat in the obesity debate.

"I think the answer to really looking at a healthy lifestyle is balance and variety and moderation, and any time you pick out a single culprit you're going to really be in trouble, because, you know, obesity and health risks are all associated with multiple factors," Dr. Foreyt told ABC.

While I agree that there are many different reasons for obesity, that doesn't give companies like Coca-Cola a free pass on their distinct role in making the problem even worse with their products. Dr. Foreyt is making the argument that drinking sugary Coke is indeed a part of a healthy diet when he states that it is all about "balance and variety and moderation."

But the reality is there is no room for the excessive amounts of sugar, in the form of the absolute worst food ingredient ever invented--high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), that they put in Coca-Cola to be consumed by most people. The idea that drinking Coke to "balance" your diet and then expecting people to eat in "moderation" (can you say calorie-restricted portion control diets that may be unhealthy and ineffective for many?) is just more of the same old garbage and meaningless dietary advice we've always heard.

When is somebody going to muster up the guts to say sugar is NOT a part of a healthy lifestyle because your body doesn't need it?! When I weighed over 400 pounds before I started livin' la vida low-carb in 2004, I was drinking Coke like it was going out of style. In fact, it got to the point that I was mindlessly drinking about 16 Coca-Colas A DAY! EEEEK! I know, I know, that was pretty stupid on my part. But my story is probably not all that uncommon among the obese.

For people like Dr. Foreyt whose job is to analyze human behavior, I wonder if he can adequately explain why people guzzle so much Coke that it makes them fat. Oh, but wait, he's got an answer that explains why you can't point the finger at the Coke for people consuming too many calories.

"Well, calories are calories are calories, so you want to look at balance, and if people are getting their calories from one source, too many calories, people can get in trouble, but that caloric source can be anything," he exclaimed to ABC. "So you really have to look at your overall diet. I think that's still the bottom line."

Oh, now this is getting good. So, Dr. Foreyt is saying that as long as you are counting the calories consumed in those cans of Coke and keep the number low enough to induce weight loss or weight maintenance, then you should be okay in terms of controlling your weight. Does he think we're a bunch of morons or what?

The calories consumed in a can of Coca-Cola have no nutritional value whatsoever, Dr. Foreyt. Even in these ridiculous 100-calorie foods that are on store shelves today (like the Coke can at the top of this blog post), the idea that people have the ability to control themselves enough to only drink one or two of these pint-sized overpriced sodas is irrational. If the overweight and obese had the innate ability to control their calorie intake, then they wouldn't be dealing with a weight problem in the first place, would they?

Furthermore, if "calories are calories are calories" is so true, then why don't we hear the same kind of message regarding eating high amounts of fruits, vegetables, juice, rice, pasta, bread and other high-carb foods which can pack a lot of calories, too? If it's truly all about calories, then what makes these food widgets any different from the calories in Coca-Cola? Hmmm?

When I started the Atkins diet in January 2004, I did not suddenly begin counting calories. Nearly three years later, I still haven't and yet my weight has remained stable. How could this be? Well, for one thing, I stopped drinking those 16 sugary Cokes I used to drink per day and replaced them with tons of water and diet soda. Permanently distancing myself from the devastating effects of sugar on my body has been undoubtedly one of the best things I could have done not only for my weight, but also my overall health.

This is a cold hard fact that is completely lost on these "experts" like Dr. Foreyt who are too closely tied to companies like Coca-Cola and the big bucks they flash to anyone gullible enough to become an apologist for their sugar-loaded products. Sugar IS responsible for obesity in a lot of people and that extends well beyond soft drinks. Candy makers, doughnut shops, bakeries--the list goes on and on--all bear some responsibility along with soda companies to warn people about the negative impact overconsumption of their products will have on their weight and health. But there are just too many interest groups involved for that to ever be allowed to happen.

When Dr. Foreyt was asked about how his links to Coca-Cola might be skewing his conclusions about the high-sugar products he is endorsing as part of a healthy lifestyle, he responded with incredulous laughter.

"Oh, absolutely not," he retorted to ABC. "No, No. I think the bottom line for most people, they're very reasonable, they have good judgment and common sense, which means balance and variety and moderation in all things, including diet and physical activity."

Nobody else is laughing, Dr. Foreyt. We're not buying anything you are saying about this because it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. While I am not one of the fanatics calling for warning labels to be put on soda cans, I don't think anyone with any semblance of credibility can say with a straight face that drinking Coca-Cola or any other soft drink with upwards of 50g of sugar per 8-ounce serving can be a part of a healthy lifestyle. IT IS NOT and saying otherwise is the most ludicrous and damaging thing you could do to a world dealing with an obesity epidemic. Shame on you, Dr. Foreyt! SHAME ON YOU!

You can e-mail Dr. John Foreyt your thoughts about his support for Coke consumption as part of a healthy lifestyle at jforeyt@bcm.edu.

9-4-06 UPDATE: Fellow health advocate and weight loss success Julia Havey writes about this subject in an article at LowCarbNewsline.com today.

The Verdict Is In On Diet Coke With Splenda...

A few days ago I told you about the new Diet Coke with Splenda. Ever since then I have searched and searched for this product at every store I could think of.

I went to Ingles and Publix grocery stores on Thursday, but they didn't have it and nobody knew when they would get it. I went to Eckerds and Walgreens on Friday, but they didn't have it yet either and also didn't know when they would have it. I gave up my search yesterday frustrated that I couldn't find this product I've seen advertised prominently on television just a few days ago on "American Idol."

Finally, this morning on my way to church I stopped by the local corner convenience store to see if they had it in stock and I was in luck! I asked the sales clerk how long they've had it and he said they just put it out this morning. WOW! What great timing! I asked him if he had tasted it yet and he said he had not. I told him I would give him a full report about it after my taste test. At $1.69, this 20-ounce bottle had better be worth it!

Well, the verdict is in on Diet Coke With Splenda...ME LIKE ME LIKE! As someone who used to regularly drink about 200 ounces of Coca-Cola per day before I started livin' la vida low-carb, I could not believe my taste buds when I took my first few swigs. It was just like the Coke I remembered drinking and not the nasty flavor of the aspartame-poisoned regular Diet Coke. In fact, there were a few times I felt guilty about how much I was enjoying the full flavor of this new version of Diet Coke. But it has ZERO CARBS and ZERO SUGAR and ZERO BAD SWEETENERS! Why in the world did Coca-Cola even mess with their idiotic experiment with C-2, bragging about it having half the carbs and half the sugar of a regular coke? This Diet Coke with Splenda tastes so much better!!!

The only knock I have on this new Diet Coke with Splenda is that it still has caffeine (something you try to avoid when you are on a low-carb lifestyle) and sodium (which if you are susceptible to high blood pressure can cause you some problems). Other than that, I would say this arguably the best-tasting diet soft drink on the shelves today. I'll still drink my Diet Rite and Diet Cheerwine, but I will occasionally drink Diet Coke with Splenda, too.

I hope it does well so they can expand it into their other flavors, such as cherry, vanilla and lime. AND hopefully they'll make a caffeine-free version, too.

But, as with anything on low-carb, don't overindulge on these. It's still best to drink water first and foremost. Let your diet soda be your treat after downing a gallon of water. Your body will thank you for it and you will feel absolutely fantastic!

After church, I went to BI-LO, but they didn't have it. Then I went to Wal-mart to see if they had Diet Coke With Splenda yet, but all I saw there were the 20-ounce bottles on sale for $.78. Where's the 12-pack of cans and the 2-liter bottles? Don't you hate it when companies advertise a new product but they don't get it to the stores until weeks afterwards?! I guess I'll have to be patient and wait for it to come in. I'm sure EVERYBODY will have it by the end of the month.

ENJOY and post your thoughts about Diet Coke With Splenda. I'd love to know what you think!

Coke, Pepsi Finally Get It...Maybe

Well it's about time! The Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., two companies I have long complained about for using aspartame to sweeten their diet soft drinks, finally got on the Splenda bandwagon after using aspartame exclusively for years.

I was watching television last night and saw a commercial for Diet Coke and about fell out of my seat when I heard the quick promo at the end of the commercial that blared, "And look for new Diet Coke now sweetened with Splenda!" I couldn't believe it! In fact, it's funny because now I will have to rewrite part of my book where I ranted against the big soft drink companies for not realizing those of us who are livin' la vida low-carb want and need Splenda in our diet sodas. Oh well, that's a good thing I guess.



Of course, to keep their customers happy, Coke says it will not be changing the regular Diet Coke that is currently flavored with powdered paint thinner, or Aspartame (brand name of Nutrasweet). Have you noticed how every company who uses Splenda in their products proudly displays their symbol on their packaging, but you are seeing less and less of the Nutrasweet symbol? Me thinks there's a backlash against the latter because people are realizing how harmful it is to their health.



Diet Coke with Splenda will have a unique packaging with a yellow streak on it for consumers to distinguish it from the regular Diet Coke. As for Pepsi, they will add Splenda to their one calorie diet soda called Pepsi One. Regular Diet Pepsi, sweetened with aspartame, will not be offered with Splenda, though. Both of these products are expected to be widely available to consumers over the next month.

You know, I really hope Diet Coke with Splenda does well because maybe they'll branch off and put Splenda in my favorite flavors, including Diet Cherry Coke and the new Diet Coke with Lime, which I think is the most incredible-tasting diet soda on the market today. But I'm sure the demand will dictate whether they will begin putting Splenda in their other products or not.

The jury is still out on the taste of these new products for me. Plus they still have caffeine in them, which is also not very good for you while you are livin' la vida low-carb. I have gotten so used to and enjoy drinking Diet Rite (which also doesn't have any caffeine it it, by the way!) that changing brands may take some time. The taste will have to be a lot better than Diet Rite for me to switch.

(As a quick aside, though, what's up with Diet Rite changing from a 12-pack to a 15-pack recently. Besides the new packaging looking awkward and costing nearly a dollar more, it's just strange. Maybe they're trying to start a new trend in the soda industry. I buy a lot of Diet Rite anyway, but the packaging and pricing is just odd to me. If you have any thoughts on this, leave a comment below.)

Speaking of Diet Rite, have you registered to win a free year's supply at their web site. It takes less than a minute to enter and you could be well-stocked for the next 12 months on the best-tasting diet soft drink on the market today!

I'll probably buy Diet Coke with Splenda when it's on sale and at least once just to say I tried it. I'll let you know what I think in a future blog entry once it hits the shelves.