Sparkling Waters....How good is this bubbly drink?

Two things. I love my sparkling water...AND....sometimes I drink too much of it, like more than real water. Ughh. And then you know what happens? I feel thirsty all the time, my stomach gets bloated and I know I'm stressing out my kidneys. So let me just say that sparkling water is better than certain other things, these certain other beverages may include:

• Gatorade
• Ice carbonated sparkling waters
• Monster
• Red Bull
• Pop or soda :)
• Diet soda
• Beer!

This doesn't have to be an all or nothing situation, you don't have to live that way, only eat vegetables and drink plain warm water, that would be a boring life!

But I do want to tell you a couple things about sparkling waters like LaCroix, Pelligrino, or any of these other ones on the market. 

They are not the same as drinking plain water, they are slightly acidic which means your body has to work to neutralize your overall pH and the carbonation does place extra stress on your kidneys. When this happens, it leads to more frequent urination, and therefore dehydration. This makes a lot of sense why when I drink too many of these I continue to feel thirsty, and if you try to quench your thirst with another can, you'll just keep dehydrating your body.

AND

This can happen:

Too much sparkling water & carbonation = BLOATING

When I do have these waters, I like to add my own fresh lime, grapefruit or lemon juice to it to give it a flavor boost and add various other ingredients!

• Cucumber slices
• Fresh mint
• Organic essential oils (especially lemon, grapefruit, orange, peppermint)
• Slices of grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges

These Spindrift sparkling waters are pre-made versions of the ones I make at home. I've seen cucumber, grapefruit and a blackberry version at Trader Joe's. They are sweetened with stevia and just contain natural juices.

Use these sparkling drinks as a treat vs. your daily intake of pure, clean water. Remember to start your day with warm or hot plain or lemon water and it's best to drink your water between your meals!