Is soda so harmful, and why do we still drink it?

The days of sweet lemonade machines are long gone, but the nostalgia remains. Moreover, the true reason for nostalgia is not entirely clear: either the ritual of obtaining the drink through a series of simple manipulations, or taste. The most delicious lemonade for post-Soviet people is tarragon and duchess. But time mercilessly erases them from the picture of the population’s food priorities. Why did this happen and what can modern manufacturers offer in return?

The main problem of lemonade

The main problem of all lemonades, which are served both in Michelin-starred restaurants and sold in stalls at the entrance, is the composition. It will definitely contain either sugar, or flavorings, or flavor enhancers. Children and adults who are accustomed to swallowing liters of sugary drinks will definitely feel or have already felt their destructive power. Metabolism becomes slower, taste buds refuse to accept any food products without a huge amount of sugar, the skin becomes covered in rashes and tries with all its might to show how it suffers. We stubbornly ignore the problem, forget about the glycemic index, near-term diabetes and, of course, obesity, pouring another glass of foaming liquid. So harmful, but so loved.

Content:

• The main problem of lemonade
• How to drink lemonade correctly
• Benefits of the drink
• Lemonade Recipes
• Side effects from drinking liquids
• Preparation and storage of the drink
• How to motivate yourself to drink more fluids

How to solve the main problem of lemonade

The problem has 2 possible solutions. The first says that manufacturers should take the side of consumers, exclude all kinds of harmful substances from the composition, think about people, not about earnings, and sell us an organic product. It sounds utopian, so let's move on to a more realistic option. The only way to protect yourself from chemical fragrances, emerald dyes and gases is to take matters into your own hands and make your own lemonade. It may sound unconvincing, but in practice it works great. To create your own lemonade, you don’t need to graduate from a culinary college or Kenwood course; you just need to know how to cut fruit and screw the lid on the containers tightly.

Lemonade in the USSR - the most famous brands

In the Soviet Union, there were dozens of brands of this soft drink: “Golden Ranet”, “Isindi”, “Yabloko”, “Bakhmaro”, “Aradu”, “Cruchon”, “Bell” and many others. It was produced in various parts of the country. But especially popular were several brands that could be bought almost everywhere.

"Citro" . It is believed that his recipe was adopted from the French at the beginning of the 19th century. The drink has a rich and rich taste - in addition to lemon juice, it contains syrup from various fruits and vanillin.

"Cream soda" . The name of the drink is explained simply: it is based on cream whipped from egg whites; “soda” was the name for carbonated water. In addition to citric acid, the ingredients include vanillin and coumarin, which act as flavoring agents. This lemonade has also been known since the 19th century.

"Tarragon" . It has a unique taste and aroma, as well as a characteristic emerald color thanks to the extract of the herbaceous plant tarragon (in other words, tarragon, a type of wormwood). The recipe was developed by M. Lagidze back in 1887. For a long time, the drink was produced only in Georgia; it went on mass sale throughout the USSR in 1981.

"Pinocchio" . One of the most common lemonades in the USSR. Contains lemon and orange juice, burnt sugar (including for adding color). It had a pleasant sweet and sour taste with a subtle bitterness.

"Duchess" . The brand was developed back in the 1930s. Lemonade has a unique taste and aroma thanks to the syrup, which is obtained from the Duchess dessert pear variety.

"Sayans" . In addition to lemon juice, Leuzea extract was added to the composition, which gave it an original taste. Thanks to this ingredient, lemonade was also considered a tonic drink.

"Baikal" . It was created in 1973 as a Soviet analogue of American cola. The characteristic taste and aroma is achieved through a rich bouquet of natural flavors - these are extracts of sage, wormwood, cardamom, gentian and some other plants.

All of these carbonated soft drinks are still produced today. Their recipe may vary depending on the manufacturer. In order to reduce production costs, many enterprises use synthetic rather than natural components as flavorings and dyes.

In addition, artificial preservatives are actively used to make the product last longer. So, if previously the shelf life of most lemonades in a glass bottle was only a week, today they can be stored for months.

How to drink lemonade correctly

As Paracelsus stated, “Everything is poison, everything is medicine; both are determined by the dose.” The Swiss alchemist was definitely right, and his statement applies to absolutely everything, even lemonade. Drinking regime is a kind of ghostly phenomenon that hangs over us and very rarely makes itself felt. A person rarely feels thirsty, but this does not mean that we do not need liquids. Maintaining a drinking regime is the key to the functionality and beauty of the whole body.

A healthy person should drink at least 30 milliliters of liquid per 1 kilogram of weight. During hot periods, this dosage increases and 300 to 600 milliliters of liquid are added to the daily norm.

Monotony becomes boring, so drinking liters of regular filtered water does not bring any pleasure. It is much easier to force yourself to drink from a beautiful glass a multi-colored liquid with a sour/bitter/spicy/sweet note. Homemade lemonade can be just such a healing drink.

Your homemade drink should be radically different from store-bought ones. It is necessary to create an interchangeable complex:

• chemical fragrances for the natural smell of fruits/spices;
• flavorings and stabilizers for fresh pieces of seasonal food products;
• food coloring for a riot of colors of whole plant components.

Who is recommended to drink homemade lemonade?

Homemade lemon drink, as mentioned earlier, has many beneficial properties. The list of contraindications is small, so lemonade is suitable for everyone who simply loves such fresh citrus fruits. It is especially important to drink a lemon drink for people with the following diseases:

• Anemia;
• Rheumatism;
• Scurvy;
• Gout;
• Urolithiasis disease;
• Atherosclerosis;
• Reduced stomach acidity;
• Cardiovascular diseases;
• Acute respiratory viral infection.

Benefits of the drink

American doctor Frank Lipman claims that tonic lemonade can remove waste/toxins, restore acid-base balance and energize the body for the whole day. If you choose the right ingredients (for example, ginger and turmeric), you can also disinfect the internal cavity.

Detox

A fragrant drink made from plant ingredients is the easiest way to detox. Choose more citrus fruits, throw them into lemonade and enjoy the effect. Citrus fruits are able to cleanse the abdominal organs of “unnecessary” components, improve the functionality of the body, remove inflammation and solve the problem of the inflammatory process itself. Moreover, citrus water stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, increases salivation and improves appetite. You can drink lemonade (exclusively from natural ingredients) throughout the day.

Weight loss

We still have not learned to distinguish between hunger and thirst. Our body sends the same signals to the brain during both the first and second processes, which is why it is so difficult for us to decide on the spectrum of desires. Feelings of hunger are too often disguised as a lack of fluid in the body. The result is that a person overeats, but hunger never subsides, because the body asked not for cake, but for citrus water.

In addition, lemonade stimulates digestion and speeds up metabolic processes, which also promotes weight loss.

Tone

Scientists conducted an experiment to determine the effects of liquids on athletic performance. 15 professional runners took part in the experiment. The group that drank more tonic fluid showed higher and more productive results compared to those who refused the extra glass of lemonade.

Headache

Don’t rush to reach into the medicine cabinet for a handful of pills as soon as you feel a slight pain in your head. Just drink a glass of warm or chilled lemonade - after a few minutes the pain will subside and disappear forever. Headache may be associated with dehydration, abnormal body function, or normal fatigue. Homemade lemonade, which is much healthier than white tablets from a blister pack, will perfectly cope with all these problems.

Kidneys

Scientists from Australia have proven that the amount of fluid entering the body affects the performance of the kidneys. Timely replenishment of water balance guarantees protection against kidney pathologies and flawless functioning of the system.

Beauty control

A glass of lemonade can be as effective as an expensive trip to the beauty salon. Even the best nourishing face cream will not be able to moisturize, nourish and give a natural glow to our skin better than enriched water. The skin is the largest human organ, which reflects absolutely all the processes occurring inside. A refreshing drink will help:

• moisturize the skin;
• get rid of and prevent the appearance of the notorious orange peel;
• prevent premature aging;
• smooth out existing age-related changes;
• penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin and deliver the maximum amount of useful components to them (which is impossible for a cream, since it only works in the top layer);
• activate the lymphatic system;
• disperse stagnant intercellular fluid.

Beneficial and harmful properties of homemade lemonade for adults

In terms of composition, lemon drink is equally beneficial for both children and adults. But their side effects manifest themselves differently, and they occur more often in older people.

• When drinking lemonade, it is worth remembering that, like any liquid, it should not be ice-cold, but chilled (ideally at room temperature). This rule is observed so that the body does not experience stress and various processes are not disrupted.
• You should not drink lemonade concentrate. It is diluted with boiled or settled water, but not carbonated. Saturated liquid primarily damages the liver, kidneys, and stomach.
• The energy value of classic homemade lemonade is 50 kcal, so you should not drink the drink instead of a full meal. The drink helps fight extra pounds and satisfies the feeling of hunger.
• The acid in citrus fruits can damage tooth enamel, which leads to the development of diseases. Therefore, drink the drink through a straw.

Lemonade Recipes

Tarragon

We will need:

• filtered water – 200 ml;
• Jerusalem artichoke syrup (can be replaced with honey) – 50 ml;
• tarragon leaves – 100 g;
• sparkling mineral water (the quantity depends on the selected container).

Preparation

Add Jerusalem artichoke syrup to filtered water, put on fire and boil for 5 minutes. Grind the tarragon leaves in a blender, and add the resulting green mixture to hot diluted Jerusalem artichoke syrup. Remove the liquid from the heat, leave to cool at room temperature, strain the syrup and pour into any suitable container. Add a few tablespoons of Jerusalem artichoke syrup with chopped tarragon to mineral water, add a slice of lemon, 2 ice cubes, a sprig of mint, close your eyes and imagine that you are 10 years old again.

Green Kombucha

Culinary fact: this is a drink made from kombucha. During the secondary fermentation process, you can add absolutely any ingredients to it: fruits, berries and your favorite spices. This exotic lemonade has become a real superfood of the new generation. Kombucha has a detox effect on the body, activates metabolic processes, improves appetite and fills the body with vital phytonutrients.

We will need:

• spirulina powder – 1 tablespoon;
• prepared kombucha infusion (can be bought at a chain supermarket) – 1 l;
• berries, fruits, spices to taste.

Preparation

Mix the ingredients and let the drink brew for 1-2 days at room temperature.

Apple lemonade with rosemary

We will need:

• green apples – 5 pcs;
• agave syrup (can be replaced with honey or Jerusalem artichoke syrup) – 5 tablespoons;
• rosemary – 4 sprigs;
• lemon juice – 2 tablespoons;
• sparkling mineral water – 1 l;
• ice to taste.

Preparation

Peel and core the apples, place them in a blender and blend into a thin porridge. Pour syrup and lemon juice into the puree, beat lightly and place in the required container. Pour water into the container with agave-apple puree, add rosemary and ice. Mix the contents of the bottle thoroughly and drink throughout the day.

Side effects from drinking liquids

There is no need to worry about disruptions in the body due to excessive consumption of lemonade. A person simply cannot pour into himself the amount of water he does not want. Everyone has an individual level of water balance, which we maintain on an intuitive level. There is a risk of going under rather than overboard with water and drinks.

Dehydration is the real problem. Modern man is in a constant rush. We may forget to pick up our children from kindergarten, so there is no need to be surprised at irregular water consumption.

What are the risks of dehydration? Water is involved in all chemical reactions in the human body. If there is not enough water, cells begin to separate moisture from their personal reserves. We begin to age faster, move less, look worse and take longer to digest food.

Preparation and storage of the drink

The right water for cooking

The main component of lemonade is water. The body uses it not only to maintain water balance, but also as a storehouse of microelements. There is a concept of the physiological usefulness of drinking liquid. Physiologically complete water is considered to be water that contains iodine, calcium, fluorine and magnesium. It is this water that helps a person to cheer up and recharge with energy for a long time. Harsh filtration in industries often eliminates important minerals, but exceptions can be found.

Additional factors:

• acidity should be 7 (more acidic or alkaline water is used only for medicinal purposes);
• minimum hardness threshold – 1.5 mg – eq/l;
• the maximum permissible concentration of chlorides/sulfates is 250 g/l, magnesium – 65 g/l, potassium – 20 ml/l, sodium – 200 ml/l.
• the liquid should be clear and clean.

Correct storage container

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Modern people do not have any special space for choosing a container. The container can be glass or plastic. The ideal option is glass containers. It is chemically inert, does not release harmful chemicals when heated and does not react with the contents.

With plastic, things are a little more complicated. PET is most often used in the food industry. It is designed for small volume containers and is made of polyethylene terephthalate. A special mark is placed on PET - a triangle with the number 1 inside. This material is considered the safest from the point of view of processing and recycling.

For larger containers, PVC is used. This is frankly a bad material, during the production and disposal of which a lot of pathogenic substances are formed. There is no need to store your proper homemade lemonade in it, otherwise the benefits will be dubious.

How to motivate yourself to drink more fluids

At some point, even your favorite lemonades can become boring. And the urge to lie down will easily override your efforts to maintain normal water balance. To increase your motivation, you can pay attention to 3 important aspects: savings, permanent reminders, constant presence.

Saving

Homemade lemonade costs pennies compared to what is offered in restaurants or chain hypermarkets. Moreover, you are confident in the quality of the liquid you consume, which also gives additional motivation.

Permanent reminders

Install a mobile application that will calculate your individual fluid intake and will constantly remind you to “fill up the tank.” Some apps are so unforgiving that they will turn your life into a hell of vibrations and reminders until you reach your daily intake.

Is lemonade harmful: contraindications for use

Although homemade lemonade contains many natural nutrients, if consumed in excess, the drink can harm a person. Basically, health can deteriorate if there are contraindications or recommendations for use are violated.

Contraindications to homemade lemonade are:

• Allergic reactions to the components of the drink;
• Increased stomach acidity;
• Presence of extra pounds;
• Chronic diseases of the digestive system;
• Diabetes.