So, I'm a sweet tooth. I used to drink Soda a ton when I was younger. I've officially kicked that habit. But, I once in a while drink a can of pop. Only problem, is that I'm prone to getting kidney stones. It seems that everytime I drink anything with sugar, I get serious pains in my left side. I associate the pain with kidney stones because it's the exact pain I get when they start up on me. It's usually a pain in the left side under my below and shoots down a little to my left testicle.
Anyways, I've completely taken to water, but if I craze that once in a while taste of sweetness, what are some alternatives? Any drinks without sugar I should look into? Also, no diet soda either.
Become a tea aficionado! Iced tea has no calories and tastes good (albeit different) unsweetened or sweetened. It's also one of the few drinks in which I find artificial sweeteners tolerable (assuming you aren't allergic or otherwise sensitive to artificial sweeteners, that is).
I drink water 99.9% of the time. Sometimes I get a craving for something with flavor and love MetroMint water, particularly the peppermint. It's not sweet, but the blast of mint is really refreshing.
I do a 12 oz can of seltzer (sometimes plan, sometimes flavored) with about 4 oz (sometimes less) of 100% juice. (I like cranberry best) It will run you about 40 calories or so depending on the juice and the brand... and it makes a refreshing treat!
My main beverages are water, coffee, and tea. I sometimes squeeze a wedge of lemon, lime, or even orange into my water. I've also added fresh mint or a slice of cucumber to my water for a refreshing taste in the summer.
I've made regular kool-aid with Stevia before, and that tastes a little bit like Crystal Lite.
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Try those seltzers that Knudsen makes (I think you can order them online too), much better for you than pop/soda. And I second the tea - especially green tea!
Fruit-infused water. Not the artificially sweetened kind, but just water with a little fruit flavor. You can make it yourself by adding a couple of pieces of fruit, like melon, mango, or berries, to a pitcher of water (fish the fruit out after a 1/2 day or so). You can even use just a few pieces of dried fruit, rather than fresh fruit. Or sometimes you can find it in pre-bottled at specialty or high-end grocery stores (like Whole Foods).
Trader Joe's also sometimes sells dried hibiscus flowers and I've thrown a couple of those into a pitcher of water. They add a nice, subtle flavor.
Alternatives to soda
