Rae Udy

RECIPES: Cranberry Juice Cocktail, Pineapple Protein Smoothie

By Rae Udy

No one I know would sit down and eat 16 teaspoons of sugar at one time, but each time we drink a 20 ounce bottle of our favorite soft drink that’s what we’re doing.
“Women who were drinking sugar-sweetened soft drinks every day, or more than once a day, had an 80 percent increase in risk of diabetes compared with women who hardly ever drank sugared sodas,” said Dr. Meir Stampher of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.
Stampher concluded the problem may be the sugared soft drinks are very rapidly absorbed by the body and cause a sharp increase in insulin production for a short time then the blood sugar goes down. Diabetes occurs when the body’s production of the hormone insulin weakens and cannot lower blood sugar.
After these results were published in the August 25, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association the soft drink industry counter-claimed that women who drank more sugary sodas also tended to smoke and eat more and exercise less than non-soda drinkers.
The United States Department of Agriculture recommends a person consume no more than 40 grams of refined sugars each day when eating a 2,000 calories diet. Most carbonated non-diet soft drinks contain 38 to 48 grams of sugar in a 12 ounce can.
Teens often hit this limit amount from soft drinks alone. A USDA survey found that twenty-fine years ago teenagers drank almost twice as much milk as soda pop and today they drink twice as much soda pop as milk.
Diet sodas don’t seem to be the answer either. According to data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, people who drink diet soft drinks don’t lose weight, in fact, they actually gain weight.
After eight years of research Fowler stated, “What didn’t surprise us was that total soft drinks use was linked to overweight and obesity, but what was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks and found their risk of obesity was even higher.”
Water is still the most recommended beverage to drink, but only 34 percent of Americans drink the eight eight-ounce glasses suggested each day. The National Institute of Health says drinking one quart of water each day reduces the risk of colon cancer by 48 percent, breast cancer by 79 percent and bladder cancer by 50 percent.
Fruit juices without added sugars are perfect substitutes for soft drinks. Cranberry Juice Cocktail is rich in vitamin C, iron and contains just 160 calories in each serving. Pineapple Protein Smoothie is low in calories with 135 per cup and is also provides calcium and vitamin A and but no fat.
Sources:
www.saveharry.com/bythenumbers.html
www.amys.com/lemonslice/lunchbox/index.php
www.splendaexposed.com/articles/2005/06/drink_more_diet.html

CRANBERRY JUICE COCKTAIL
3 cups cranberry juice
1 cup orange juice
¼ (one-quarter) cup lemon juice
Combine juices in a pitcher. Stir until mixed well. Chill until ready to serve. Pour juice mixture over tall glasses filled with crushed ice. Garnish with orange wedge or mint, if desired. Serves four.

PINEAPPLE PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
4 cups crushed ice
2 Tablespoons what germ
2 Tablespoons soy protein powder
Add all ingredients to blender container. Process on high speed until mixture is smooth. Pour into 12 ounce glasses to serve four.