what are YOU drinking?

"If you think about it, Coke inherently is linked with herbal drinks, in a way, Coca-Cola is an herbal drink."  This statement, made by Zhang Huaying, director of a the Coca-cola Research Center for Chinese Medicine, in Beijing, China, appears on the Atlanta Journal Constitution website.  I was flabbergasted when I read it.  In no way shape or form is Coca-cola an herbal drink.  It is a sweet, over-processed, carbonated, calorically empty beverage.  

The statement was made in conjunction with a press release regarding a new drink based on Chinese herbal medicine that is currently under development.  Everyone at corporate headquarters and this new facility are apparently very excited because they think this is the next greatest thing in beverage development.  They also think it's comparable to when Coca-cola was first developed by combining South American coca leaves with African kola nuts.

Given the latest development with Coca-cola, where they had their hands slapped by the FDA over their Coca-coa Plus product which claims to provide vitamin B3, B6, and B12, and the minerals zinc and magnesium (thank goodness that for once the FDA was paying attention), one wonders where they are hiding their brains.  

I find it truly distressing that so many companies are trying to mislead consumers by "fitifying" (my newly created word) their product.  Because, of course, it is so much better to get people to keep consuming the same garbage but making them feel good about it by adding chemical analogues of nutrition elements such as fiber water (really, let's think about this people), vitamins, minerals, proteins, etc.  [please read that last sentence with it's intended snarkiness]

My suggestion?  Drink things that are actually good for you, water, teas, broths, whole fruit and/or vegetable juices and avoid these nutrition scams.

Be well.