OK, so I'm trying to stay healthy and eat right. In the past I had a lovely little habit of drinking Dr. Pepper. It was so delicious and every time I had one (about once a day) I also craved (needed, required, had to have...) chocolate. So each afternoon I would sit on my butt in front of the computer while drinking my delicious Dr. Pepper and eating my yummy chocolate. It was just once a day, so it wasn't really that big of a deal, right?Well, about 18 months ago, I decided I needed to loose a few pounds, so I did a two week no-carb-type cleanse diet. I survived the two weeks and felt GREAT! Gone was my craving for so much sugar. I brought carbs back into my diet in the form of whole grains (as much as possible) and really limited my snacking.
Part of the healthy eating fall out was the exclusion of Dr. Pepper and caffeine from my diet. I don't know if caffeine had a negative effect on my weight, but I just didn't want it messing with my energy levels. I wanted my body to regulate itself naturally, blah, blah, blah.
So, I'm feeling pretty good, no caffeine, trying to drink lots of water. I went through a Crystal Light kick, which turned into an IZZE obsession and have finally landed on a healthy Vitamin Water by Glacéau relationship.
Well, Vitamin Water is $1.25 a bottle! So when I saw Kirkland "Vita Rain" at Costco for $9.59 for 24 bottles, I thought I'd found a Vitamin Water equivalent at a great price. The bottles look the same, the copy on the outside of the bottle has a similar casual, funny and sarcastic slant, the vitamin levels are the same and even the ingredients are the same...mostly.
However, the Vita Rain, Tropical Citrus flavor also includes "natural caffeine." What!?
I'm not even sure I know what natural caffeine is, but it sounds a lot like regular caffeine and why does this drink need to have it? I don't want caffeine. I hate when drinks that shouldn't have caffeine like root beer and orange soda and health drinks sneak it into their formula.
I think I should just go back to drinking plain old water.
10 comments:
That's like when you're trying to avoid sugar and you read on a label that there's no "sugar," just "crystallized cane juice." Is there even a difference?
Now I'm curious.
If you have to drink water at least put a lemon wedge in it so you can still feel fancy.
I didn't know orange soda had caffeine in it! I'm really upset now.
I, too, was once addicted to a caffeinated beverage. But it took me until I was up to 3 sodas a day before I realized it was a problem. The withdrawal phase was difficult. You are wise to start early.
Not every orange soda has caffeine but Sunkist does. Also, Barq's root beer has caffeine.
I can't even start with caffeine, I know it would be a problem. I even feel a smidgen guilty for drinking even diet, non-caffeinated soda. It's hard to stay on the wagon, though, when you're married to someone who has no hang-ups like that.
Be careful with the Vitamin Waters- I mistakenly thought they were healthy as well, and then realized they totally mess up my diet- way too much sugar and calories. Here's an article on the subject that I found helpful:
http://www.wpxi.com/health/14362206/detail.html
Just wanted to point out that Kirklands VitaRain has only one flavor containing natural caffine, Tropical Mango. This is also true of all of the popular brands of Vitamin waters. They have at least on flavor that contains natural caffine. For instance Glaceau another popular brand of vitamin water has a flavor call Energy Tropical Citrus that contains Caffine. Here are the nutrition facts from their website:
energy tropical citrus
Nutrition Facts:
Serving size 8fl oz, Per Serving: calories 50, total fat 0g, sodium 0mg, total carbohydrate 13g, sugar 13g, protein 0g, vitamin B3 20%, vitamin B5 20%, vitamin B6 20%, vitamin B12 20%, vitamin C 40% Per Bottle: Guarana 25mg, Natural Caffine 50mg not a significant source of calories from saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, vitamin A, calcium, or iron
The orginal poster said that most of the vitamin waters contain the same ingredients. Please note that all Glaceau Vitamin waters contain 13 grams of sugar and carbs per 8 ounce serving. Since each 20 ounce bottle contains 2.5 servings that means you are getting 32.5 grams of sugar and carbs in each and every bottle. Other less popular brands contain anywhere from 23 grams to 36 grams or sugar per bottle. Kirklands Vitarain contains 0 grams of sugars and 0 carbs.
For me 32.5 grams of sugar in each bottle adds up to Vitamin Koolaide not Vitamin water. I'll stick with the cheaper Vitarain and avoid sugar.
We love Kirkland's Vitarain, but I'm really curious about that second main ingredient - "natural flavorings". You'd think with all the ink they use to tell you about all the good stuff in it, that they'd be able to define "natural flavorings." Kinda makes me wonder...
Years later...What about Raspberry Green Tea containing Black and Green Tea. Don't these typically contain caffeine?
All tea contains caffeine
All tea contains caffeine
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