In a study published in the journal Nature Medicine on Monday, researchers reported links between the popular zero-calorie sugar substitute erythritol and an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.
Today Target had one single bottle of blueberry hint, which I purchased, of course. It was nothing special (in my opinion) but at least it didn't have a "funny" taste (like the blueberry lemon). I think my favorite flavor is the peach, followed by the raspberry.
Last week I joined the Free Sips Club at Panera Bread. So, today I tried their Herbal Tea for the first time, and it turns out that this too is a flavor I find acceptable when I elect not to add any kind of sweeteners.
Hint Water uses a process called "cold extraction" to infuse its water with natural flavors. This process involves using cold water to extract the essential oils and essence of fruits and herbs, rather than using heat. This allows the water to retain its natural transparency while still retaining the flavor of the fruit or herb. Additionally, Hint Water uses only natural ingredients, which means that there are no artificial colors or sweeteners used in their products. Though Hint does not list its flavoring agents (except to call them "natural"), there are many such agents that are colorless or so very lightly colored such that appear colorless at the concentrations used. Companies like the giant International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) have food scientists and flavoring researchers who develop proprietary blends using both natural and synthetic sources that can mimic almost any flavor profile. Asking for a blend that is also colorless is just one more specification they can usually meet. Many fruit-flavored beverages that are colored actually use the same colorless flavoring agents and then add natural and/or artificial colors to create the right sensory perception (e.g., green for a lime drink) expected by the consumer. The recent trend to associate colorless with pure or natural is easy to achieve by just leaving out the traditional colorant.
Ezekiel bread is about as nutrient-dense as a bread gets. It's a type of sprouted bread, made from a variety of whole grains and legumes that have started germinating (sprouting). This is in contrast with most commercial breads, which consist primarily of refined wheat or pulverized whole wheat. So, compared to white bread, which is made of refined wheat flour, Ezekiel bread is much richer in nutrients and fiber; and whereas most types of bread contain added sugar, Ezekiel bread contains none. Again, it is made from organic, sprouted whole grains and legumes, and sprouting changes the nutrient composition of the grains and legumes significantly. HOWEVER... Ezekiel bread contains wheat, barley and spelt, which all contain gluten, so Ezekiel bread is out of the question for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity! ~Healthline.com Ezekiel bread is a high-carb food, so people with diabetes and those trying to lose weight should only eat it in small amounts! Ezekiel bread is not consistent with a keto diet. Although Ezekiel bread is technically flourless, it is not a gluten-free product. ~WebMD.com
Someone broke open a variety pack at one of the Target stores where I regularly shop, which allowed me to sample a single cherry and blackberry. I don't remember if I tried a cherry before, but I'm pretty sure this was the first time I tasted the blackberry. They cherry was okay. The blackberry tasted kind of "artificial" the first time I took a sip, but when I finished it later on (with dinner) I thought it too tasted okay. (I still like peach best though, and raspberry after that.)