Have you ever had a large greasy meal with a can of diet soda thinking that diet soda is ok for your health?

News flash. Diet soda is NOT good, and could be worse than regular sugary soda. The reason why this is so is because of the artificial sweeteners in the diet drinks can cause all sorts of health problems.

Aspartme, which Nutrasweet and Equal are made of, for example, contains toxic methanol. The sweetener was also once listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent, and has been linked to leukemia and lymphoma.

Have a glass of sky juice I always say. Sky juice? Yes, that’s what we Malaysians call our plain, humble water, originating from the sky above. Cheap, sugar free, good for you.

Info from www.sustainlane.com and photo from www.pdphoto.org

2 days ago, I opened a can of 100 Plus isotonic drink on my antique table, and until today, it’s still there, hardly touched. You see, every once in a while, I feel like drinking soda, and I know soda is bad for my health. If you are like me, it’s perfectly alright to have this craving, that’s my opinion. So I spent a bit of money to buy that can, and although I drank a few sips, I don’t feel like it’s a waste of my money. It’s just a craving that will pass, and I feel that if I stop myself from enjoying something sinful, I’d probably crave for it EVEN MORE.

So, anyways, after that few sips, I realise I don’t like the taste anymore, and just left it on the table. And didn’t throw it away, just to remind me, yes, I don’t actually like the taste anymore. But it’s making my beautiful table look trashy, so I’m going to toss the can in the recycling bin today.

From the Coca-cola facebook fan club

While we are on the subject of soda, I sometimes feel that people who oppose soda make the whole issue so militant. Why is that?

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More

• Doc says take nothing else but 100 Plus and Coca-Cola!
• A better soda to take … baking soda
  Daily dose of baking soda could stop kidney patients needing dialysis
• Yummy raw Pineapple juice can kill parasites in your tummy

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ps apparently 100 Plus is becoming a cult status drink. You can find it in certain parts of New York, and all over Australia, Malaysia and Singapore!

I have been traveling often lately due to work.

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What work we do?

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The problem with eating more raw food while traveling is the how to? Since I’m very busy, I often don’t have time to visit the supermarket where I’m at, and my bag is so heavy, I really don’t like to carry a blender, like some raw foodist do. Also, there’s no raw food restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore as I know of.

So, I do have to compromise when I travel. Lucky for me, there’s plenty of restaurants, coffee shops (Starbucks, take note!) and food stalls that sell freshly squeezed or freshly blended fruit juices at very reasonable prices.

But fruit juices have very high sugar content, so if you are up to it, while traveling in these neck of the woods, you can carry some fresh organic vegetables, like spinach or salad lettuce in your carry bag and just pass it to the guy who makes the fruit juice at the stall to blend the fruit juice together with the vegetables. Most of them are very accommodating.

I also get munchies when I am on the go. Most raw foodies carry raw nuts, but I don’t really like to eat too much nuts. I have this hang up, since I was a kid, about nuts getting stuck between my teeth. Instead, I carry lots of fruits and maybe some raw, fresh Egyptian dates.

The latest box of Egyptian dates I bought

Anyways, while I was in Beijing, I stayed in this cool B&B place, and they planted lots of mint and some other herbs all over the garden. So, mint was my daily green while I was there. Should have taken a picture of the garden to show. It was fab! I just plucked the mint, washed it and chewed it for some greens and to freshen my breathe (not that it wasn’t awesome in the first place!).

Plus, you know, there’s always salads at restaurants. Speaking of fruits, you can generally find fruit stands all over the place, like at shopping centers, food courts and at busy streets so it’s easy for me as I don’t have to specially run to the supermarket everyday.

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See what fruit I ate in Beijing

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What’s your challenge when you are on the go?

Don’t I look silly? This picture was taken of me sleeping in the plane, with an eye mask on AND with a face mask on. I look like a character from my little boy’s favorite Japanese children’s show called Ultraman Gaya!

But, if I want to remain healthy AND get some decent sleep while I travel, I may have to continue with this fashionable look. What about you guys? Would you dare attempt this? Would love to hear your comments on this.

I like these books, especially Carol Alt’s book “Eating In The Raw” which is a great autobiography of her raw journey and Ani Phyo “Raw Food Kitchen”.

Guess what I saw at Kinokuniya, the hip and happening bookstore in Singapore?

I saw almost 30 different Raw “Uncook” books at the culinary section!

Boy! Was I pleased.

Just a year ago, there was barely 2, and the year before that, none.

It goes to show raw food is becoming mainstream and not so “strange” anymore. People are becoming more accepting, and the mainstream businesses are starting to “get” it. I love it.

I don’t advocate people becoming totally raw, especially if they don’t do enough research beforehand because they might actually hurt themselves by not providing their body with the correct nutrients, but I do think people should eat more raw, healthful food stuff. Grab a juice, maybe eat more salads, or just chuck a piece of fruit, like an apple or bananas (my kids favourite) into your bag to eat on the run.

Watercress Salad with Tofu Dressing

To make the tofu dressing, combine 1/2 pound of plain tofu with a 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of rice or apple vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of tamari soy sauce (or a pinch of salt), and 1 tablespoon of tahini. Simply blend until creamy and drizzle over a bed of salad greens.

What is this salad doing for you?
Watercress contains a rich supply of vitamins A and E as well as the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, iodine, and zinc. It is also a natural diuretic that cools you down, and helps alleviate excess water retention and the bloated sensation that comes with it.

By Dr. Maoshing Ni
Taken from Health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/19517/6-salads-that-help-you-live-longer/