Latest "Healthy" Soda Swindle -- Pepsi Raw

It wasn’t until early last year that I realized the food industry actually outspends the drug industry in seeking to manipulate the truth to increase their profits – usually at the expense of your long-term health.

And what is Pepsi Raw, if not another wolf in sheep’s clothing trying to convince you that sparkling sugar water is a healthy beverage.

The food industry, as a whole, spends about $40 billion a year on advertising, brainwashing you to believe that junk food is somehow good for you and your kids. And the beverage industry is part of that pack.

PepsiCo is now the second largest food and beverage company in the world, with $92 billion in yearly retail sales, according to their 2006 Annual Report. Their advertising budget for just Diet Pepsi alone was $96 million in 2006, according to BrandWeek.

Like so many other food and beverage companies, PepsiCo has hitched their bandwagon to the “healthy,” “natural,” and “organic” catch words in order to stay in business.

In 2007, PepsiCo also acquired these natural brands:

• IZZE Sparkling Juice
• Naked Juice
• Duyvis Nuts (Netherlands)
• Bluebird snacks (New Zealand)

Most all of you who read my newsletter regularly understand all too well how sugar can destroy your health and why a high-sugar drink can never really be said to improve your health.

Although it seems conventional medicine is finally starting to “get it," big business does not. Not even close.

Why Pepsi Raw is NOT a Healthy Drink

First and foremost, sugar is one of the biggest enemies you face in your pursuit of a healthy eating program. It appears in almost everything you eat and drink, making it very difficult to avoid, but avoiding sugary beverages is one of the easiest places to start.

It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• heart disease
• diabetes
• weight gain
• premature aging, and many more negative side effects

Controlling your insulin levels is one of the most important things you can do to optimize your health, and avoiding sugar is essential to do this. As an example, drinking just ONE sugary soda per day can drive up a woman’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 85 percent!

Sugar destroys your health in so many ways; I even compiled it into a long list of no less than 76 entries, including:

• suppresses your immune system and impairs your defenses against infectious disease
• feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach
• weakens eyesight
• causes autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis
• greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections)

It Could Be Worse!

After reviewing all the dangers of sugar you might assume, well heck, let me pick the diet soda as a “safer” and healthier option. 

For many years I didn’t know what was worse, regular soda or diet soda.  Now, after spending a few years doing the hard research and writing Sweet Deception, I am absolutely convinced that diet sodas are FAR more harmful.

Not only do they cause the same insulin dysfunctions, but they also have additional inherent toxicities that are not present in natural products like sugar. So in one respect Pepsi Raw is indeed a healthier option than two other sodas --ANY diet soda or any soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

So, if you just have to have a soda for whatever reason, ones sweetened with raw cane sugar, like Pepsi Raw, would be a far better choice.

Will the U.K. Open the Door For Worldwide Distribution?

For now, Pepsi Raw will only be available in selected bars and clubs in seven cities in the U.K., including London, Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton, Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Brits will fall for the promise of a “healthy” soda, or whether it will fall flat on its face much like the failed “low-carb” dog and pony show called Pepsi Edge, which survived no more than one year. 

With any amount of luck, and consumer knowledge about the true health hazards of sugar, Pepsi will not be able to spread its phony health product across the world.

The Healthiest Drink in the World

Nothing beats pure water when it comes to serving your body’s needs. Keep in mind, however, that bottled water is not an assurance of purity. In fact, about 40 percent of bottled water is regular tap water, which may or may not have received any additional treatment.

And, most municipal tap water -- though generally far from pure -- must actually adhere to stricter purity standards than the bottled water industry. In one study, a third of more than 100 bottled water brands tested for contaminants were found to contain chemicals like arsenic and carcinogenic compounds, at levels exceeding state or industry standards.

Your best bet is simply to filter your own water at home using a reverse osmosis filter.

Avoid drinking unfiltered tap water, as chlorine and fluoride (which are added to most municipal water supplies) are toxic chemicals that should not be consumed in large quantities.

Freeing Yourself From Sugar Cravings

If you’re having trouble with the notion of giving up the taste of sugary sweetness for the “non-flavor” of pure water, The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is one of the best solutions I know of for this challenge.

EFT is an energy psychology tool that includes a marvelous technique called Turbo Tapping, which has helped tens of thousands of people kick the sugar habit.

Or you could use the hypnosis program I recommend that actually helps you change cravings for soda into cravings for water.  Read my review here.