Oh so good! Hansen’s Natural

Oh so good!, originally uploaded by Kate Chan.

Oh, I know you know all about Hansen’s natural (and GLUTEN FREE) sodas – like Blue Sky Cola, Grapefruit, etc. (Just to name a couple of our favorites….)

But did you know that Hansen’s has a line (well… two flavors anyway) of sparkling water?

And OH MY – it is good!

You see, my love and I are working on getting rid of health things – like lowering our cholesterol, along with losing weight, building our energy to match that incoming baby, etc. So, we’ve joined a gym (3-4 times a week attenders, too!), started keeping track with meal plans (Thank you GF Menu Swappers for getting me more organized) and now? Now we’re kicking the soda habit. (Me: Diet Coke; Him: Coke)

So, since we still love the carbonated beverage as a refreshing choice, we have moved on. No more soda in this house. Instead we are stocking the shelves with club soda for fresh fruit Italian Sodas and sparkling waters.

And I just had to tell you:

This Hansen’s natural sparkling water is now my new favorite treat.

One can = 90 calories. (Easy to work off… requires no Step Classes from hell),

It has no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup (Thank you, Ginger!), no artificial flavors, no caffeine, no sodium….. and it’s dang tasty!

Okay.. unpaid endorsement/advertisement over.

I’m really writing for your weight loss tips.
What works for you?

School starts again soon (ACK!) and I have a million 10th grade books left to read (they keep making me fall asleep….not good). I don’t want to worry about my routine once the craziness of the 150 ping-pong balls kids hits me full force.

I’d really love to hear your tips and tricks for staying organized and healthy during the school year!
Happy kicking the habit to all!
-Kate

PS. I’m putting a list together of school lunch ideas to post soon. Tips for those would also be greatly appreciated.

9 Responses to "Oh so good! Hansen’s Natural"

joey says:

August 1, 2008 at 6:20 pm

weight loss tips: eat sugar/fat free pudding. satisfies your sweet tooth, and has VERY low calories.

school lunch: DIP-ABLES!! carrots w/GF ranch dressing..celery or apple slices w/peanut butter..tortilla chips w/hummus. turkey & cheese rollups. i am 30 years old, and love all of these “lunchables.”
HD41117 says:

August 1, 2008 at 6:40 pm

Wait a second… no CAFFEINE??
[SYSTEM ERROR]

Well, “fresh fruit Italian soda” certainly does sound good. Most certainly. This is the first time I’ve heard about Hansen’s and it sounds great but I don’t think it is available over here in the UK. Very best of luck to both of you for banishing the EVIL COKE. Beware the four-week fancies! The evil stuff will catch you just when you think it’s okay to have a little sip… 8^)

As for lunch time ideas, let me just say that my current favorite treat is simply a pudding of rice flour, milk and unrefined cane sugar. I’m probably not the person you should be talking to right now.

Hee hee 8^)
Adrienne says:

August 2, 2008 at 5:05 am

Any lunch box suggestions you have would be awesome. I have a 6-year old who spent most of last year working through all of the x-on-a-rice-cake combos I could come up with. The lack of variety didn’t seem to bother her too much but I’d love to give her some other choices.
Karen says:

August 2, 2008 at 5:38 am

I don’t have too many ideas – I’ll want to be stealing yours when you get them. lol! I’m starting a new job Sept. 1 and will be working a lot more hours, meaning I’ll have to be way more organized.

One thing I like for lunch in the winter is soup/stew/chili. I’ll make a big batch for dinner, then divide out the left overs into single servings. Toss them in the freezer if you have a lot. Then you have nice homemade soup to grab in the morning.
renee says:

August 2, 2008 at 10:47 am

weight loss – write down everything you eat!!! There was an article on this in the Chicago Tribune this week.

Also, Weight Watchers – if you can stick to it, it works. and is easy to do on a gluten free diet. Only $10/week, and you will probably save this in the reduced amount of food you will be buying. Most people eat too much, myself included! I lost 25 pounds two summers ago on it. I am working on losing 5-7#’s that I have gained back over this stressful past year. writing it down makes you accountable…

great snack – microwave SMARTPOP 97% fat free popcorn, either regular butter or kettlekorn. very filling, high fiber keeps you feeling full. low on points value for WW. or make your own air-popped, but watch the flavorings.
Ginger Carter Miller says:

August 2, 2008 at 11:25 am

My favorite diet/lunch tip is to make up several days worth on Sunday and then you have no excuse not to grab and go.

I also keep my office fridge stocked with Laughing Cow light cheese, tuna packs (albacore in water, single serve), Live Active cheese, and packs of lunch meat (lean GF ones). In case I forget.

We’re both on mega diets…it’s killing me. But I am not giving up diet coke. It’s my last vice. Instead, I have given up peanut butter and most GF baked goods.
Lauren says:

August 2, 2008 at 3:16 pm

First thing, it’s not a diet. If it’s a diet, it won’t work. It’s a lifestyle change, just like Gluten Free.

To keep organized, one easy way is to keep everything colour coded and to make sure that everything has a place. If it doesn’t have somewhere to go, it will disappear or always be in your way.

Also, I thought that Coke was bad anyways. Doesn’t it have Caramel Colour? Anyways, I just keep to the basics. Fruit, Vegetables, Cheese, Meat, Rice/Corn/Potatoes. And a healthy, grain-filled cereal in the morning. Then you can play with spices and flavors while limiting bad fats. Just remember to keep the good kind of fats, like nuts and olive oil!
Lauren says:

August 2, 2008 at 8:41 pm

Okay, you asked for weight loss/health advice! 🙂

You want tons of energy, improved cholesterol numbers, and quick weight loss? Got an answer for ya…

Listen to what your granny told you–go easy on the sweets and starches! It’s all the white stuff that packs on the pounds. By eating smart instead of just cutting cals, you’ll never go hungry, have your hair get dry and your nails go brittle, or even have to count your calories (yay!). My natural low carb gluten-free lifestyle came about because I was trying to improve my health. I’m not celiac and I didn’t want to lose weight starting out. My weight incidentally decreased along the way, and I haven’t been sick (even with the sniffles!) since making the transition. I was a carbohydrate ADDICT, sick with severe anemia, had recurring ear infections/colds, and ate candy for actual meals. If you are a sugar or starch-a-holic, you could greatly benefit from a reduced carbohydrate plan.

Eat FRESH WHOLE foods naturally low in sugar and processed minimally, and I promise you will lose weight, improve your cholesterol numbers, and feel the best you ever have (after the hard transitional period)! Dr. Atkins does an induction period, which acts as a “detox” for your body. So much of the criticism of his plan comes from people not following his advice on how to do this detox period correctly. It’s strict for good reason–to get you eating natural foods and to break your addictions! Basically it’s green veggies and natural protein sources. It can be very helpful to go through this two week period, especially if you want instant gratification on the scale (you lose water and FAT at a rapid rate your first go around with low carbing!). You just have to get in your minimum grams of protein per day to ensure your body is losing FAT, not lean muscle mass. That is the key to losing weight and maintaining it–enough PROTEIN (however many grams you need per day, divided up into your meals) along with the NATURAL FATS (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated omega-3s from meat, eggs, dairy, nuts, fatty fish, olive oil, etc.) to keep you satisfied and healthy. And as little food “from a box” as you can manage. What grows from the ground and runs around on four legs is what your body thrives on. Your tastebuds are adapted to crave sweet tasting foods because of their concentrated fast burning carbs, so just be aware that our evolution works to keep you carrying around our “energy stores”! Your amazing cooking skills would totally work to your advantage with a whole foods centered plan. A lot of the recipes you feature here are already quite natural and high in fiber, low in carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates –> Insulin response –> Fat storage

Read Gary Taubes Good Calories, Bad Calories for a comprehensive review of nutritional science. Barry Groves condenses the info in Eat Fat, Get Thin, as do the Drs. Eades in Protein Power. Knowing the scientific basis behind a dietary plan will really get you motivated to eat healthy! I couldn’t imagine eating any other way now. If you want to buy into what drug companies, fitness magazines, and processed food companies tell you in order to line their pockets, try to lose weight the hard way with fat-free yogurt and popcorn. If you want to eat what our bodies evolved to eat, un-process your menu! Whatever plan you choose, make sure you love it and relish eating what’s on it every day. Finding what works for YOU is the most important aspect of weight loss. There are of course people who successfully lose weight with special programs, pre-packaged products, and simply cutting back on total consumption with a more intense fitness regimen. Whether they are attaining their best health or not might be something to think about. Best of luck with whatever path you take!

Helpful resources:
The Weston Price Foundation (fabulous website!)
SugarFreeSheila.com
Barry Groves Second Opinions
Dr. Eades blog
vittoria says:

August 2, 2008 at 8:51 pm

I’m a lot stricter with myself than Most folks are, and I get lots of advice (and chastisement) from my boyfriend who’s a personal trainer, but I eat every three hours and try to keep each meal under 250 or 300 calories. And I try to maintain 50% protein each day. I hit the gym about 5 times a week for cardio and weight training. I work two “muscles” each day so the others get a chance to rest. I have found nutritiondata.com to be imvaluble to monitoring my caloric intake,it can even analize a whole recipe (or a whole days worth of food). Most important, no matter what I never leave things up to chance, I at least plan the whole days food in the morning and take it with me for the whole time I’m away from home. Lastly, I prepare beef and chicken burgers that we freeze and take for lunches. (actually,I could go on and on, but I don’t want to give too much unsolicited advice. Feel free to email me, though.)

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