Rebecca’s Healthy Living Journey

by Cascade Ice on February 9, 2011

The Flavorful Life is featuring several “healthy living journey” stories from Cascade Ice fans around the country, where guest bloggers tell us their thoughts on how they face challenges and come up with new ideas to pursue better health and fitness lifestyles. The following is a guest post from Rebecca Warren of Dublin, OH.

It’s the beginning of 2011, which means only one thing – it’s time to convince myself once again that I need to use the gym membership that I am committed to for the next seven months. I’m paying the money; therefore I need to use it to my full advantage, right? As luck would have it, I was traveling with my family through the New Year and I did not come back home until late in the evening of January 3, which means getting up early to go to the gym is out of the question for January 4 and I’ll start going the following day when the jet lag has slowly worn off and it’s easier to wake up. January 5: Alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m. If I get up now, I can be at the gym by 5:30 a.m. and back home by 7:00 a.m. and in the shower. Instead, I hit snooze over and over again until 7:00 a.m.! Looks like I’ll start the gym routine tomorrow morning. Yet, January 6 rolls around and it’s the same routine of hitting the snooze button.

This trend has unfortunately continued, and I have yet to get up at 5:00 a.m. to go to the gym! To be honest, I blame the Ohio winter weather. Snow storms, ice storms and every other winter blast imaginable have made it nearly impossible to get out of bed so early. I know what you’re probably thinking. Becca, why don’t you go to the gym after work? That’s a great question, and don’t worry – I have an excuse for that too! After sitting all day at my desk at work, working away for hours on end, the last thing I want to do is go get on a treadmill with a gym full of people waiting to get on the exact same treadmill I want to be on. Personally, I love nothing more than going home after work, making dinner and watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Bravo. Doesn’t that sound like much more fun?

It finally hit me yesterday – this Spring, I have a deep desire to participate in the Columbus, Ohio Komen Race for the Cure in support of one of my best friend’s recent diagnosis with breast cancer. In my love and support for her and her family, this is my opportunity to go back to the gym and make a difference for society, rather than just wanting to better myself. I understand that my own well being should be an important factor in choosing to go to the gym, but I am much more of a person who puts others needs ahead of my own. In this case, I am going to put the 1.3 million people diagnosed annually before myself and on May 14, I will be joining 50,000 other participants in the downtown Columbus Race for a Cure. Starting tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m., you will find me at my local gym!

Healthy Recipe: Cranberry Pomegranate Pineapple Spritzer

by Cascade Ice on February 8, 2011

If you are looking for a fun and easy recipe to make with your kids (Or for a fruity Valentine’s Day drink) then try this tasty Cranberry Pomegranate Pineapple Spritzer using sugar-free Cascade Ice!

Everything in Moderation: Why Sucralose is a Good Sugar Alternative

by Cascade Ice on February 7, 2011

It’s a staggering fact – the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes and 79 million adults have prediabetes – a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes, in other words, is a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A well-known factor in this rapidly-growing epidemic is hidden levels of sugar in things we eat and drink. Sugar remains incognito to most people who purchase everyday products at the store because they go by unrecognizable names like “xylitol,” “corn syrup,” “dextrose,” “maltose,” and “sorbitol.”

In the last several years, sugar substitutes have gained massive popularity in the market, mainly due to people looking for healthier ways to enjoy something sweet. However, Saccharin and Aspartame in particular were linked to cancer risks.

In contrast, sucralose is the only non-caloric sweetener that is actually derived from sugar, and has been proven beneficial for those with diabetes because research demonstrates that sucralose has no effect on carbohydrate metabolism, short or long-term blood glucose control or insulin secretion. The results of hundreds of FDA studies also showed that sucralose has no harmful effect on human health.

These days, people are demanding a greater variety of low-calorie options as they try to make healthier choices. Next time you’re at the grocery store, take a look at the ingredients to make sure they make the cut!

What’s in Your Mixer?

by Cascade Ice on February 6, 2011

If you’re like most of us, you tend to eat healthier and stay on track with exercise during the week, but when the weekend rolls around, it is time to get together with friends and enjoy yourself. Most of us enjoy a few drinks on the weekend, but they are surprised to learn just how much added sugar and empty calories alcoholic mixers contain.

In fact, to burn off the calories from one margarita, you would have to run non-stop for about an hour at 6 MPH!

While nutrition labels are required for food and beverage containers, often times you won’t find them on alcoholic drinks. Cascade Ice mixers are a healthier option – with most containing zero calories and no sodium. Our fans even like to enjoy the mixers on their own!

Cascade Ice Mixers come in the following flavors: Club Soda, Tonic Water, Diet Tonic Water, Margarita, Pina Colada, Mojito, Cosmopolitan, Apple Tini and Lemon Drop.

To learn more about Cascade Ice Mixers and find out where to purchase, click here.