to give my kids gallons of sparkling mineral water?

[monkeyfacegrace]

Im soooo confused, but Ive managed to fuck up being a mum so far, meaning my 4yr dd and 2yr ds regularly drink fizzy drink. My fault entirley, I dont do tea/coffee, and guzzle 2L a day so they've picked up on my habits.

Anyway, Ive conned them both into thinking sparkling spring water is lemonade, and they are drinking loads of it mixed with a drop of squash.

How bad does that make me on a scale of 1-10?

[winnybella]

What's wrong with sparkling mineral water?

[rinabean]

Great! Now you do it, too! All that pop can't be doing you any good, either. (And when they learn to read they'll notice that their "lemonade" is different to yours...)

[Foreverondiet]

Nothing wrong with sparkling mineral water.

Fizzy drinks on the other hand are terrible for teeth and if the full sugar variety full of empty calories.

[dickiedavisthunderthighs]

Buy yourself a soda stream and fizz up tap water. You'll save yourself an absolute fortune and the canisters can be refilled/recycled at ASDA :)

[itsatiggerday]

Only word of warning is to maybe check with your dentist. My mum used to drink loads of the stuff and her dentist warned her it would be eroding enamel. Even without the sugar in normal fizzy drinks it's worse for your teeth than still water. Otherwise sounds like a good wheeze!

[gleechie]

Just found this:
there are many speculations about carbonated water. Some call it the thirst quencher while few name it as a slow poison. Carbonated water was invented years back and since then has enjoyed a immense popularity, it is only off late that people are concerned about their health. Carbonated water is high on carbon dioxide that is known to lead you towards bad health. It is also found that your kidney gets badly affected in the long run. Carbonated water in moderation is fine, but excess of it is certainly not good.

Carbonated water is known to cause pressure on the kidney making you pee frequently. Drinking too much of carbonated water will make you get rid of entire water present inside thus dehydrating you. Carbonated water is also known to promote kidney stone, and people suffering with it are strictly asked to stay away from the drink. Also your kidneys are designed to process normal water and thus require longer time to process carbonated water. Most kidney problems are related to excess drinking of carbonated water and sweetened drinks.

Carbonated water can never function like the regular pure form of water. Pure water is easy to digest and also cleans the inner system of the body. There is no replacement to pure and regular water. Carbonated water also contains calories that can make you obese. Carbon dioxide anyways needs to be taken in by plants and not humans. CO2 does no good and can create fatal illness in the long run. It also increases the risk of cancer and makes your bones weak by absorbing calcium from the body. You shall find tooth decay problems increasing among people who are addicted to carbonated drinks.

Carbonated water did enjoy popularity, however, today the health conscious prefer to stay away from the drink fearing its ill effects. Carbon dioxide is harmful for the body and can make you weak and pale eventually. The ill effects may not be seen instantly, however the coming years will show. Having carbonated water once in a blue moon, or at times when you run out of option is fine. However, making it a habit is dangerous. Carbonated water contains no nutritional ingredients that can benefit your body. Thus it is advisable to stay away from this drink.

Many people believe that carbonated water can relive their upset stomachs. However, there are no evidences to prove this. If you try and compare the benefits and disadvantages, you shall find more of disadvantages. Every time when you pick any drink, the nutritional value should be considered. Health should come in first then the taste. Carbonated water may certainly be fun to drink and enjoy, but you should also know if your body enjoys it too. Carbonated water makes digestion difficult and thus poses problems later on. So think about it before purchasing the next bottle of carbonated water.

Carbonated water is not good for anyone. You may want to try it with some hard drinks; however, indulging in too much of it will create severe problems. Carbonated water should be kept as an option when no liquids are available at hand.

Keep it as a treat perhaps??

[ArcticLemming]

I think there now saying carbonated water has no particular impact on dental health or bone density, but as you're mixing it with squash it may well increase the risk of dental erosion and possibly have a negative impact on bone density (although that is less certain). So not as bad as crack cocaine in the porridge, but probably best to try and knock on the head.

[dickiedavisthunderthighs]

Where did you find that gleechie? Assume it is an official report rather than some random article on the internet?

[bubblewrapped]

www.drbriffa.com/2005/01/23/sparkling-water/

There are more reports to say it IS good for you rather than bad..

[PuraVida]

Gleechie that just can't be true. Poor grammar aside this bit must be Bollocks ' Carbonated water also contains calories that can make you obese '

[winnybella]

Yeah, calories? Don't think so.

[bubblewrapped]

Carbonated water is proven to aid digestion!

[SarfEasticated]

How about crack cocaine in organic wholemeal porridge? That's got to be ok hasn't it?

Gleechie, that report you quoted sounded a bit odd, was it a translation?

I never liked the idea of drinking carbon dioxide, so don't drink fizzy drinks anyway. If I were you OP i would try to get them (and you) onto smoothies maybe? Mango is delish!

[TrillianAstra]

Gleechie that sounds rather as if it was written by a loon with an agenda.

[TrillianAstra]

"Also your kidneys are designed to process normal water and thus require longer time to process carbonated water."

Kidneys process blood. There is no way that the carbonation is going to get into your bloodstream and to your kidneys.

Fizzy blood anyone?

[FindingStuffToChuckOut]

fizzy drinks (cola etc) also leech calcium from your bones/teeth etc. Not good for women especially to have a habit.

[Greeninkmama]

Dr Briffa is good though, and does seem to follow current research. He used to write for the Guardian, I think. He is a proper doctor, not just a loon!

[BreconBeBuggered]

But carbonated water is bloody vile and tastes like Alka Seltzer. What's wrong with tap water?

[TrillianAstra]

I said the author of gleechie's c&p was a loon, not your link greenink :)

[peanutbutterkid]

Snopes on the perils (or rather, lack thereof) of ingesting too much CO2 in fizzy drinks.

Fruit and veg are full of Carbon, too, should we ban them as too tough on the kidneys?

Carbonated water is a bit acidic, so I would worry about its effects on teeth if really drunk by the gallon.

[NancyDrewHasaClue]

With absolutely no basis for this comment than common sense I would personally guarantee that drinking carbonated water has got to be better than a 2 year old drinking the same quantity of fizzy drink.

Don't beat yourself up OP. You've made a step in the right direction.

[monkeyfacegrace]

wow, thanks all. Well other than fizzy drinks, they drink squash/diluted fruit juice, so adding squash to it isnt a huge worry of mine.

I only drink diet drinks so weight isnt an issue, but I cringe thinking of the sweeteners.

Cant explain it, but plain water makes me gag, as does it my dd. Ive never been a water drinker, even in the gym I take a coke

Defo no crack on porridge in this house, cant get the kids to eat porridge

[monkeyfacegrace]

Nancy, they dont drink much fizz at the moment, unlike me, but my dd has recurring UTI's (thats a whole other thread), and isnt bothered by normal juice. Im trying to get as much fluid down her as possible to help flush her out, and this is my cunning plan

[bubblewrapped]

Would cranberry diluted with fizzy water help her a bit and encourage her to drink more.

I often add pure fruit juice to fizzy water as I dont like eating fruit but appreciate the vitamin c is necessary.

[PuppyMonkey]

Yuck to fizzy water. awful stuff.