Life is too short not to be fully "turned on." The Daily Turn On! energizes all aspects of "you." Every Monday The Daily Turn On! with That's Fit Life Fit expert Laura Lewis will provide you with ideas and tips to awaken your mind, your body and your life as you journey through each day of the week! Check in each Monday to get your tip for Turning On every day of your life.

I've never been a big soda drinker. Thank goodness my Mother wasn't one of those that would buy cases of the stuff although we did have "Tang" (Anyone remember the instant sweet orange beverage that supposedly astronauts drank? I loved it) yet it was a treat and not something we drank daily. Water was our beverage of choice. It is for my kids as well. And boy would I love to see more people dropping diet sodas and getting on the water band wagon!

Water is essential for optimal health. When you are well hydrated your memory is better, you have more energy, asthma and allergy symptoms may be lessoned, your joints are not as stiff, you metabolize nutrients more efficiently, you'll have less fatty deposits, better digestion and less constipation... just to name a few of the benefits! Soda is a poor substitute for water. Plus, it will make you fat. Even diet soda. This week, I want you to "turn on" your desire for healthy substitutes for the bone leeching, fat causing, chemical beverage YOU call soda. Are there great alternatives? You bet! Read on...

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Xylitol isn't the only natural sweetener. Have you heard of stevia? This South American calorie-free herb is purported to be 300 times sweeter than the white crystals we're trying to rid our bodies of, namely sugar. Stevia is legally available as a dietary supplement (it's on grocery shelves), but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is concerned over its safety and has not approved stevia as a food additive, says Julie's Health Club's recent blog.

Hence, you can swirl it in your tea, but you won't currently find an official diet soda sweetened with stevia ... yet. Coca-Cola and Cargill are jointly developing a stevia product called Rebiana, and they'll likely be knocking on the FDA's door to allow it as a food additive. Japan's been using stevia as a food additive in products for years.

In worries over artificial, chemical sweeteners, I gave up regularly downing diet soda months ago. But I miss fizzy pop. Wouldn't it be great to have a natural alternative not sweetened with a chemical from a lab? Enter Zevia. With a tagline, Nature's Answer to Diet Soda, Zevia cannot be labeled as a soft drink, but it's stevia-sweetened and has no food dyes, phosphoric acid or artificial flavors. No sugar, carbs, sodium or fat, either. Zevia's Cola, Twist and Orange flavors come in aluminum cans (environmentally-friendly) and are currently available in a dozen states and over the internet. Wanna try it? Right now, you can order a Zevia six-pack on the internet for free --if you pony up the shipping and handling.

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