Be healthy!

In 2008, I'm going to do something to improve my wellbeing!
I'm going to drink Coca-Cola.

No joke, look at this!

Diet Coke PLUS Vitamins or Anti Oxydant;

A little plus for my vitality and wellbeing!

A little plus for my hectic lifestyle!

I can't resist to do myself some good, so I get two bottles of the divine elixir.

Does it taste like Healthiness? Let's try.

(Your host doesn't back off in front of any risk! I like to live dangerously, indeed.)

Slurp.

" Carbonated low calorie green tea flavour soft drink with vegetable extracts with sweeteners plus green tea & antioxydant vitamin C ". That's what it really is, a bit less appealing isn't? The drink itself tastes like flat coke with some iced tea cordial added in it, which seems to bring the digusting aftertaste of sweeteners well in front of other flavors.

" Carbonated low calorie soft drink with vegetable extracts with sweeteners plus vitamins ". That's the vitamin one. It has a weird note of melon in its taste.

Now, Let's put on our scientific goggles. If my Coke contains vitamins and antioxydants, does it still contains all that rubbish that is said to cause cancer ectaetera? Is that "rubbish" really bad for you?

Colouring (Caramel E150d): The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), despite widespread claims that caramel is toxic or carcinogenic, has found no evidence of carcinogenicity or mutagenicity in its extensive studies.

Phosphoric acid, which is used to give a tangy taste, is linked to lose of calcium mass in bones and kidney problems. Conclusion of some studies says that it's not because people drink coke, though, but because they don't drink enough milk. (Which is likely when you down your 2L bottle of coke during the day, eh).

Sweeteners: those used in Coke are Acesulfame Potassium and Aspartame. Acesulfame is recognized as safe; In the case of aspartame, some studies suggest that there is a link between it and headaches, brain tumor and lesions, and lymphoma.

Preservative (potassium sorbate): Is a mild preservative and is not recognized as harmful or toxic.

Flavorings the primary flavoring ingredients in a cola drink are sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and caffeine; Caffeine, as we know, can cause unpleasant physical and mental conditions if ingested in large quantities.

Also, it is known that most soft drinks, diet or not, have an acidic PH, which leads to tooth degradation faster.

So, in conclusion, Diet soft drinks are not as harmful as people might say, and they'll do no harm but have a strong taste of sweeteners, if taken in moderation. Which is not an encouragment to go and buy yourself a 24-pack of Vitamin-added Coke. What about a fruit salad?

Enough said, I'm giving up coke and getting myself a gin & tonic.

Obviously, Coke products are © Coca-cola corporation. All the images are © me.

oi!

..and so I got fat and drank too much and said hello to a new year in typically anticlimactic fashion; setting off a collection of rubbish fireworks and eating a greasy kebab served up to me by some of scarborough finest polish gastronomes.
and then came my resolution. a chance to better myself, or put an end to one of those ugly little vices that's been eating away at me over the years. i opted for something productive: to learn french.
then i realised that learning french is something i actually want to do, and probably will, given time. i thought to myself that resolutions are not to be kept, they are to be broken! after all, who ever seriously gives up chocolote or starts jogging for longer than a week? quitters, that's who!
so i've now opted for something that is quite impossible to maintain:
an end to the viewing of mindlessly violent cockney gangster films.
case in point: Rise of the Foot Soldier.
I made the decision after watching this turgid piece of celluloid a couple of days ago. I know deep down in my cold black heart that similar films will come and go in the future, and no doubt I'll see some of them. Maybe even some will be watchable.
But in all honesty, the English gangster film has become a joke. I am preying for something that rivals the classic Mafia movie a la Goodfellas, The Godfather etc. A film that's as extreme in it's portrayal of violence as is subtle in it's psychology. In other words, not two dull hours of chiched cockney wideboy stupidity, culminating in an orgy of unrealistic gore. Call me oldfashioned.

On a more upbeat note, I am forever being impressed by the charm and austere of Shane Meadows. Last year I was blown away by 'This is England' which lead me to his earlier film 'A Room for Romeo Brass'. Here is a movie where only the threat of violence is twice as poweful as a hundred mangled fat heads. It's central performance by Paddy Considine had me crying with laughter and slightly scared at the same time, which is no easy feat.

Here's to more films like that and less Guy Ritchie flake-offs.