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I used to be a big diet soda drinker. Since starting Paleo, I've cut out all drinks except for water, decaf tea, the (very infrequently) occasional small glass of whole fat milk (not pure Paleo, I know), and my flavored vice...SoBe Lifewater 0 calories.

The ingredients are (erythritol and stevia highlighted):

Filtered Water, Erythritol, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Xanthan Gum, Calcium Lactate, Potassium Citrate, REB A (Purevia Brand), Modified Food Starch, Cochineal Extract (Color), Vitamin E Acetate, Calcium Phosphate, Gum Arabic, Ginseng Extract, Dandelion Root Extract, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)

Are there any major negatives to drinking one (at most two) 20oz bottles per day?

They don't make me hungry, and I take about an hour to sip one bottle. (Diet Coke and foods with artificial sugar alcohols definitely DID make me hungry.)

I also understand that stevia probably does not induce an insulin response: http://paleohacks.com/questions/1457/artificial-sweetners-is-stevia-primal#axzz1yEkcPXZU

The rest of my diet is 95% Paleo, and I can't help but have a drink in my hand throughout the day (usually water, but that gets boring).

Any advice is appreciated! (This is my first question on Paleohacks)

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I'm not totally against chemical vitamins, but Paul Jaminet has been talking about potential problems of too much niacin. See the Perfect Health Diet blog for more details. And Dr. Wahl's story seems to prove that it is better to vitamins/minerals/nutrients from food rather than from pills. (She tried both and food was much more helpful in reversing her symptoms of MS.) – Dave S. Jun 19 2012 at 12:40
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 Insect based coloring seems pretty paleo. – raney Jun 19 2012 at 14:18

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Ewwwww. Read that ingredient list again. Read it AGAIN. Does that look healthy?

Not to mention the pile of plastic you discard each week! And the transportation costs in oil of shipping WATER.

Get a stainless steel water bottle. They look really cool. Keep it filled with chilled water. Or get fancy and flavor your water with mint leaves, hibiscus tea, lemon or lime slices, cucumber slices or other real foods.

Added: "water, but that gets boring" This is your brain on marketing. Don't be a corporate advertising patsy.

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3 
 Thanks for keeping me in line. I'm in denial about this product (rationalizing) and realize I should give it up. It's more a habit/flavor thing than marketing (or so they'd have me believe!). Plus you have the same name as my wife, so I'm practically programmed to listen (in a good way)! Water (flavored or otherwise) it is from now on. – TraneTrax Jun 19 2012 at 12:05
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 I agree, fruit infused water is the way to go! I like mixing herbs and fruit in a pitcher, like watermelon and sage or pineapple and basil, and letting it steep overnight. Delicious flavored water cheaper and healthier! – Team Oberg Jun 19 2012 at 12:09
+1 for Karen! (Patsy was too nice, change it to p**sy.) – Dave S. Jun 19 2012 at 12:36
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 Dave S. No changes. Sorry, but I won't insult perfectly good body parts. – Karen Jun 19 2012 at 13:38
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I chill my water. Sometimes ill drop in some unsweetened cranberry juice into the water, or some lemon. Tart does a similar job to sweet in drinks. +1 on the fruit and water thing too...

Sweetners used:

Erythritol - sugar alcohol. Feeds gut bacteria, and causes digestive problems like gas and diarehha.

REB A (Purevia Brand) - potential carcinogen. Steroid like chemical from stevia. May impact on the immune system.

IMO, you better off having a low level/moderate amount of sweet, like a touch of fruit or honey than you are having alot of sweet from substances without a history of study or consumption.

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Can you back up your statements on stevia please? – raney Jun 19 2012 at 14:20
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 None of those are "proven" things. Stevia was disapproved by the FDA because of some carcinogen studies, reb a has similar, suspect but not proven type science around it. Its a question mark. It is a steriod like molecule, reb a. That doesnt need proving, its the shape of the molecule. As for immune system, thats what steriods do, they increase or decrease immune responses. So this particular suspicion is based on the chemical structure. Id point you to more detail, but meh, but I am sure you could search it as well as I did when i was looking into stevia. – Jamie Jun 20 2012 at 13:37
That's fair - thanks for explaining a bit about the structure! – raney Jun 20 2012 at 14:55
Actually, erythritol starves out oral bacteria, so good for your teeth, and EVERYTING feeds fecobacteria, so that's a moot point. Erythritol is actually one of the few to NOT cause digestive issues. I don't think you should be eating it by the pound, but it is a better sweetener than cane sugar. It is also found in fruit. – HaileyGallo Jul 12 at 19:41
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I sympathize with you, especially as it's your first question and quite honestly I don't think it is going to kill you. If your primary goal is weight loss then considering what you've said I don't think it will prevent you from reaching your goals. That said I don't think it's optimal and I also think making it a daily habit seems like a bit much. I'd favor tea as an alternative to plain water when necessary and a little sugar, honey, or other sweetener if you feel it's needed.

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 'a little sugar, honey, or other sweetener" is a desire, not a need. We all really must learn the difference. – Karen Jun 19 2012 at 12:24
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 But I like my coffee hot, sweet and blonde! – Dave S. Jun 19 2012 at 12:43
Well granted it is a desire and not a need but really, if it is a little; do we really need to learn the difference? I mean other than to make unproductive points on internet forums of course. – Touch the Clouds Jun 19 2012 at 12:48
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 No, that will suffice Karen. :) I think we all tend to stumble upon various paradigm shifts, ie-grains are not all they're cracked up to be, etc... And we all tend to see the world from our new perspective, projecting our own issues onto everyone else. I just think the interwebs could be a little more useful if people did a little less proselytizing and more sympathizing. – Touch the Clouds Jun 19 2012 at 22:41
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 I need to put raw honey in my tea. Otherwise my honey jars will never be empty like Matthew's honey jars. – Wcc Kamal Stabby fan Apr 6 at 22:34
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Add some fresh fruit to water and let it "marinate" in your fridge for a few hours-- watermelon and mint; blueberry and lemon; raspberry and lime-- whatever combination makes you happy-- now you have something that's similar to vitamin water, albeit cheaper AND healthier

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Do you use a filter (like cheesecloth) or just drop it in and fish it out? – TraneTrax Jun 19 2012 at 12:15
I drop it in and, much like sangria, I eat the fruit pieces--not the limes and lemons-- but most definitely the raspberries, blueberries, etc-- if I don't have fresh fruit, I use frozen (organic) fruit. :) – LiveFabuLESS Jun 19 2012 at 12:32
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 I leave it in, it makes for an awfully nice presentation in clear glass – Team Oberg Jun 19 2012 at 13:36
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Started the whole30 may 1st, part paleo now.... grabbed a bottle of vitamin water the 1st week on whole30 and thought I was going to get sick. Had my husband take me home, I had to lay down. It took about 3 hours to pass that sick feeling.... My thought is the same, look what is in there....

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Have you tried some fruit oil flavored club soda? When I stopped drinking sugar soda WAY before I went Paleo, I started drinking just club soda with lemon when I went out and La Croix at home.

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