It's more and more rare now that a product comes along that meets all of the requirements to make us go, "wow!" We bet you'll agree when you see this list, but you'll really be onboard when you try it yourself:

• It's low in carbohydrates — it contains 4 total carbs; 2 net grams of carb after fiber reduction.
• It's low in calories. Only 25 calories per serving.
• It contains NO SUGAR ALCOHOLS.
• It's sugar free and low glycemic. Sweetened with a mixture of low-GI agave nectar derived from the Mexican cactus, and sucralose (Splenda).
• It's low fat — in fact it has only 1/2 gram per serving.
• It contains no added colors or artificial flavors.
• It's amazingly high in antioxidants: Higher than any drink (health or otherwise) we've ever found. Its two chief ingredients rate higher on the USDA's "ORAC" Scale than any other foods.
• It's really, really delicious... why...
• Because it's Chocolate!

We're talking real chocolate here... Not some chocolate-like flavoring. Not some pale imitation; not something thickened and texturized with wax. And definitely not something loaded with sugar.

The product is called Xoçai™ (pronounced Show-sái). And it's is more than just an elegant product name... it consists of the first two letters of the Aztec word, "Xocolatl," (cho coh LA till) the Aztec word used for chocolate, and the last three letters of "Açai," a rich berry found in the Amazon Rain Forest. Xoçai is more than a product — it's the culmination of a rich history.

Xoçai truly is the ultimate antioxidant beverage! Using the finest, all-natural European cocoa powder, the açai berry from the Amazon Rain Forest, and agave nectar derived from the Mexican cactus, Xoçai is a product like no other.

It's about the antioxidants...

Scientists from the United States Department of Agriculture have developed a rating scale called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) — a measure of the ability of antioxidants to absorb oxygen radicals — and discovered that there is a small group of "super-foods" that have up to twenty times the antioxidant power of other foods. These super-foods provide more antioxidant power than mega-doses of vitamin supplements.

Both dark cocoa powder and the açai berry are at the top of the ORAC Scale. Natural cocoa powder tops the list with a score of 26,000. The açai berry rates second highest, making it the powerhouse of the fruit world with a score of 18,500. And these are the chief ingredients in Xoçai!

In the 6 1/2 years that we've run Low Carb Luxury, this is the first product that we've ever been so impressed with that we totally dropped our non-biased stance and openly endorsed. We think this is a product that will change lives. Take the time to try Xoçai for yourself. Drink 1 oz of this heavenly chocolate/berry drink three times a day for 10 days and see if you don't start to notice a difference in how you feel. And in the meantime, enjoy the rich chocolate experience without guilt. MMMMMmmmmmmmmm...

From previous reviews, you've probably gathered that like most people, we, as a group, are chocolate-lovers. And in the cold months, it's pretty hard to beat a great cup of hot chocolate. Sometimes "great" was a little too much to ask of a sugar free / low carb hot chocolate. But after attending the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this year, and trying the new Schokinag No Sugar Added European Drinking Chocolate, we've decided it's now possible to achieve an exceptional hot chocolate drink and stay true to your diet.

If you haven't heard of Schokinag (pronounced "show-ca-nog") Chocolate, let us give you a little background. They've been manufacturing some of the world's best chocolate in their factory in Southern Germany for more than 80 years. They are the second largest supplier of pure chocolate to the trade in Europe, the United States, and Canada, and their products are available in 60 markets around the world. This is a company that understands chocolate. It's their passion. And once you taste it, their passion might become yours too.

Schokinag No Sugar Added European Drinking Chocolate comes in generous 12-oz tins. But when you open it, don't expect to find "powdered" cocoa waiting to be reconstituted. Instead, you'll find tiny chips (they call them "microchips") of milk and dark chocolate dusted with cocoa powder (hence the Triple Chocolate flavor.) To make basic hot chocolate, you place 5 Tablespoons of the tiny chips into a mug with 1 Tablespoon of milk. You'll microwave that for about a minute to melt the chocolate into a dreamy consistency. Then add either more milk (about 7 oz), a cream/water mix, half-n-half, or a low carb milk like Carb Countdown, and microwave again to heat.

This amazing drinking chocolate is just as good when cold. Follow the same procedure to melt chips, then add ice cold milk and drink. But don't stop there. This is versatile stuff. Flavor your hot chocolate with a bit of sugarfree peppermint or vanilla syrup, or add a mix of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. For a richer hot cocoa, add to a well-beaten egg, and of course you'll want to top it off with whipped cream.

You can make a superb Ganache or Fondue with it also. Just mix 8oz of No Sugar Added Schokinag Chocolate to 6 oz of heavy cream and an ounce of unsalted butter. (Simmer the cream. Remove cream from heat and add chocolate; stir until smooth. Add butter and stir until smooth. Use ganache for any traditional application or serve warm as fondue.) In fact, anywhere you'd use chocolate in your low carb baking, you can pretty much use Schokinag chocolate.

Schokinag No Sugar Added European Drinking Chocolate comes in at 2 grams of net carbs per 1.5 oz serving. If you can't locate Schokinag in your area, you can order directly from their website. They also have a Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder (that's 22/24% Cocoa Butter) that you might also want to check out while you're there.

06-18-03 -

. And they're just what you'd expect. The 2% is a lower fat version of the whole. And a bit thinner. If you were a fan of 2%, this will be the drink for you.

Many of us have come to be more used to half n half and creams, and if so, the whole might be better suited to you. I can tell you it's to die for on your favorite hot or cold low carb cereal. Cook with it, drink it, flavor it. Whatever you'd do with real milk.

Then there's the Chocolate. And it's some of the best chocolate milk we've ever had... low carb or not. It's thick and rich and decadently chocolatey. Nowhere does it have a "fake" taste, and is sweetened just right. There are no soy products or sugar alcohols in these milks, and I'd feel comfortable serving them to guests.

With carb counts for each 8 oz glass of 6 grams for Chocolate, 4.5 grams for 2%, and 4 grams for whole milk, you'll want to run, not walk, to your nearest WalMart Super Center, or Brookshire's Grocery and buy these innovative drinks. Kudos, Southwest Dairy. You have a Huge Hit with us!!

are quite a rich, chocolatey winner. A more "Old World" chocolate taste than the Atkins shakes, and like the Vanilla, very filling, and lactose free.

Still only 3 carbs each, and wonderful to take to work or school. They're in drink-box style packaging with a bendable straw attached to each box!

Available in three-shake paks, or by the case. You can get them from Life Services, The Low Carb Connoisseur, Greenbeanz, Synergy Diet, and The Low Carb Dieter's Page.

.

This is definitely a flavor you won't want to miss! If you love coffee (especially Frappaccino), you'll really enjoy these. And when they're very, very cold, they are amazingly refreshing on a Summer day.

Like all Atkins Shakes, they come in at 2 grams of bioavailable carbs (after fiber subtraction), and are sweetened with Splenda. They come in a 4-pak and are available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.

flavor we tried. Each shake is so packed wit protein and nutrients that it qualifies to be called a "meal replacement", since it can be just that. They're very filling, and a plus for me is that they are lactose free. The first one I tried was room temperature and my thoughts were that they "weren't bad". But when I had the next one chilled, it was tasty enough that I drank it rather quickly. Most of us agreed, though a couple of people actually preferred them warm. And yes, one of our members has taken to warming it with a packet of extra sweetener and nutmeg in a big mug before bed.

Because it's the vanilla we tried, we also found that if you pour it into a chilled glass, it's great with flavored syrups too. Strawberry, Banana, and Orange were especially good.

Very handy, very tasty, very low carb, and very healthy... aren't those exactly what we're always looking for? One last thing, we're glad they chose the drink-box type packaging over heavy cans. They are much more portable this way for taking everywhere. And they come with a little bendable straw attached to each box.

Available in three-shake paks, or by the case. You can get them from Life Services, The Low Carb Connoisseur, Greenbeanz, and The Low Carb Dieter's Page.

they serve their patrons. And yes, it's sweetened with sucralose (Splenda) so there are no pesky carbs to worry about. Just those in whatever you add when getting creative with it.

A great mudslide can be made hot, cold, or frozen. Our very favorite (and we made it all three ways) was cold with a scoop of low carb vanilla ice cream. We mixed it with half & half and a bit of seltzer water, plus a tablespoon of Chocolate Fudge from Sauces de Jacqueline. For about
5 1/2 carbs, this is a drink to die for! And you can top it with a little sweetened whipped cream for even more richness. It's delish.

Great hot too! It's fast to make in the microwave - mix with half & half, a shot of your favorite DaVinci (try the white chocolate!) You can make a great cocktail from it too with a shot of vodka and low carb ice cream.

If you're a coffee or mocha lover, you'll go wild with this stuff! It's available to order online from The Low Carb Connoisseur.

Were you a fan of General Foods International Coffees? You know.. those quaint little tins with the colorful flags that contained easy-mix coffee mixed with non-dairy creamer, and uh.. well.. lots of sugar? We were... before low carbing, of course. While tasty (and trendy), they were never a very good thing to be consuming.

At 12 grams of sugar (15 carbs) per serving, and filled with hydrogenated oils these were downright dangerous. In fact, I checked their label... sugar is the first ingredient. (They do offer a sugarfree version, but it contains the same hydrogenated oils, plus corn syrup, maltodextrin, and aspartame and comes in at 5 carbs per serving... and it's fat free, so it's not even rich tasting.) So for the most part, we gave up these little coffee treats.

Then this week, we had the opportunity to try Keto Foods' latest drink offering --

. If you like flavored coffees, we believe you'll really, really like these. The group's all-round favorite was the Swiss Mocha (made with a rich cocoa), because it was the tastiest plain (but of course this is judged by a group of self-confessed chocoholics!) But the others also rated well. About half of us wanted extra sweetness in our cups and added a touch of extra Splenda, Stevia, or whatever you love in coffee.

We also found that the French Vanilla (which offers a terrific hint of nutmeg) lends itself well to adding a little flavor. For instance, a drop of Orange Oil, and you have an almost Grand Marnier taste. Or you can make my husband's rather wacky favorite -- the "King Kong". If you haven't heard of it, it's made by adding a 1/2 teaspoon each of DaVinci's Sugarfree Banana and Coconut syrups to your cup.

Oh, they're great for your diet goals too... they've added blood sugar support nutrients (500 mg. glutamine, 100 mg. taurine, 50 mcg chromium and zinc) that can actually stave off cravings. So you can be healthy and yes, you can still be "trendy"!

All varieties are available from The Low Carb Connoisseur and from Life Services.

and their now myriad of flavor choices:

• Egg Nog
• Banana Creme Pie
• Peaches and Creme
• Cappuccino
• French Vanilla
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Chocolate Fudge
• Orange Creamsicle

It's not easy to pick favorites and everyone's tastes are different, but we are comfortable recommending all their flavors, as each is as unique as they are yummy. With some, more cream and crushed ice are best, and with others a little additional sweetener seems good. But these are great bases and you'll find what you like pretty quickly.

For example, I always add a handful of fresh or frozen strawberries to the Strawberry Shortcake Shakes and love to top 'em with whipped cream. One of our reviewers, Karen, loves the Cappuccino Shakes with Cinnamon and Nutmeg added. And to the Egg Nog, throw in some DaVinci Vanilla syrup, and a little nutmeg. If you like creating lots of original flavors for your shakes with syrups and extracts, you'll want to have the French Vanilla onhand. Richard mixes it with a Diet Lemon-Lime soda, a splash of key lime, and some additional Splenda.

All by itself, you'll love their Chocolate Fudge. But toss in a little malt flavoring if you like. Or some DaVinci Toasted Marshmallow syrup. At 1.5 to 3 grams of carbohydrates per serving, these shakes are a protein packed carb bargain that will fill you up and deliver great taste. The directions say to mix with cold water, but these are best with cream added as well, crushed ice in the blender, and perhaps some of the other add-ins we discussed. This is, of course, true with all shake mixes. So if you can afford an extra 2 or 3 carbs, dress 'em up. But every good shake needs to start with a terrific base that tastes good, and these deliver! Their regular shakes do not contain soy.

All varieties are available from The Low Carb Connoisseur, The Low Carb Dieter's Page, and from Life Services.

In December 1999, our group first reviewed

. While we liked it then, we pointed out the difficulty in getting it to mix well. So when I found out there was a new "version", I thought, "Great! They probably solved the mixing problem!" Well, they did do that -- it mixes beautifully now, but that's not all they did. It's very improved. It's creamy and super chocolate-y now. In fact, since trying it, I'm having a cup every evening. And it's so low in carbs, I can do that and not feel guilty.

When I want to make it really special, here's my favorite way to make it: (For a 4-cup serving) Add 4 heaping scoops of Keto Hot Cocoa to a saucepan and add 1 cup no-sugar Almond Milk (I like the Diamond brand called Almond Breeze - it's not low-fat like some other [tasteless] brands), 1 cup heavy cream, 2 cups water, and 3 tablespoons DaVinci Sugarfree Vanilla Syrup. Heat until hot but not boiling, stirring often. Stir with a cinnamon stick if you like. This is just to die for!

Keto Hot Cocoa is available at Life Services and from The Low Carb Connoisseur, The Low Carb Dieter's Page, CarbSmart, and netrition.

I'm one of those people that believes that things happen for a reason -- and at the time they are supposed to. So I find it appropriate that I happened upon a new line of low carb dieter's drinks called

of Dallas, Texas - is a delicious dietary supplement drink that comes in 16-oz bottles and is best had cold.

Each bottle contains only 1 gram of carbohydrate after fiber, but the good news is not just low carbs and great taste -- it's the drink's key ingredients that help with the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates in the meal you eat after drinking it, meaning more balanced blood sugars and less chance of harming your dietary success for the day.

No, this doesn't mean you can drink a bottle and then eat a super carb heavy meal or a box of donuts, but it does mean you can prevent insulin spikes from a meal that contains more carbs than you might otherwise indulge in (a bit of potato, a warm roll, a few bites of rice or pasta...) In other words, a rich Thanksgiving or other holiday meal. Does it work? In a word, yes. I found it hard to believe also, but our entire group tested it to find it increased our tolerance for a few more carbs in the meal that followed without interupting dietary ketosis.

You should drink CarbMate about 1/2 hour before your meal. Each serving of CarbMate contains 200 mcg. of Chromium Polynicotinate. Studies have shown that Chromium Polynicotinate provides the safest and most bioavailable nutritional source of chromium. (Chromium helps insulin do its job.)

It comes in

On March 6, 2001, our group reviewed the Atkins Ready to Drink Shakes and have not until now found another RTD Shake that we liked as much. This past weekend, we had the opportunity to try all three flavors of the new

In February of this year, we reviewed the Fruit₂O drinks from

drinks with even more fruit flavor! There's nothing subtle about these heavily fruit infused refreshers. They're fortified too -- each contains a unique combination of antioxidants, vitamins, and herbs plus vitamins such as A, B3, B6, B12 and C.

With Summer heat getting more intense, these might be just the thing to reach for! Still zero carb, sweetened with Splenda, and flavored with natural flavors, they come in three varieties:

At 2 grams of carbs per shake and a sweet sucralose-based smoothness, the newest shakes from

A couple of years ago, I used to be a fan of the

Last year our group tried the line of

(Botanical Well-Being - enhanced with gingko biloba to sharpen the mind and kava kava to calm.)

Now, that said, most of us weren't interested in the botanical (herbal) aspects of this product. What we cared about was the taste since it's already zero-carb. With the addition of Splenda to the mix, we now find the drinks to be quite refreshing. They do need to be very cold (so forget packing them in a bag for a hike!), but out of the fridge, they're really good. Less vibrant flavors than the So-Be drinks, but we found that made them all the more refreshing -- especially after exercise.

If you find them to be not sweet enough (a few of us did), a quick squirt of liquid sweetener (we used Splenda) added to the bottle made up for it no muss, no fuss. They also make good "mixers".   Diet Ice Botanicals are usually found with "sports" type drinks, and I often see them in the refrigerator cases at CVS and Walgreen's Pharmacies, as well as in convenience stores.

Hot on the heels of the introduction of Keto Milk (a low-carb milk substitute), the Keto folks answered the demand for a chocolate version. With a rich cocoa flavor, it answers your demand for chocolate while keeping carbs very low (less than 2 carbs for an 8-oz glass) and still maintaining the exact same calcium and vitamin/mineral ratio you'd get in real milk. If you liked the regular Keto Milk, you'll like the new

mix.

Now, to the nitty gritty -- does it taste just like off-the-shelf chocolate milk? In a word -- No. To be realistic it's more in line with, "it's not bad..." That was pretty much the consensus here. So we decided to see why it stops at "not bad". Truth is, to keep the carbs down to only about a gram, you'll need to be happy with an "okay" product. But if you can afford a few extra carbs (about 3-4 per glass), you can make an okay product a very good product. The label instructions call for mixing with cold water. That's it. BUT -- if you mix it with cold water, a splash of heavy cream (perhaps 2 tablespoons per glass), and a bit of extra Splenda (we used liquid so we didn't raise the carb count), it gets quite tasty! But here's how it gets really, really good -- Mix it in a blender doubling or tripling the batch (this rids you of any unmixed "floaties" (you get those when you make REAL chocolate milk from a powder too). Add the cream as mentioned before, as well as the extra sweetener. Try to stick with liquid sweeteners as the carbs can build up fast from granulated. BUT, add about 1/2 again as much Keto Chocolate Milk mix as called for. Then pour it into a pitcher (we use the Rubbermaid easy-pour kind) and refrigerate to get VERY cold. It's ready when you want a glass, will last for several days, and is amazingly good.

Get creative too. We added flavors to the batches we made. How does

As more and more low carb products are introduced in a ready to eat or ready to drink formula, our lives just keep getting easier. Of course, while speed and nutrition are without a doubt important, we still insist on great taste! So it was with some measure of apprehension that I first made the decision to try the

. (Yes, the classics...)

Before you started low-carbing, did you ever taste a Nestlé Strawberry Quick? If you did, and if you liked it, we can tell you we feel pretty confident you'll adore the Atkins Strawberry Supreme. It was the 2 to 1 favorite here with our group. They should be served icy cold -- because all good shakes are at their best that way (not because it needs to be half-frozen to cover a poor taste.) Indeed, the flavor of all three flavors is quite remarkable when you consider that there's no sugar here and they're packed with nutrients.

The Vanilla was the second favorite in our tests, not just because of its rich vanilla bean flavor, but because everyone liked its versatility. Notice the reviews done earlier this week for the American Spice favored oils and the Watkins flavored extracts? A few drops of your favorite flavors added to the vanilla shake (and a drop or two of extra liquid Splenda, should you like) make for a shake in almost ANY flavor. The Eggnog and the Marshmallow flavors in American Spice brand were just fab in the Atkins Vanilla shake, and the Pineapple and Peach extracts from Watkins made for a frothy fruit shake.

The Chocolate Delight came in last -- not because it's not good, but because SOME flavor had to be last. Yes, we were surprised chocolate didn't come out on top as our group are a bunch of chocoholics, but in this case, the Strawberry is so supreme (notice, they named it that?) that it sped to the top of the list. The chocolate is definitely worth trying, however, and you'll have to decide which you like most.

Each 11-oz. can has 2 grams of bioavailable carbs (after fiber subtraction), and is sweetened with Splenda.  They're available online from The Low Carb Connoisseur and The Low Carb Dieter's Page.

If you enjoy flavored waters -- those infused with a hint of fruit flavor -- then the refreshing new

I used to be a big fan of the Mystic drinks. I know... they're JAM PACKED with sugar... no wonder I was in such bad shape. But they, as well as the others like them (Fruitopia, Snapple, etc.) are popular for a reason -- a cold refreshing fruit-flavor-packed drink is just plain good.

A week or so ago, one of our visitors wrote in to tell me that we should check into the new

.

Even if you're not a fan of traditional sports drinks, you just might find these to be exceptional. Several members of our group, expecting a sweeter flavor (more like Crystal Light or Kool-Aid) enjoyed these over ice with a squirt of additional sweetener (we used a little liquid Splenda.) We also found when having them this way, that mixtures were good. Half orange and half lemon-lime netted us a refreshing citrus mix. Experiment and find what you like. Champion Lyte drinks are sweetened exclusively with Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K.)

All varieties of Champion Lyte drinks are available online from The Low Carb Dieter's Page and contain no sugar, saccharin, aspartame or sugar alcohols.

Interested in the health benefits of soy, but just don't like the taste? Or maybe you've read about the controversy over genetically-modified soy proteins. We've recently had the opportunity to try a line of products new to us called

. I felt as though I could taste the vanilla bean. It was a "comfort food" for me! The chocolate contains 5 grams per serving (after fiber reduction) and the vanilla contains 6 grams for the unsweetened and artificially sweetened versions. They come sweetened with aspartame at this time, but a new non-aspartame formula is in the works. Or just buy the unsweetned versions and add your own sweetener - Splenda works great here. We found a Splenda/Ace-K mix to be superb in the vanilla.

Also of note is their

. Use it wherever you currently use soy protein, and you'll see a big improvement in taste. We used it in a couple of muffin recipes and in a breading mix and we loved the results (it browns quickly, though, so avoid over-baking!)

For an excellent way to get the benefits of a very high quality soy protein, check out Revival Soy. They even have a regular shipping plan if you find you are using a standard amount from month-to-month.

We're often asked about drinks suitable for low-carb dieting that aren't carbonated, aren't tea, and don't contain aspartame. Well, we've found that the new

, and are available in 16- and 32-ounce sizes. They are sweetened with a sucralose (Splenda) Ace-K mix, and are quite a carb-bargain. A full 8-oz glass is only 3 grams of carbs, but these drinks are packed with flavor! And the ingredients (which include fresh fruit and vegetable juices) are amazingly good for you as well.

But don't stop at just having them over ice. Add them to your arsenal of cooking ingredients. The Tropical Blend poured over Chicken breasts and baked slowly make for a fabulous and very simple meal. We also boiled down the Berry Blend to 1/2 its volume, added 2 Tablespoons of Jok n Al low carb Red Raspberry preserves and a little not/Starch to make a sauce for baked ham that was to die for!

Want another idea? Make a batch of Keto Vanilla Ice Cream and add any of the flavors in place of water. It's like a frozen smoothie ice cream.

Lastly, we used them as mixes for a few festive alcoholic beverages. Mixed with Diet 7-Up or Diet Ginger Ale, these proved to be great cocktail starters.

We've found them in most major grocery stores. If your store doesn't have them, ask your grocer to order them. They're a product of the Campbell Soup Company.

If you want to add a little alcohol to your holiday festivities, there's no more fun, delicious, and low-carb way to do it than with the sweet/sour kick of the

! You can choose between Pre-mixed 1-liter plastic bottles (8 servings per bottle) or you can get the powdered mixes (60-gram air-tight foil packets) that make 1/2 gallon.

Don't stop at Margaritas -- use these mixes to make Whiskey Sours, Tom Collins, Pink Ladies, and more! With a good blender and a lot of ice, let your imagination run. Try using some of the flavored Diet Rites or flavored sparkling waters in the mix.

We made a great Cranberry Twist by mixing a teaspoon of Keto Cranberry Kooler into the Strawberry mix and tossing it with Tequilla and sparkling water. Add 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream to the Sweet-n-Sour mixed with Vodka and water for a Citrus Creme! Mixed with Whiskey, Gin, Vodka or Tequilla, you can play quite the bartender at your next party!

All of the Baja Bob's Sugar Free Mixes contain less than 1g of carbohydrates and contain less than 10 calories per 4 oz. serving. The pre-made bottles are Splenda sweetened, but at the time of this writing, the packets still contain aspartame.

Baja Bob's is available from The Low Carb Connoisseur.

Recently on a warm Indian-Summer day, we had the pleasant opportunity to try the new

Peaches and Cream shakes

!   I really, really love peaches and this was a sentiment echoed by most of the review panel. So I was looking forward to this shake mix ever since I heard it would be coming soon.

The package directions call for 2 scoops of shake mix blended with 8 ounces of cold water. This is a pretty common direction for nearly all shake mixes -- of all the brands. And indeed this method makes for the highest protein, least carb shakes you'll find. But to be honest, it doesn't make for the tastiest or creamiest of shakes. By starting with crushed ice, then adding 5-6 ounces of water (I use a good spring water) and 3 ounces of light cream or half and half, you get a much better (and more authentic) shake for only a couple of extra carb grams. With some varieties I also add a little extra sweetener (usually a liquid so we don't up the carb count.) We did that here, and got a really refreshing, frothy and tasty shake. But were we done? Oh, you know us... we experiment.

We made a batch of shakes by adding 3 Tablespoons Peach DaVinci syrup and skimping the shake mix a bit (we used about 1 1/2 scoops instead of 2) and it was peachier than ever and really delicious.

Then we decided that since peaches are pretty low carb (about 7 grams for a small peach), we'd try dicing one up and adding it to the shake. Wow. Now it was a delectable treat not to be missed!

Okay, still not done. We made a batch of peaches and cream ice cream! We added 1 scoop of the mix to the regular recipe for Keto Vanilla Ice Cream along with an extra Tablespoon of Diabetisweet and 1/4 cup diced peaches. We mixed it up in the Cuisinart, and as I expected, it was like I used to get at our local Dairy Bar when I was growing up. Some of us poured a little of the DaVinci Peach syrup over it as well. I really recommend this treat!

products are available from Low Carb Connoisseur, and Life Services.

If you happen to hail from the South - especially the Carolinas - you already know what

and is absolutely better than ever!

But let's say you're not from the South... And you've never seen or heard of such a thing. Okay, this will take a bit of explaining. It's sort of a cherry soda... but not really. Well, maybe more of a soda-fountain style cherry cola... No, that's not right either. Kind of what Dr. Pepper would be if it had a distinctive southern cherry flavor? Ummmm.. not exactly. Okay, this soda defies explanation or correlation because it's really not like anything else.

Cheerwine is a burgundy-red soft drink. This bubbly cherry concoction was named for its appearance as well as its taste. It's the signature beverage of the

Yes, I know it's summer. And I know that most people equate hot cocoa with warming up on a cold wintery day. But, as it happens, last winter Swiss Miss was not yet making their current formula of Diet Hot Cocoa Mix.

First, let's make sure we're clear on which of their myriad of cocoa mixes we're reviewing here. In addition to their "regular" variety, they make a Fat Free, a Fat Free with Marshmallows, a Fat Free French Vanilla, a No Sugar Added, and finally, the one we're reviewing here, the

We've reviewed other flavors of the

(shouldn't that be "Kranberry"?)  I had "need" of it. Color me surprised to determine that I actually like the taste of it. It's very refreshing! I will admit I add a packet of Splenda to each serving I make because I like it sweeter. I make it up in the 17 oz water bottles from Mountain Valley or Dannon and take it with me when I work. It's a nice change from carbonated drinks and the glutamine and taurine plus chromium, B-6 and zinc help fend off carb cravings and offer up some powerful nutrition.

I think I'll start working with some recipes to use it in also. The taste is so unique and delicious I can see it flavoring everything from marinades to desserts!

products are available from The Low Carb Connoisseur, The Low Carb Dieter's Page, and Life Services.

Okay -- let's say you want to find a drink that's sugarfree, extremely low in carbs, is non-carbonated, is sweetened with Splenda, and comes in powder form so you can take it with you anywhere. Oh yeah, and while you're at it, make it delicious! There aren't a whole lot of choices, are there? We found a great product line from

Are you a fan of sparkling, flavored waters? If so, the new

Since I was a little kid, I always loved Root Beer. My first exposure to it was a little stand my family would go to in a little town up from my grandmother's farm. It was a small local joint that served up both frosty mugs, and the best Root Beer floats I ever had. To this day, I'd still order root beer in a restaurant over a cola drink. But try to find one served in a restaurant that's diet.

Even at home finding a root beer that's sugar-free and still delicious has proved a challenge. I discovered several weeks ago at a panel group that there were others there that felt that way too, so we decided to find - and report - some really good

Are you old enough to remember when Faygo used to make a myriad of diet sodas? In fact, in those days, it was all they made - they were known for sugar free. Since then, they've become a company that makes more sugared sodas than diet. So being able to experience lots of new and fun flavors of zero-calorie/zero-carb sodas was really limited. And if you wanted to cook with them (you can do some amazing things with a flavored soda), the aspartame sweetened ones were out of the question. Now, thanks to

(Review written by Richard):

Most of us grew up drinking "healthy" orange juice -- at least a glass at breakfast. Giving that up has been difficult... it had become a mix of tradition, habit, and comfort. But of course "real" orange juice is nearly pure carbohydrate and will send your insulin through the roof. There are a lot of low-carb/low-sugar alternatives (from Kool-Aid to Tang to Crystal Light.) Some aren't bad, but they just weren't filling that comforting fresh-sqeezed taste I was missing. Then I tried

, a zero-carb, natural tasting orange drink from . Wow. A big glass of Ket-OJ really is refreshing! No longer relegated to breakfast only, this has become one of my favorite non-carbonated drinks. I must confess, I always liked my "real" OJ a bit sweetened, so I do add a touch of Splenda to the mix. It's very easy to make, just add water, (and any additional sweetener if you're like me!) and you've got great orange juice. We keep a pitcher on hand at all times. And I bring it to keep at work as well. Ket-O.J. contains 500mg of glutamine also, which helps keep carb cravings at bay. And if you're concerned about vitamin C, it contains twice that of a glass of orange juice!

products are available from Low Carb Connoisseur, The Low Carb Dieter's Page, and Life Services.

(Review written by Richard):
A dedicated Pepsi fan for many years before my awakening to sugarfree/low carbing, I was surprised to find a diet cola that I'd not only like, but would totally love. But I have!

If you are already familiar with -- and love --

Summer time conjurs up memories of big, cool pitchers of lemonade served up over ice to quench a thirst like nothing else... My favorite was always my Mom's pink lemonade. Well... I'm not missing it so much now -- Those talented folks at

is amazingly refreshing and unlike the grocery store lemonade powders, isn't overpowered with a fake citric acid taste. We plan to keep a quart made up in the fridge all through the summer now. It's zero carb and pre-sweetened.

products are available from The Low Carb Connoisseur, The Low Carb Dieter's Page, and Life Services.

The folks at have debuted two new drinks that will definitely make winter feel a lot friendlier. First, there's

Keto Egg Nog Shake

! If you like your egg nog thick and ice-cream rich, this is a fast, very low carb way to get that decadent taste and feel. Thickness can be adjusted up or down by adding all cold water, some half-n-half, or several tbsp of heavy cream. It's also great with a dollop of real whipped cream (I make mine with Splenda and vanilla) on top and sprinkled with nutmeg.

Next, there's a rich (and I mean "rich"!) Hot Cocoa mix called

! They call for mixing with hot water, but I've found that mixing it well (about one teaspoon) with a tiny bit of hot water to make a syrupy paste first (so it's totally mixed) and then adding your favorite mix of half-n-half, or heavy cream with water to taste works best. When I get the mixture the way I want, I zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds or so and enjoy. For a sweeter chocolate, I add an extra pkt of Splenda or Sweet-N-Low. This is 1 gram per cup made with water and approx 3 grams made with the cream mixture. It's wonderful.

products are available from Low Carb Connoisseur,
The Low Carb Dieter's Page, and Life Services.

(chocolate flavor) is a highly satisfying chocolate beverage. Its smooth, bubbly consistency definitely made me feel like I was drinking an egg cream that was fresh from the soda shop. The chocolate flavor is strong, but not overdone. I appreciate the lack of chocolate syrup sitting at the bottom of the bottle. The classic chocolate taste of this beverage makes B.I.G. Brooklyn Egg Cream a top-notch beverage. While it does use aspartame as its sweetener, (we'd like to talk them into using Splenda!) the beverage does not suffer from it.

Don't know what an Egg Cream is? Some West Coast and Southern folk are not familiar with New York style Egg Creams. Here's a page to give you the low-down.

If these are not available in your area (they're not in mine), they can be ordered by mail. I just received a case of 24 via UPS. Contact Jeff at 516-505-5927 for information on mail ordering these great sodas!

---

8-31-99 - Product Recommendation & Review:
I've just discovered that Seaman's Beverages now offer a great tasting Splenda sweetened soda in their diet versions. Seaman's are gourmet premium, olde fashioned sodas, from Prince Edward Island. They can currently be found at LOEB Stores, Green Gables Stores, and COSTCO/Price Club -- primarily in Canada, but they plan to expand U.S. Distribution soon. Cool, refreshing, super-flavorful! And they have that great flavor you can only still get in long-neck glass bottles.

---

8-17-99 - Product Recommendation & Review:
For as long as there has been Jones Soda, People have been asking for a Diet Jones. Jones Soda worked hard to find a zero-calorie, zero-carb sweetener with no aftertaste. Using Splenda^® brand sweetener (Sucralose), Slim Jones is a zero-calorie, zero-aftertaste soda that is so good, you'll swear that you are drinking the regular version!

Diet Lime Cola - Rather than make a diet version of Jones Vanilla Cola, Jones decided to mix things up a bit and create a Diet Lime Cola. A most unique flavor! Diet Cola with a twist of lime!
Diet Black Cherry - Here's cherry soda that has a nice old-fashioned flavor to it. It's sweet, refreshing, and full of cherry flavor!
Diet Cream Soda - This one is for those who live the "candy" in cotton candy, but want to axe the sugar. An awesome diet soda with no aftertaste!
Diet Orange Soda - We always loved creamsicles as kids... this is a soda version! A Diet Orange Soda that doesn't feel like someone left glue in your mouth. Very 'crisp' flavor, but sweet.
Diet FuFu Berry - They put the Fufu back into Fufu Berry with this one. It's not just a girly drink anymore, it's a girl friendly drink! Medium carbonation with a clean finish.

If you can't find the Diet versions at your local store, they can be ordered online from Pop Soda, Beverages Direct, and other merchants in our Shopping Guide.

UPDATE June 2001: This product is no longer available in Diet Lime Cola, Diet FuFu Berry, or Diet Orange Soda.

Contents copyright © 1999 — 2008 Low Carb Luxury, Inc.   All rights reserved.  Photography by Neil Beaty.
Use of this site constitutes your acceptance of our Terms and Conditions.   See our Privacy Statement.
No reproduction without written consent.  Site Development by:  LNS Design & Marketing.   Site Map.