Currently, coronary artery disease – also known as ischemic heart disease – is the leading cause of death worldwide by a fair margin. With February being American Heart Month, we’re taking time to help raise awareness of heart disease and shed some light on how to prevent it. These 5 important tips will help ensure your heart is as healthy as can be.

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According to the CDC, about half of adults in the US consume at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day. That means roughly 6-7% of adults' caloric intakes come from sugar-sweetened beverages alone. With an increasing emphasis being placed on health, companies have been trying to replace sugar with various artificial sweeteners for years. Unfortunately, each come with their own host of health problems.

Stevia is the plant that makes our beverages taste sweet and delicious. A sustainable, natural, and non harmful alternative to sugar, stevia is an ingredient we are proud to stand behind. Here are 4 positive health benefits of stevia backed by science that illustrate why stevia is such a miracle of nature.

1. Stevia can help lower blood pressure

The big game is finally here! With all of the snacks around during the game, it's nearly impossible to avoid indulging at least a little bit. Like most days, you're better off eating your calories as opposed to drinking them. No game day party is complete without cocktails though right? Swapping out your run-of-the-mill cocktails for these no sugar added, better for you drinks made Zevia gives you the best of both worlds.

The Super Bowl is one of the most exciting days of the year. Heck, it might even qualify as a holiday at this point. No Super Bowl party is complete without drinks, of course. This year, we'd suggest replacing your drink mixers with Zevia. Swapping out a regular cocktail for a no-sugar-added version made with Zevia means you can save your calories for all of your game time snacks. That's a win-win if you ask us!

The New Year is the perfect opportunity to make a positive change. One change that almost everybody can make is reducing their consumption of sugar. “Sugar is so bad for you!” We’ve heard it a million times. What doesn’t get talked about that often is why sugar is so bad for you. Sugar impacts our bodies in so many ways that many may not realize.

Here are the 5 biggest health effects that come from excess sugar consumption.

1. Unnecessary Calories

Yes, that's right. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 34.8% of Americans are sleeping less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night. The CDC also reported that sleep deprivation is related to greater insulin resistance, metabolic abnormalities, and weight gain - which might in turn be linked to diabetes and heart disease.

Vodka tonics and gin and tonics are pretty standard cocktails when you're out and about. What most people don't realize is that traditional tonic water really isn't that much different than traditional sodas. A 12 oz serving of tonic water contains 32g of sugar, just like soda. Yes, you read that right. That's equal to drinking EIGHT sugar cubes per can. When tonic water is supposed to be the cleaner choice, what's the point?

Americans currently consume between 13 to 20 teaspoons of added sugar per day, when the recommended amount is between 6 to 9 according to the American Heart Association. This January, we challenge you to go a full 30 days without any added sugar. A simple 30 day challenge can lead to a permanent change in your eating habits.

Simple syrup is one of the most common ingredients in cocktails. It can be found in everything form mojitos to whiskey sours. But what is it exactly? The answer is both simple and sad: sugar and water. For anyone who hasn't ever made simple syrup, it's merely water with sugar dissolved over heat. With so many cocktail mixers already containing loads of sugar, what's the need to add more?

With the release of our 3 new Zevia Mixers, we've been testing out lots of new drinks. Whether you're planning on throwing a party in the near future or you just want to experiment and try them all, we've got you covered! Thanks to the help of High Proof Preacher, we've got a new cocktail to go along with each mixer. Each one is simple, free of added sugar, and absolutely delicious.

When temperatures drop, so might our desire to exercise. Tempting as it is to burrow into the couch, it's important not to let your body hibernate just because it's winter. These 5 tips will help you motivate yourself to break a sweat and stay active all winter long.

1. Caffeine please!

After a long day, sometimes a cocktail is the perfect way to unwind. Diet soda as a mixer isn't great considering all of the extra junk and chemicals. Since we're not fans of all of the extra calories and sugar that comes from regular drink mixers, we decided to make some of our own. In honor of National Repeal of Prohibition Day, we're debuting some of our favorite recipes from The Weekend Mixologist featuring our new sugar free Zevia Mixers.

Whether it's for a special occasion or just to satisfy a sweet tooth, there's always room in our stomach for cake. Just as we're not like other diet soda brands, our recipes aren't like your other run of the mill recipes. Instead of buying cakes or using store bought mixes, we're dedicated to creating our own lighter, better-for-you versions made with Zevia beverages. To celebration National Cake Day, we've compiled our 6 favorite cake recipes featuring Zevia from the past couple of years.

Zevia Ambassador Brent Fikowski is one of the elite CrossFit athletes in the world. A few weeks ago, we joined Brent at the CrossFit West Regionals in Portland, Oregon. Brent reflected on his journey to becoming the back to back champion of the CrossFit West Regionals in 2016 and again this year in 2017. Now he's headed back to the CrossFit Games, where he placed 4th in the world last year, to achieve his ultimate goal. Check out the full video below!