What beverages did you drink today? Make a list.
If this list consists of multiple sodas, juices, sports and energy drinks, and teas and coffees topped off with cream and sugar, you’re drinking more of your day’s worth of calories than you realize. The average American drinks as many as 400 liquid calories daily – and that’s only average.
Even when you drink beverages advertised as “health drinks” such as Glacéau’s VitaminWater, the result is hardly healthy or energizing. A privately-owned subsidiary of Coca-Cola Company, the enhanced water is nothing like water. Instead, it’s packed with nearly as much sugar and calories as a can of Coke.
If you’re looking to stay healthy, and perhaps lose weight, foregoing solid food calories, while ignoring an abundance of liquid calories is not the answer. A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that looked at beverage and food intake and weight changes found that cutting liquid calories, especially sugar-sweetened drinks, resulted in greater weight loss than did cutting calories from solid foods. Since the calories found in sugar-sweetened beverages have the potential to add on more pounds– perhaps, due to high fructose that over time, may promote fat storage – than if you ate the same amount of solid food calories, it’s important to ensure you’re drinking healthily.
Your best bet is to primarily drink water. It neither adds nor depletes nutrition, but it naturally quenches thirst – with no hidden calories –, flushes out toxins, and it’s something your body is in need of, always.
But you’re tired of drinking water, you say. But water’s boring, and it has no flavor, you say.
Decent taste can be hard to find, without unwanted calories. Here are some healthy drink alternatives to keep in mind the next time you’re thirsty.
- Tea. Black or green teas are a very rich source of antioxidants called flavonoids, and may protect against cancer and heart disease. It’s the milk and sugar that is often added to teas that’s responsible for extra calories.
- Coffee. Coffee, without sugar and cream, is a calorie-free source of healthy compounds, and may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, gallstones, and possibly Parkinson’s disease. Not ready to sip black coffee? Be stingy with cream and sugar, or use low-cal or fat-free versions.
- Naturally-Enhanced Water. Make your own flavored citrus water. In a large pitcher, combine a gallon of water with two sliced lemons and a sliced orange, and chill for about an hour, straining out the fruit afterward. Cucumber and mint is another delicious combo. So are other additions, like watermelon, kiwi, and pineapples.
- Fruit Juice minus the Calories. Fruit juices are often laden with sugar and calories. Be sure to look for juices that are lighter or low-sugar alternatives. Or try diluting regular juice with water. If you’re thirsty and craving sweet and tart juice, a healthier option is just to eat fresh fruit, which provides vitamins, nutrients, and fiber. Since fresh fruit is water-based, it’ll quench thirst and fill you up, unlike juice, which isn’t filling. A medium orange has only 59 calories and 12 grams of sugar with three grams of filling fiber. An eight-ounce glass of orange juice has about 110 calories, twice as much sugar, and no fiber.
- Healthier Carbonation Fix. Get your carbonation fix with zero-calorie seltzer, or carbonated water. Add a splash of juice, like cranberry juice, to add some flavor.
