Whether you’re trying to lose weight, maintain weight loss or adopt a healthier lifestyle, watching your beverages is a must.
Because it doesn’t involve sitting down at a table or chewing, most of us don’t pay much attention to the liquids we pour into our bodies, but we should! Take a look at ten of the worst offenders:
1. Juice drinks – Most are loaded with sugar; choose only those labeled 100% juice.
2. Whipped coffee drinks – They can contain up to 800 calories and 170 grams of sugar.
To lessen the overload, choose skim milk, half the syrup and skip the whip or try a plain iced coffee.
3. Flavored waters – Along with the vitamins, most also contain artificial sweeteners. Select those that only list water and natural flavors on the label.
4. Soda – The overconsumption of sodas has been linked to obesity, Body Mass Index (BMI) of above 30kg/m2. Occasional diet sodas are OK, but there are better choices for filling up your daily beverage intake.
5. Frozen mixed drinks – The mixers are the culprit here, usually filled with artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners.
6. “Healthy” fruit smoothies – Premade fast-food smoothies don’t always have real fruit and are loaded with sugar. For a healthier option, make your own so you can control the ingredients, like this tasty looking blueberry smoothie with no added sugar.
7. Liquor – Your risk of obesity and other health problems increases. The heart beat is increased after ingesting liquor, thus, the heart muscles are stressed for as long as the stimulant remains in the blood circulation. Long term effects include, heart attack (myocardial infarction) and Stroke (hemorrhagic CVA).
8. Lemonade – Skip the ready-made lemonades and make your own minus the preservatives and artificial coloring. Opt for either less sugar or try honey to sweeten.
9. Sports drinks – The electrolytes are good when you’ve sweating, but most drinks also have a lot of sugar and preservatives you don’t need.
10. Energy drinks –You may get an energy burst, but it will be a short-term fix because it’s from an overload of caffeine and sugar. Caffeine also increases heart rate and inhibits normal sleeping pattern.