You’re watching what you eat, but are you watching what you drink? Beverage portions have grown just as much as our meal portions over the years and we don’t lack for unhealthy choices. From Sonic’s cherry limeade to Starbucks chocolate cookie crumble frappuccino, the sugar and the calories are adding up.
You’ll notice that fruit juice is listed here. Sometimes I hear the argument that fruit juice is natural sugar. Sometimes it is and sometimes it’s added sugar. In either event, my advice is to drink water and eat the fruit. Fruit juice is missing vitamins, minerals and fiber. Drinking calories does not register the same as eating them.
The BEST beverage choice is water. Drinking only water can reduce a significant amount of sugar and as many as 600-1,000 calories from your diet. If you don’t like water or just need an occasional alternative, try seltzer waters, unsweetened tea, or water with fruit or herbs like cucumber, mint, lemon, lime, etc. A rule of thumb for your daily water intake is half your body weight in ounces of water. For example, a 200lb person would need 100oz of water daily. Hydration needs change with physical activity, climate and lactation, but half your weight in oz serves as a general guideline.