Unfortunately, some “innocent” beverages can cause serious fat and weight gain because of hidden ingredients. Fluid calories don’t suppress hunger.You may end up consuming more calories without realizing it.Keep these tips in mind so you aren’t drinking on the pounds.
There is one liquid you can drink as much of as you like…water. Water helps cleanse your body of unhealthy and unneeded waste. Water delivers zero calories, and your body needs at least a gallon a day (in the foods and beverages consumed) to function properly.
Avoid diet and “light” soft drinks; they are often packed full of sugar and artificial sweeteners and loaded with addictive chemicals and other unhealthy additives and preservatives. Studies have pointed to fat and weight gain as a direct result of drinking diet soft drinks. Also, artificial sweeteners have more intense flavor than real sugar, so over time products like diet soda dull our senses to naturally sweet foods like fruit.
Avoid energy drinks entirely. They put unnecessary stress on your heart, and are extremely high in carbohydrates. One small can of Red Bull delivers just 115 calories with a whopping 28.3 carbohydrates (many of them converted to fat).
Fruit juice is the sneaky “healthy” beverage and you should limit it in your diet. One cup of orange juice, delivers 90 healthy calories and will give you a wonderful dose of vitamin C. However, 20 grams of carbohydrates are included in this low fiber, high sugar beverage.
The only nutrient that delivers more calories per gram than alcohol…is fat! Beer, wine and mixed drinks, delivers a whopping 7 calories per gram, and that huge dose of daily calories is converted directly into body fat. Alcohol also suppresses your body’s ability to burn fat as fuel.
Don’t forget smart serving sizes. Beverage cans and bottles of 6 or 7 ounces were once commonplace. Now it is tough to find anything less than 12, 16 or even 20 ounce containers. Try to cut back on the quantities and the serving sizes, while ramping up your water intake.
