THE SKINNY ON THIRST QUENCHERS
Another habit you might not realize contributes to weight gain is beverage consumption. Most beverages (soda, for example) contain more sugar than a candy bar. When trying to lose weight, you might avoid candy bars, but you don’t realize that the Mountain Dew you substituted for the candy bar was just as bad for you. Soda rapidly jacks up your caloric intake because you don't realize that you are filling your body with unhealthy calories and sugar.
Soda actually makes you thirstier because when you drink it you take more sugar into your body. Your body then needs water to dilute the sugar and flush it out of your system. The result is thirst, which might lead you to drink even more soda than you would have if you had originally reached for water. You need fluids to burn off and dilute the sugar that you drank, so soda dehydrates you instead of rehydrates you.
Another benefit of water is that it’s a natural appetite suppressant. When you drink water before a meal, you feel full and keep your portion sizes under control. Water also helps satisfy your stomach between meals so that you end up snacking less throughout the day. In addition, water dilutes the unhealthy sugars you eat, and flushes out your kidneys, helping your body and organs rid themselves of toxins. Water also cleans your teeth and gums while you drink it!
Hate the taste of water? Healthy alternatives like Mio are available to infuse some taste into your water. Another option is to simply add lemon wedges or cucumber slices to your water. Fruits and vegetables boost flavor while adding few or no calories. Many retail stores now sell fruit infusion cups, water bottles, and pitchers whose top halves provide room for fruit wedges or vegetable slices; the result is flavor-infused water without seeds or fruit and vegetable remnants in the bottom of your glass. In addition, lemon water provides benefits other than simple hydration. It helps your body maintain a healthy pH balance, which combats yeast and sinus infections. It’s also a natural antiseptic, meaning that it kills germs and can help fight upper respiratory bacteria. In addition, lemon removes harmful toxins, and, because it cleanses the body, it fights acne and helps prevent wrinkles! Lemon controls uric acid levels to ward off joint aches and pains, and is a great source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. Essentially, by putting lemons in your water, you’re adding electrolytes, which assist in the body’s cell ionization process.
Cucumber slices can also flavor your water without adding junk. Cucumber is full of vitamin K, which promotes bone development. It also contains cucurbitacins, which fight cancer. Like lemon, cucumber is a great weapon in the fight against wrinkles and aging because it improves skin elasticity. It also stops excess bloating and water retention in areas where you don't want it!
Not fond of putting fruits or vegetables in your drinking water? Or maybe you don't have access to fresh fruit all day long. Tea is an alternative that offers several benefits and that tastes great! Different teas provide different benefits. For example, green tea contains antioxidants that protect your cells from free- radical damage. The small amount of caffeine in green tea also improves memory and concentration. In addition, green tea lowers your risk of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Do you drink soda solely for the caffeine? You can replace soda with green tea and still get a caffeine boost without experiencing the negative effects of sugar, empty calories, and acid! Used to getting those amazing and expensive chocolate or caramel coffee drinks topped with whipped cream? Check out the number of calories in those drinks! They contain over 500 calories, 66 grams of sugar, and 14 grams of fat! Such numbers should make you think twice before visiting the barista. Many coffee drinks contain half or all of your day’s allotment of calories! Switch to a regular cup of coffee or a regular iced coffee with cream and sugar, and save not only calories, but a ton of money.
When you count calories during your diet, you may realize that just six or seven cans of soda will cause you to reach your maximum daily recommended caloric intake for the day. Consequently, any food you eat on top of that six pack of soda will add to your weight problems. The citric acid and sugar in soda eat away at your teeth and can cause cavities, gum disease, and a variety of other dental problems. By contrast, the fluoride in tap water helps strengthen your teeth. That's why your toothpaste contains fluoride. Soda = bad. Water = good.
How much water is good for you? Experts say that drinking half your body weight in water (in ounces) will help you lose weight and become healthier and fit. It is possible to drink too much water, so limit your intake to the recommended amount (or slightly more if you sweat a lot). If you exercise heavily, add another liter to your daily water consumption and place a teaspoon of salt in it so that you replace any electrolytes your body lost during your workout. Your cells need water for proper functioning. One of the ways to determine whether you are properly hydrated is to check the color of your urine. If it has any color, you are not drinking enough water. If you’re properly hydrated, your urine should be clear!