Re-Think Your Drink to Cut Calories

By Tara White 

Ever wonder why, even though you have cut calories in the foods you eat and working out 3-4 days a week, you are not shedding pounds? What beverages are you drinking during the day? Adopt a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle means making healthy choices.
Four years ago, my mother was diagnosed with pre-diabetes by her physician. As a nurse, she knows how serious this disease is and the complications that can come from it. She would drink, on average
3-4 20oz bottles of cola a day. After her diagnosis, she decided to start drinking diet cola. After a few months of just re-thinking her drink, she had dropped 50 pounds.

For every 4 grams of sugar in a drink, that equates to 1 teaspoon of sugar. A 20 ounce cola has 65 grams of sugar. That's 16 teaspoons of sugar.

What beverages are you drinking? Re-think your drink and cut calories:

• Medium mocha 400 calories - medium non-fat latte 160 calories
• 20oz regular cola 280 calories - 20oz diet cola 0 calories
• 16oz fruit drink 230 calories - 16oz water 0 calories
• 16oz sweet tea 200 calories - 16oz unsweet iced tea 0 calories
• 12oz beer 150 calories - 12oz light beer - 100 calories

To make better beverage choices, the CDC recommends the following:

• Choose water, diet, or low-calorie beverages instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.
• For a quick, easy, and inexpensive thirst-quencher, carry a water bottle and refill it throughout the day.
• Don't "stock the fridge" with sugar-sweetened beverages. Instead, keep a jug or bottles of cold water in the fridge.
• Serve water with meals.
• Make water more exciting by adding slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, or watermelon, or drink sparkling water.
• Add a splash of 100% juice to plain sparkling water for a refreshing, low-calorie drink.
• When you do opt for a sugar-sweetened beverage, go for the small size. Some companies are now selling 8-oz. cans and bottles of soda, which contain about 100 calories.
• Be a role model for your friends and family by choosing healthy, low-calorie beverages.

Along with re-thinking your drink, try and get 30 minutes of exercise daily. This can be in the form of walking, gardening, playing with the kids, dancing, aerobics, etc.. Try going for a 10-minute brisk walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week.

Also, when re-thinking your drink, try to choose water over other beverages. To help with weight control, you should consume beverages and foods that don't have added sugars.

Tara White

AKS Virtual Solutions, LLC

Providing virtual assistant services, quality, value, and excellent results to busy entrepreneurs, small businesses, and executives.
http://www.aksvirtualsolutions.com
http://www.centricmag.com

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