The worst drinks when dieting |
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Many people don’t realise that the drinks that they are consuming everyday can have a big impact on their total daily calorie intake. Most of us obsess about other calorie sources in our foods, but when it comes to drinks we don’t seemed to be clued up.
How much should we drink?
The recommendation is to have 1litre for every 1000 kcal of food we consume. This can come from all the beverages we drink plus fluids that comes from our food. Most of us don’t drink adequate fluids everyday and this can make us tired and fatigued.
What are the worst drinks?
Non-diet fizzy and soft drinks tend to contain a lot of calories. A can of fizzy drink or squash provides about 140-200kcal and over the course of a day or week this can significantly contribute to our total calorie intake. Many young people are unaware that high calorie drinks contribute to weight gain. These drinks are not necessary in the diet and provide no nutritional benefits to our diets.
Diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners instead of sugar and they provide us with very few calories. These drinks can be used as an alternative to fizzy drinks, or squash. However, they don’t contain any nutrients, so they may be used as a ‘stepping stone’ from high calorie fizzy drinks until you get used to drinking more water, or herbal teas.
Relying on too many caffeinated drinks is not a good idea as it just masks the symptoms of feeling tired and exhausted and at these times we should be listening to our body’s natural response that it needs to slow down. Try not to rely on caffeine to keep you going, but instead try drinking more herbal teas and water. Also if you add sugar and full fat milk into your teas and coffees this will increase your total daily energy intake.
When trying to lose weight try to reduce your alcoholic drinks as they will contribute to your calorie intake. The lowest calorie alcoholic drinks are pure spirits mixed with a diet mixer such as diet tonic or diet cola. A glass of wine will have fewer calories than a pint of beer or bottle of pilsner. Remember to drink in moderation.
What are the best drinks?
Water is pure and simple the best drink for hydrating yourself and does not contain any calories. Ideally, you should be drinking about 8-10 glasses per day. It has been shown to help with weight reduction by drinking a couple of glasses before a meal helps makes you feel full. Also staying hydrated can stop the ‘thirst signals’ that can sometimes be mistaken for ‘hunger signals’. So water is the ideal fluid for staying in good health.
Green tea has been found to have many health protective benefits as it has high concentrations of antioxidants. Recent studies have been found that it can help speed up weight loss and can be used as part of a weight loss programme. Green tea is available decaffeinated. Normal black tea also contains antioxidants.
A small amount of fresh fruit juice taken with meals can provide vitamin C, antioxidants, help iron absorption and can contribute to your 5 per day. Make sure the juice or vegetable juice is natural with no added sugar. Only go for 1-2 small glasses per day or dilute with water to make it go further
Milk does contain calories but also beneficial nutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, calcium and phosphorus. Organic milk contains omega 3 fats. Try choosing low fat milk and add it to breakfast cereals or into your beverages.
Top Tips
For more diet, health, food and fitness information visit www.weightplan.com
Tags: alcohol, antioxidants, caffein, cola, fizzy drinks, fruit juice, green tea, milk, weight loss
How much should we drink?
The recommendation is to have 1litre for every 1000 kcal of food we consume. This can come from all the beverages we drink plus fluids that comes from our food. Most of us don’t drink adequate fluids everyday and this can make us tired and fatigued.
What are the worst drinks?
Non-diet fizzy and soft drinks tend to contain a lot of calories. A can of fizzy drink or squash provides about 140-200kcal and over the course of a day or week this can significantly contribute to our total calorie intake. Many young people are unaware that high calorie drinks contribute to weight gain. These drinks are not necessary in the diet and provide no nutritional benefits to our diets.
Diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners instead of sugar and they provide us with very few calories. These drinks can be used as an alternative to fizzy drinks, or squash. However, they don’t contain any nutrients, so they may be used as a ‘stepping stone’ from high calorie fizzy drinks until you get used to drinking more water, or herbal teas.
Relying on too many caffeinated drinks is not a good idea as it just masks the symptoms of feeling tired and exhausted and at these times we should be listening to our body’s natural response that it needs to slow down. Try not to rely on caffeine to keep you going, but instead try drinking more herbal teas and water. Also if you add sugar and full fat milk into your teas and coffees this will increase your total daily energy intake.
When trying to lose weight try to reduce your alcoholic drinks as they will contribute to your calorie intake. The lowest calorie alcoholic drinks are pure spirits mixed with a diet mixer such as diet tonic or diet cola. A glass of wine will have fewer calories than a pint of beer or bottle of pilsner. Remember to drink in moderation.
What are the best drinks?
Water is pure and simple the best drink for hydrating yourself and does not contain any calories. Ideally, you should be drinking about 8-10 glasses per day. It has been shown to help with weight reduction by drinking a couple of glasses before a meal helps makes you feel full. Also staying hydrated can stop the ‘thirst signals’ that can sometimes be mistaken for ‘hunger signals’. So water is the ideal fluid for staying in good health.
Green tea has been found to have many health protective benefits as it has high concentrations of antioxidants. Recent studies have been found that it can help speed up weight loss and can be used as part of a weight loss programme. Green tea is available decaffeinated. Normal black tea also contains antioxidants.
A small amount of fresh fruit juice taken with meals can provide vitamin C, antioxidants, help iron absorption and can contribute to your 5 per day. Make sure the juice or vegetable juice is natural with no added sugar. Only go for 1-2 small glasses per day or dilute with water to make it go further
Milk does contain calories but also beneficial nutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, calcium and phosphorus. Organic milk contains omega 3 fats. Try choosing low fat milk and add it to breakfast cereals or into your beverages.
Top Tips
- Always choose water where possible.
- Green and black tea both contain antioxidants, green tea has the added benefit of helping weight loss.
- Don’t be too reliant on caffeinated beverages.
- Drink more herbal teas and natural fruit juice.
- Choose low fat milk.
For more diet, health, food and fitness information visit www.weightplan.com
Tags: alcohol, antioxidants, caffein, cola, fizzy drinks, fruit juice, green tea, milk, weight loss