6 Drinks to Stop Drinking
Put down the cup and walk away.
Here are 6 drinks to stop drinking right now. They are loaded in sneaky sugar and are adding empty, extra calories to your day. Take a pass on these!
Juice: a fastest way to add empty calories and a ton of sugar to your day. One cup of OJ (whether it’s fresh squeezed, cold pressed, or from the supermarket carton) is equal to 6 oranges. That is about 3 times the amount of fruit you should have for the entire day. Instead, have a piece of fresh fruit with breakfast and drink water with a slice of orange in it for the taste.
Pre-Packaged Smoothies: these guys are a hard stop. Even when they claim to have “no sugar added” they are made from fruit puree, which is sugar by a different name. Ditch these smoothies fast and make your own instead, like this one!
Sweetened Plant Milks: I am a big fan of the plant-based milks, but stick to the unsweetened versions only, otherwise you are just loading up on calories. My favorites are hemp and almond milk. Grab the ones labeled unsweetened with 0 grams of sugar and sip healthfully.
Sugary Coffee Drinks: frappuccinos, mochaccinos, and the like, are loaded with up to 1,000 calories in one drink! Unless you are having it as a dessert, your coffee does not need sugary syrups, whipped toppings, chocolate shavings or caramel drizzles. This amount of sugar will only make you crash and burn when the high wears off, leaving you sluggish and hungry. If you’re looking to sweeten up your regular cup of joe, add regular milk or unsweetened soy-milk, you’ll get natural sweetness and protein.
Soda: dark colas, clear sodas, tonic water and ginger ale all land on the “do-not-drink” drinking list. A 16-ounce soda has about 13 teaspoons of sugar, that is more than double the daily recommended amount by the American Heart Association, which contributes to weight gain, cavities, diabetes, inflammation, and many other chronic illnesses. Even the diet versions should be avoided, they may not be adding calories from sugar but they are making you crave more sweetness throughout the day and add extra calories by leading you to over eat later on. The same goes for the artificially sweetened sparkling “water”.
Sports Drinks: are you a high-performance athlete? If yes, then carry on. If not, you do not need an electrolyte replacement drink to keep you fueled for that 45 minute spin class or run. These drinks are designed for athletes who need to stay energized and hydrated for that 3+ hour football game and that 9 inning baseball game. For you, they will only add calories to whatever you just tried to burn off and can make you bloated or nauseous if you have a sensitive stomach. Avoid them and stick to water.
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