Drink Smart
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July is a great time to revisit your New Year’s Resolutions for being more physically active and eating better. An important part of both of these is to pay attention to what you drink.
It’s important to stay hydrated while being active during the hot summer months, especially if you are outside for long periods of time and are perspiring. Because of the tendency to drink more when it is hot, choosing a healthier drink is even more important.
To keep yourself hydrated while being active, take regular water breaks. If your kids are outside playing all day, make sure they take some water breaks, too. A good rule of thumb is to weigh yourself before and after exercising. For every pound you lose, drink two glasses of water.
While attending picnics, barbecues and other outdoor festivities, it is easy to lose track of the number of sodas or beers you drink. That can add a lot of extra calories, which can lead to extra pounds if you are not careful. If you are going somewhere that you can bring your own beverage, bring a water bottle filled with ice and water. Then limit your soda and alcohol, and drink more water.
Here in the South, sweet tea and lemonade are staples of the summer. But these drinks are packed full of sugar. Try making them with less sugar or a sugar substitute. Or skip them altogether and go for a low-calorie drink mix or plain water.
Many people don’t realize how many extra calories they consume in what they drink. Today’s drink sizes are larger – consider that the original six-ounce portion of soda sold in 1916 contained 79 calories compared to today’s thirty-two ounce “value-size” drink that contains around 400 calories. Drinks don’t provide the same feeling of fullness given by solid foods , which means you don’t compensate by eating less food later. Americans now consume 21% of their daily calories from all beverages; up from 13 to 15% in the 1970’s. The University of North Carolina’s Interdisciplinary Obesity Center developed the Healthy Beverage Guidelines (www.beverageguidancepanel.org) to help consumers make healthy beverage choices. Here is a summary of what and how much you should drink:
No. 1 choice - water. Water remains the top drink choice. Recommendations from the guidelines suggest a daily intake of 20-50 ounces of water each day. Keep in mind that we get additional water from other solid foods as well as the liquids we drink. In fact, about 20 percent of our water intake comes from solid foods. Many factors can cause you to require more fluids, such as strenuous work or exercise, pregnancy or breastfeeding, high fiber diet, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, exposure to extreme temperatures, and medications.
No. 2 choice - unsweetened tea and coffee. Recommendations from the guidelines suggest your intake should be no more than 40 ounces of unsweetened tea and no more than 32 ounces of unsweetened coffee per day. Caffeine is the limiting factor, with twice as much in coffee as tea.
No. 3 choice - non-fat or skim (1%) milk and soy beverages. Recommendations from the guidelines suggest up to 16 ounces daily of nonfat or 1% milk and soy beverages. Milk is an important source of calcium and the key dietary source of vitamin D. Fortified soymilk is a good alternative for individuals who prefer not to consume cow’s milk.
No. 4 choice - diet beverages with sugar substitutes. Recommendations from the guidelines suggest limiting your daily intake to no more than 32 ounces. Diet sodas and other sugar-free drinks are preferred over sugar-sweetened beverages because they provide no calories. FDA-approved non-caloric sweeteners are considered safe.
No. 5 choice - caloric beverages with some nutrients. Up to 8 ounces per day of juices. No whole milk. Sports drinks, consume sparingly except for endurance athletes, 0-16 ounces per day. Alcoholic beverages: 0 to1 drink per day for women and 0 to 2 drinks per day for men (one drink is 12 ounces beer, 5 ounces wine, or 1.5 ounces distilled spirits).
Whole (full fat) milk contains calcium and protein, but is a source of saturated fats, which are linked to risk of cardiovascular disease. Vegetable juices, such as tomato and multi-vegetable juices are a healthy alternative, although the trade-off for sugar is sodium, which for some individuals is linked to high blood pressure. Recommendations from the guidelines suggest limiting your daily intake to no more than eight ounces daily.
No. 6 choice - sweetened beverages without nutrients. The guidelines recommend no more than eight ounces daily and less if you are trying to lose weight. This is the least-recommended category because it contains soft drinks and fruit drinks that are a source of calories with little or no nutritional value. Drinks in this group included carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, usually sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or sucrose.
While many of us are watching portions on our plates, we neglect to rethink what is being poured in our cup. “Rethink your drink” the next time you reach for a soft drink and choose power drinks such as water and milk. Not only will you quench your thirst, you can help maintain your waistline, too. Linda Minges is a registered dietitian with the NC Cooperative Extension (website: gaston.ces.ncsu.edu) and can be reached for more information about “Revisit Your Resolutions” at 704.922.2127 or linda_minges@ncsu.edu.
Additional information:
Revisit Your Resolutions with tracking tools such as food diary, activity log and weight log. Get your free copy by calling 704.922.2127 or email linda_minges@ncsu.edu.