Today's small change/Tues 8/19

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Registered: 11-15-2007
Today's small change/Tues 8/19
Tue, 08-19-2008 - 2:38pm

Tuesday August 19, 2008Welcome to today's edition of Healthy Living with Ellie Krieger.


Today's Small Change: Cut out the sugar in drinks.

Don't Drink Your Calories
When it comes to keeping yourself hydrated, nothing does the job like water. But plenty of other drinks are available, some of which even have sexy marketing campaigns going for them. How do you decide what's worth drinking?

The most nutritious liquids are 100 percent juices, low-fat milk, soups, and smoothies. Pure juices are naturally packed with nutrients like vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium. Low-fat milk provides calcium and essential B vitamins. And soups and smoothies are also loaded with vitamins and minerals. However, all of these foods have calories, so keep portions in mind.


Sodas, soft drinks, sports drinks, and juice drinks are excellent hydrators but are loaded with calories and lack the nutrients of 100 percent juices and milk. Basically they are sugar water, which when you suck them up through a straw adds hundreds of empty calories to your day.


Diet drinks are an option if you want your soft drinks without the calories, but I recommend using artificial sweeteners sparingly, so try to limit diet drinks to two a day. For flavorful, low-cal options, try adding a splash of juice and/or a squeeze of lemon to ice water or club soda. Herbal teas, served hot or iced, are also a good hydrating choice, and many have a natural sweetness.


Most people don't realize how quickly they can drink their calories, and when they cut back on sugary drinks, they almost instantly lose weight. That makes sense when you realize that a 12-ounce can of soda has 150 calories and the equivalent of about 10 teaspoons of sugar. You can lose half a pound a week simply by cutting out two sodas a day — talk about the benefits of small changes!


Today, cut your intake of sugary soft drinks to no more than one cup a day. If you're used to drinking more than that, try some of the healthier and lower-calorie substitutions I mentioned above.


Thank goodness I already like to drink only water and tea (regular or decaf).


Grace


Be like a postage stamp.

Be like a postage stamp.  Stick to it until you get there.

Bob Proctor