Do you know what’s best and worst beverages for you? Many of us watch what we eat but not what we drink, that’s a mistake, because you need to know which drink is suitable for your diet plan. Choosing the right drinks can tweak your metabolism, curb your appetite, and reduce your total calorie count. So, you need to know which beverages are spoiler, and which are helpers on the path to weight loss.
1. Soda - Spoiler:
Everytime you chug a bottle of soda, you’re consuming hundreds of empty calories. Switching to diet soda or soft drinks is an obvious way to cut calories, but it’s unclear whether this switch results in weight loss. For some people, diet soda may increase their sweet tooth.
2. Water - Helper:
Replacing carbonated soft drinks with water will cut hundreds of calories per day, and the benefits don’t stop there. Drinking 2 glassis of water before meal may encourage the stomach to feel full more quickly, so you don’t eat as much. In addition, new research suggests drinking plenty of water may have a positive effect on your metabolism.
3. Fruit Juice - Jury’s Out:
Juice can have as may calories as sode, but it has far more to offer in the way of nutrients. You need to look for 100% fruit juice, because you want the vitamins and anti-oxidants without all the extra sugar. You can also slash calories by drinking water with a tiny bit of juice added.
4. Vegetable Juice - Helper:
Vegetable juice is every bit as nutritious as fruit juice with about half the calories. A 12-ounce serving of tomato juice has 80 calories, compared to 160 calories for orange juice. Vegetable juice with pulp is also high in fiber and can help control hunger.
5. Smoothies - Jury’s Out:
Blend a banana, strawberries, and blueberries into a frothy smoothie, and you’ve got a delicious arsenal of disease-fighting vitamins and minerals. The homemade variety is best when you’re counting calories, that’s because you can control the ingredients - skim milk and fresh fruit are all you need. Restaurant smoothies may contain ice-cream, honey, or other sweetheners that boost the calorie count.
6. Low-Fat Milk - Jury’s Out:
Consuming calcium-rich foods may do a body good, but calcium probably won’t help you lose weight, new research now reveals. Some earlier studies suggested calcium may prompt the body to burn fat, but there’s little evidence to support these claims. Depriving the body of calcium, on the other hand, has been show to trigger an increase in the production, of fat cells. To get the benefits of calcium without consuming extra fat, stick to skim or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
7. Energy Drinks - Spoiler:
Sports and energy drinks are calories bombs like soda. They may have more added nutrients, but you can find the same vitamins and minerals in low-calories foods. People who are serious about losing weight should stay hydrated with water rather than sports drinks.
8. Black Coffee - Helper:
when you need a shot of caffeine, coffee is a better choice than soda or energy drinks. Black coffee is calorie-fre and rich in antioxidants. Studies have shown that consuming moderate amounts of coffee (3 to 4 cups) a day may improve mood and concentration, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and several types of cancer.
9. Fancy Coffe - Spoiler:
Once you added heavy cream, flavored syrups, and/or a snowcap of whipped cream, that mug of black coffee becomes a minefield of fat and sugar. Specialty coffees can contain up to 570 calories per cup. If you don’t like your coffee black, add a little skim milk to keep the calorie count down.
10. Green Tea - Helper:
Green tea is another excellent choice when you’re looking for a little caffeine. Not only it is calorie-free, some research suggests green tea extract may stimulate weight loss through the action of phytochemicals. These are plant-based compounds that may temporarily cause the body burn more calorie and melt fat.
11. Wine Cooler - Spoiler:
Wine coolers may sound light ad airy, but they are heavy on calories. A 12-ounce wine cooler can have 190 calories and 22 grams of carbs. Regular wine is not much better with at least 100 calories in a 5 ounce glass. A low-calorie alternative is a wine spritzer: mix a dash of wine with some sparkling water.
12. Cocktails - Spoiler:
A shot of hard liquor has fewer calories than wine or wine coolers, but once you mix in soda or cream,it is not the same anymore. An 8 ounce white Russion made with light cream has 715 calories. A less fattening option is to mix rum or vodka with diet soda.
13. Light Beer - Helper:
Beer is not really going to help you lose weight, but light beer is the way to go. A serving has 100 calories, compared to 150 calories for regular beer.