Drinking Your Way to Health

I have to admit that drinking a cold glass of soda on a hot summer day, used to be so satisfying.  But it never was just one drink, it was usually a few soft drinks a day to quench my thirst.  Well, since I started monitoring how I eat, I also began to monitor my drink choices.  Many of those unwanted calories were being sipped through a straw. From sugary colas to rich cups of hot chocolate, I was getting bigger around the waistline just by drinking.

Believe it or not, my weight began to decrease when I started substituting water instead of sweet drinks with my meals.  Water has so many benefits that improve health that it's a wise decision to make when implementing small changes in your lifestyle.  We are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day just to stay properly hydrated.  Rarely did I ever reach that goal.  But now, water intake is a big part of my daily diet and sometimes exceeds the recommended amount.

I also discovered that adding fresh slices of lime or cucumber to my ice water added flavor without the calories.  Unsweetened iced tea is another favorite of mine.   In fact green teas have great nutritional value.  They have antioxidants that help to fight free radicals in  your body - thus decrease risk of certain cancers.

Now I still enjoy a glass of lemonade every now and then.  I even drink orange and cranberry juices.  They have sugar nonetheless, but they at least have some nutritional value.  I just make sure I keep it to a minimum.

Try cutting back on the sweet drinks for a few days and see if you don't experience a difference.