Diet Designs: "Drink" your way thin!

•  The only way to avoid drinking large amounts of calories and sugar is to make your go-to drink water.  Stop drinking sugary sodas and guzzling down sports drinks, juices, and fruit drinks.  These brightly colored beverages contain corn syrup, artificial dyes, and flavorings that your body doesn’t need.  
• Best drink for overall health? Water, water, water! You should drink approximately 2 quarts (8 cups) of water a day.  Most of your body-approximately 65% - is composed of water.  Water is the most important power nutrient; without enough water, nutrients like carbs, proteins, and fats can’t get into your body’s cells.  Water helps your body work optimally.
•  Sip on healthier beverages like flavored teas.  Some great choices are Good Earth teas, (for a crisp taste), Celestial Indian Spice Chai Tea, and all Tazo teas.
• Try adding excitement to your water with cucumber, mint, or a slice of lemon, orange, or even cherries when in season. 
• If you need to sweeten your tea, try adding a teaspoon of Stevia, a no-calorie sweetener that comes from an herb native to South Africa.   Another great choice is agave syrup. (Also use 1 tsp.)
• Read the Nutrition Facts label on all beverages.  Check the first ingredient in your drink-as the largest ingredient in it is listed first and the one in the least amount is listed last.  Most of the drink should be water or 100% juice, depending on the beverage. 
• Watch serving sizes: Look for “servings per container,” as you may think there is only one serving per bottle but in reality you are consuming 2.5 times the “amount per serving.”
•  Limit or don’t drink beverages that contain added sugars or artificial sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, splenda, aspartame, sucrose, sorbitol, brown rice syrups, dextrose, sucralose, etc.)
•  If you need a drink with a sweetener, stick to ones with natural ingredients such as honey or agave.
• Try to keep your sugar intake lower than American Heart Association’s limits for added sugars: 100 calories (6 tsp) for women and 150 calories (9 tsp) for men. (These shouldn’t be coming from beverages, since many of your foods contain sugars!)
• If you need that glass of juice in the morning, stick to grapefruit or orange, make sure they are 100% juice, and have a 4 ounce serving.  Eating whole fruit is always the better choice-you get more fiber and nutrients.
• Hooked on Vitamin Water?  Try drinking coconut water.  This drink advertised as “fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie, super-hydrating, naturally rich in electrolytes” is a healthy option when you need a little boost of energy.  On occasion, coconut water may be a beneficial choice due to its naturally high levels of potassium.  Watch serving sizes- as most have about 50 calories per serving.  (Most research shows that it shouldn’t replace sports drinks for very active individuals, where higher levels of sodium are important.)
• Lighten coffee or tea with nonfat milk instead of cream or creamer.  Add flavor and brightness with a dash of cinnamon.
• If you need a fizzy drink, add a splash of juice or lemon slices to plain sparkling water.  Watch out for sodium levels in these drinks! Make sure to pick brands with no or low sodium, such as La Croix, RW Knudsen’s Sparkling Essence, and Perrier.
• Order the smallest size beverage available when ordering out.
• Drinking water 30 minutes before a meal can help prepare the digestive system to fully absorb nutrients that will be provided in your food.  Then, wait to drink water until 30 minutes after your meal to allow your body to fully digest.
• Try not to reuse plastic bottles as there is a risk of bacterial growth.  If you buy water in plastic bottles, transfer it to a glass pitcher or reuse glass or stainless steel water bottles. 
• Start your day with a two 8 ounce glasses of water to rehydrate, boost circulation, and jumpstart your metabolism.
•   Try whipping up our refreshing Minty Lemon Cucumber Water:
• Add 2 quarts water, 1 sliced lemon, ½ sliced cucumber, and mint sprigs to a glass pitcher.  Let steep in fridge for 30 minutes.  Serve over ice and enjoy!