Best Choice: Water
Water is essential for your body. It prevents dehydration,
constipation, and kidney stones. Plus, with no calories, it’s the best beverage
for your waistline. If you add 1 to 3 cups of water a day to your diet, you
could end up taking in less fat, salt, sugar, and up to 200 fewer calories per
day. Too plain? Calorie-free flavor drops sweeten, but may have artificial
flavors, colors, or preservatives. Try a squeeze of citrus instead.
Best Choice: Filtered
Coffee
Coffee has gotten a bad rap before, but studies show it may
protect against type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and lower your odds of heart
disease. Three to five cups a day seems to be healthy, as long as you go easy
on the cream and sugar. But if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your
doctor how much to sip. If you have high cholesterol, brew yours with a paper
filter. It gets rid of a substance called cafestol that can raise LDL
cholesterol.
Best Choice: Tea
Green, black, and other kinds are full of antioxidants,
which may protect you against some types of cancer, stroke, heart disease, and
high blood pressure. Plus, unsweetened brews are low in calories. Whether you
like it hot or iced, the healthiest kinds are the ones you brew at home --
without the added sugars that bottled tea can have.
Good Choice: Milk
It’s a powerhouse of nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and
potassium, which keep your muscles, teeth, and bones healthy. And a cup of it
has more protein than a large egg. To get more nutrition from fewer calories,
look for low-fat and skim options. Some nondairy milks -- soy, oat, almond, and
others -- have some of the same nutrients as cow’s milk, but the concentration
of these is low per serving.
Worst: Soft Drinks
They have no nutrients, and they're loaded with sugar.
People who drink one or two a day take in more calories and may have a higher
body weight. You’re also more likely to have type 2 diabetes, heart disease,
and other health problems.
Worst: Diet Soda
Yes, it’s low in calories, but it may not be the best swap
for regular sodas. Diet drinks are linked to health problems such as type 2
diabetes. And over time, some experts think their artificial sweeteners may
make you gain weight by tricking your body into wanting more calories. But if
you’re trying to cut back on regular soda, diet versions may be a good way to
help you make the switch to water and other healthier drinks. Once you move
from regular to diet soda, you can start trying to limit the number of diet
drinks you have every day.
Better Choice: Sparkling
Water
It gives you a little fizz without the calories or
artificial sweeteners of soda. But watch out for flavored seltzers that have
added sugar. And remember, sparkling water is different from club soda, which
has sodium, and tonic water, which has sodium and sugar.
Worst: Energy Drinks
They claim to give you a boost with big doses of caffeine --
equal to 4 to 5 cups of coffee -- and other ingredients like guarana, B
vitamins, and ginseng. Most have loads of sugar or sweeteners, too. You may get
a short bump in alertness, but don’t believe the hype about more energy and
strength. What you do get is too many calories and too much caffeine, which can
cause weird heart rhythms, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and digestive problems.
Sip Sparingly: Fruit
Juice
If it’s 100% juice, it has most of the vitamins of its
original fruit. But all the fiber is left out. Without it, most of what you get
from juice is its natural sugar, called fructose. That adds calories to your
diet without filling you up. A cup of no-sugar-added juice with breakfast or a
snack is fine, but for kids and adults, it’s best to eat fruit in its whole
form, and limit how much juice you get. If you just enjoy the taste, add a
splash or two to a glass of water. Avoid juices with added sugar.
Sip Sparingly:
Smoothies
If you have a hard time getting enough fruits and veggies in
your diet, smoothies could be a good solution. They have the vitamins of their
ingredients, plus the fiber, too. But a typical store-bought one has almost 400
calories and 75 grams of sugar. Instead, make them at home, and go light on
sweetened add-ons, like flavored yogurt, honey, or agave.
Sip Sparingly: Sports
Drinks
The electrolytes and sugar in these drinks make them ideal
for athletes who need to replenish their bodies after an intense workout. But
unless you’re finishing an hour-long sweat session, you should skip these
beverages. Many have almost as much sugar as a can of soda. All your body
really needs to refuel is water.
Sip Sparingly:
Coconut Water
It’s the clear liquid you’d find if you cracked open a
coconut. It has electrolytes and less sugar than many sports drinks or fruit
juices. Still, the nutrients vary a lot from brand to brand. For all but the
most draining workouts, water is all you need to rehydrate. And some coconut
water is sweetened with added sugar, so check the label.
Sip Sparingly: Wine
Drink the right amount of wine -- particularly red wine --
and you may improve your brain and heart health, and even your sex life. This
may be due to antioxidants like resveratrol that protect your cells from
damage. But drinking too much -- more than one glass a day for women or two per
day for men -- isn’t good for your health, especially if you do it over the
long term.
Sip Sparingly: Beer
It’s not a health drink of course, but it can be part of a
healthy diet. Moderate beer drinkers -- 1 12-ounce beer a day for women and 2
for men -- may be less likely to get kidney stones than nondrinkers. But know
what you’re sipping. Some brews have more alcohol by volume and calories than
others. If you’re watching your weight, stick with a light beer (about 100
calories).
Sip Sparingly: Canned
Cocktails and Hard Seltzers
Hard seltzers have booze, so you should drink them in
moderation if you enjoy alcohol. These or other canned cocktails can be a good
alternative to other drinks -- they tend to have fewer calories and
carbohydrates than typical beers or mixed drinks (about 90-110 calories per
can). Be sure to check the sugar content, though. Drinks with less sugar usually
have fewer calories, too.
Sip Sparingly:
Protein Shakes and Powders
They can help you meet your daily nutrition goals. But it’s
important to be picky about your protein. Some mixes have a lot of added
sugars, artificial flavorings, or extra calories. Protein shakes and powders
may also cause digestive issues for some people. Be sure to talk to your doctor
first to find the right protein source for your body.
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