What to drink (and not drink) for better health

Like food, people are always confused about what they should drink for better health and weight control. It’s not hard to see why it’s so confusing either. There’s so much conflicting information out there to sort through, how do you know who to trust?

I decided I wasn’t going to trust anyone but myself when it came to what I was eating or drinking. I’ve done enough research and label reading that I feel confident choosing what’s best for me. And I think you can do the same.

There’s no reason why you can’t educate yourself and be your own expert on what you’re consuming. You know what your health goals are and you know how your body feels. Just take it one step at a time, or one drink at a time, for better health!

So in this article, I’m giving you my list of what I drink on a regular basis for my health. You can try some of these and see what you think and if you don’t like them keep looking to find better options.

Soda, or “pop”

When I was just starting my health journey years ago, it seemed like an easy decision to first upgrade my drinks. Compared to all the foods I consumed, drinks seemed like a much smaller list to tackle! And I still recommend to others to start with what they’re drinking.

Once you start reading labels, like anyone trying to be healthy should, you realize how many calories you consume in drinks alone. The first thing on my chopping list was soda, or “pop” if you live in the Midwest! It seemed like an obvious choice given all the press on the unhealthy ingredients they contain.

Every can of regular pop has about 150 calories that all come from refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. We don’t need the sugar and we certainly don’t need the calories. If you want to lose weight then you can cut out some serious calories by quitting the soda!

This young girl lost 30 lbs in 3 months just by giving up her pop habit! Losing the weight, but also feeling better, got her motivated to change her eating habits too. That helped her lose even more weight! That’s how you change habits, one at a time, to gain momentum to healthier living.

My healthy option

If you like the carbonation you get from pop then try some of the calorie-free carbonated waters instead. These come in all different flavors either containing fake sweeteners or just plain. I’ve always been a fan of LaCroix flavored waters, but there are many more out now to choose from.

These days I try to be as all-natural as possible so I buy plain sparkling mineral water and put 1 Tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon in it for flavor. It tastes amazing and it seems sweet even without added sugar! I highly recommend giving it a try.

Coffee drinks

I know that part of the appeal of pop is not just the sugar (or fake sugar) but the caffeine. If you need caffeine to get through your day then you should first ask yourself “why?”. Are you not getting enough sleep or good enough quality of sleep? Start by fixing that problem.

But if you still feel like you want some caffeine then coffee is a better option. As long as you’re not getting the sugar and syrup-laden kinds that cost an arm and a leg! Coffee is also an antioxidant that protects your cells from damage. And if you’re cells aren’t damaged, you’ll be healthier and live longer.

I started drinking coffee in my 20s when I needed the caffeine at work to stay awake. My employer got a vending machine that dropped out a cup of French vanilla coffee (for a quarter!) that tasted like dessert. I was hooked, just like so many women are these days on Starbucks’ flavored coffees! Not a great idea.

My healthy option

My body can no longer handle the caffeine that’s in regular coffee so I gave it up many years ago. I also didn’t want the sugar that I was used to drinking in them. So now I drink decaf coffee on most days for the health benefits. Here’s my new way of enjoying a healthier “coffee drink”.

I make cold brew coffee, which is less bitter, and put a cinnamon stick in with it while it “brews”. Then I pour about 1/3 a cup of that into a mug with 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I add 1 tsp of Stevia and sometimes I even add a 1/2 tsp of cocoa powder. Then it’s really a “drink” that’s coffee-flavored, but not bitter or full of calories.

You have to give yourself some time to get used to new tastes. Just play around with different drinks until you find something you like. This one works for me.  Maybe you can find another creative way of getting your caffeine without all the calories. I would love for you to share (comment) if you do!

Tea for better health

I was never a tea fan growing up or in my early adulthood, probably because my parents didn’t drink it. Then I learned that they also have antioxidants, so I decided to add them to my diet. Now I drink quite a few different teas and in different ways. Teabox/Tea 101 explains some of the health benefits and differences in teas.

I look for teas that have a calming effect on the body, like lavender, chamomile, and matcha because I don’t relax easily. Matcha tea does contain caffeine so I only drink it in the mornings to be safe. But artfultea.com explains very well what actually makes it a “calming tea”.

I have to stress again that you should drink what you like the taste of and that’s different for everyone. I don’t usually like the taste of most plain teas so I need to add a little stevia and sometimes almond milk to mine. The milk helps to take away the bitterness. The same reason I add milk to my coffee!

I also try to follow an anti-cancer diet, so I look for things to add to my diet for help in that area. The NIH reports that the antioxidants in teas have been found to slow the growth of tumor cells. And Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org has a great 4-minute video explaining how green tea can prevent cancer. Bonus!

My new favorite tea

I recently found my new favorite tea by Good Earth called Sweet & Spicy. It’s an orange-flavored tea with a brilliant blend of spices in it that makes it seem sweetened. I really thought they must be lying about their tea having no sugar, but it doesn’t! This isn’t the health-promoting green tea, but it is a great-tasting option for your waistline!

I drink Matcha tea occasionally which is made by grinding the entire tea leaf into a fine powder. Because it uses the whole leaf, none of the nutrients from the plant are lost. This is why it’s often referred to as a “superfood”.

 

Let me warn you that drinking this tea plain tastes a little like a cup of ground-up grass in water! And since that’s not pleasant to me, I’ve come up with a better option.

I start by filling a mug with half water and half almond or oat milk. Then I add a tsp of Matcha tea powder and a tsp of Stevia to it then heat it. I’ve also found out that if I sift the matcha through a fine strainer first it helps keep it from clumping. You can also whisk it to help work it into the liquid better.

Plain old water for better health!

Of course, we all know it’s good to drink plain old water for better health, but that can get a little boring after a while. We have a local restaurant that serves cucumber water instead of just plain to their customers. What a difference that makes and I would never have thought to put cucumbers in my water!

The cucumbers give it a light, refreshing flavor that you wouldn’t expect. So now I do this at home too sometimes. Just wash the cucumber, cut it up into slices then add them to a pitcher of water. If there are other fruits or veggies you like then try adding those to your water.

Alcoholic drinks

I can’t get through this article without mentioning alcohol. Most of us love it and don’t want to give it up, but is it really a smart choice for better health? It’s generally agreed upon, because most studies show, that “moderate” alcohol use is “associated” with healthier people. But that doesn’t mean alcohol makes them healthier.

It may simply be that people who drink “moderately” also tend to be more social and make healthier choices overall. And it’s been shown that people with stronger social ties live longer lives. By the way, moderate alcohol use is defined as one of these:

• • 12 oz of beer
  • 5 oz of wine
  • 1.5 oz of distilled spirits (80 proof)

Either way, it’s up to you whether or not to drink alcohol. But a big problem is how many calories you’re consuming when you do drink. Here’s a short list of some favorite alcoholic drinks and their approximate calorie counts.

• • 4 oz Margarita = 168 (who drinks just 4 oz?!)
  • 5 oz Chardonnay = 128 (that’s pretty small too!)
  • 3.5 oz red dessert wine = 165 (yummy!)
  • 2.5 oz Chocolate Martini = 418 (now I know why I love these!)
  • 12 oz regular beer = 150 (one beer, really?)

Remember that these are approximate calorie counts, you never really know how much you’re getting out of a pour in a restaurant or bar. But it gives you an idea of how much you’re taking in with each drink and it’s a little eye-opening! So just be aware of what you’re drinking and how much. It’s much harder than you think to work those calories off with exercise!

Related article: Can you lose weight with exercise alone?

Other healthier drink options that I love

I have a couple of other drink options that I want to share with you because they’re favorites of mine on occasion. I just don’t drink them regularly due to the cost. But they’re especially great when I’m traveling and want something different or as a treat a home.

My first favorite is the Bai drink brand. I happen to be a fan of coconut so I buy the “Bai Antioxidant Cocofusion” flavor most often. Each bottle has 10 calories sweetened with Erythritol which is a sugar alcohol that is considered safe. It also has 55 mg of caffeine per bottle which is equivalent to a cup of green tea.

My other new favorite drink is coconut water. The brand I happened to buy one day and loved is Wild Harvest “100% Coconut Water”. There are 50 calories in this drink and 10 g of sugar. I like that there are no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives in it. And keep in mind, it was a treat, not an everyday drink for me.

My final thoughts

It’s important to stay hydrated for our health but it’s also a helpful weight loss or maintenance tool. If you keep your stomach filled with liquid, you’re less likely to want to fill it with more food! You just need to be careful that the liquids you’re filling it with aren’t full of calories.

And that’s my point: don’t drink your calories! Look for lower-calorie and healthier options because they are out there. I’m sure I haven’t discovered many of them yet. But if you start reading labels you’ll find out pretty quickly what to drink (and not drink) for better health.

It takes time to make changes that will last, so you want to like what you’re doing. Don’t take someone else’s healthy recommendation if it doesn’t appeal to you because you won’t stick with it. Remember that this health quest is a journey. Enjoy the process of finding new ways of living a healthier life!

Related article: Get hydrated for weight loss and health!