"Liquids in your Diet"

dietmag.org

Alright so lets get one thing straight right away. I am the last person to recommend any kind of so called fad diets. None of that weird cabbage soup diet, or eating just carrots for a week thing for me, and not for you either my sweethearts. Truthfully, although these highly exclusive (usually they exclude food of most kinds!) can lead to weight loss, the effects are not very long-lasting (ie you bounce back to your size 10 or worse, to a size 12 within weeks of going back to normal eating) and they can often be downright bad for your health. So this is not a piece on liquid diets. This is about ensuring that you are getting the right liquids in your diet. The kind that lead to higher caloric burning and not a wider waist.

So first things first. Know your liquids. Number one on the no-no list is always the aerated coke, pepsi, seven-up, fanta, Miranda nonsense which is loaded with sugary sweetness that does absolutely nothing good for your body! Even if you do switch the diet variety of these drinks, go easy and remember just because they contain fewer calories does not mean they are good for you. Another dangerously innocent looking liquid is the milkshake also known as the smoothie. Trust me, these guys are almost also filled with full-fat milk, whipped cream, sugar, ice-cream, not to mention the chocolate sauce! One of these is enough to finish your calorie requirement for the entire day. Approach with caution and have them once in a while as a special treat!

Other devils in disguise would include any “fresh juice” drink which contains added sugar (always ask the waiter and ask for 100% pure fruit juice and read all labels carefully) and cocktails (alcoholic more so than non-alcoholic) which taste great but usually contain way too much sugar syrup in them. Where are the heroes in this story of villainous liquids?
Here are some guaranteed good guys to get your fill of:


- Water: not only is it great for your skin and digestive system, it also works to improve your metabolism. Drinking 2 glasses before you eat also fills your stomach ensuring that you keep your meals lighter.

- Green tea: filled with free radical fighting antioxidants which protect your body against disease, this stuff also revs up your metabolic rate allowing you to burn calories faster – yay :)

- Vegetable juices: tomato juice not only contains about half the calories of a glass of orange juice, it also fills you up so that you can eat a light meal followed by it.