We all drink different types of beverages including the cold and hot ones. They are either sweet or salted or bland. These along with plain water hydrate the body. But certain beverages are notorious for leading to gain of excessive weight and also inducing body inflammation. These should be avoided. Which are these three beverages that are bad for health and weight management? One need to avoid them to stay slim and fit.
Beverages and hydration
70% of our body is made up of water. This water can get depleted via urine, sweating and respiration. They might also reduce in amount with blood loss or loose motions. When this occurs, it is dehydration. The person feels weak, dizzy, fatigued and might get unconscious. There might be a state of shock and this is an emergency.
Plain potable water hydrates and can replenish the body stores of water. An adult needs around three litres of water daily for adequate hydration. But drinking plain water might be hard. It has no taste and one cannot take such a large amount of it daily. Hence, one can have fluids along with the water. These could be hot beverages, cold drinks, etc. But certain of these beverages are not healthy and can induce inflammation in the body. Moreover, they could cause weight gain. Which are the three beverages that one should avoid for above reasons?
Three beverages that are bad
Soda drinks (Source: Apartment therapy)Soda or fizzy drinks
Everyone loves soda. In fact in many countries of the world, these fizzy drinks are cheaper than water. But these cheap drinks come at the cost of health problems. Because soda has high calories and high sugar in it. These could trigger body inflammation and cause fat deposition in the body. Moreover, they cause insulin resistance and raise blood bad cholesterol.
Plain water is ideal. Or one can opt for kombucha, says nutritionist Dana Ellis Hunnes. She elaborates:
“The probiotics and the antioxidants [in kombucha] are anti-inflammatory and can aid in promoting GI health by helping to colonize the GI tract with healthy bacteria,”
“It is also thought that kombucha can slow down the digestion of carbohydrates by, likely in-part, because of the healthy anti-inflammation effects it has on the GI tract,”
Energy drinks
Many people have these drinks in the morningtime or with workouts. But these drinks have sugar, caffeine, and artificial flavors. And hence are detrimental for the body. Dietitian and fitness expert Nataly Komova states:
“I strongly advise you to keep these drinks from your weight loss diet routines,”
“Most energy and sports drinks contain added sweeteners, colors, and sugars that are harmful to your health,”
They cause chronic inflammation.
Energy drink (Source: Pinterest)She adds:
“The drinks contain processed sugars and artificial sweeteners that increase your risk of body inflammation, delaying your weight loss process.”
Instead, choose plain black coffee or drinks that are sweetened with monk fruit sweetener or such plant origin sweeteners.
Sugary tea or coffee or fruit juices
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Dietitian Sara Chatfield advises to avoid them. She says:
“we may not think of them as being high in calories, and our bodies also don’t recognize the calories in the same way as they do those from food,”
“There is a heightened risk of fatty liver disease, where fat builds up in the liver. Too much insulin from high sugar intake can also be detrimental to artery and heart health,”
In its place, have unsweetened iced tea.
Sugary tea (Source: New food magazine)Also, fruit juices are good and healthy. But the commercial packs of these have added sugars. These are highly processed and devoid of their nutrients. For instance, fruit juices have no dietary fiber that you would have otherwise got from fruits. Therefore, prefer fruits instead of fruit juices. If you are fond of juice, invest in a juicer and extract them at home. Also, avoid adding sugar in this juice.