Rethink Your Drink!

Question: Think about your daily routine. What do you drink, and how much, during a normal day? Take a minute to list your daily beverages and their quantity.

What was on your list? Juice? Milk? Soda? Diet Soda? Coffee or tea? Sports Drinks? Energy Drinks? Alcoholic Drinks?

This is a box of sugar cubes. Each cube is equal to ONE teaspoon of sugar. We all know there are sugars in many of the drinks we have listed….but how much? Using the sugar cubes, estimate how many sugar cubes/teaspoons of sugar are in this 20 ounce sports drink  An observation:

8.5 teaspoons of sugar in 20 ounces

Where is the problem? Most of these drinks are filled with extra sugars….probably much more than you think! Vitamin Water Tea Juice Energy drink Soda Sports drink

What about dairy? Yes, dairy is full of sugars too! 8 ounces 2% milk 8 ounces chocolate milk teaspoons sugar teaspoons sugar

Soda: High in sugars and/or artificial sweeteners, Unnecessary calories with NO nutritional value Chemical additives Can cause additional dehydration (caffeine) Artificial flavors and coloring Juice: High in sugars Often have extra added sugar Little nutritional value NO substitute for actual fruits and veggies! Let’s break it down… It’s also about complete LACK of nutritional value

Diet sodas: Chemical additives actually stimulate your appetite (meaning you NEVER feel satisfied) INCREASES carbohydrate cravings Stimulates FAT STORAGE and weight gain Coffee/tea: All coffee and black teas are diuretics – which causes the body to LOSE water, rather than contribute to hydrating it. 1 cup coffee = 2 cups of water Acidity causes GI distress for many people

Milk: High in sugars Can be high in calories Good source of Vitamin D and calcium Causes bloating and GI distress for many people Should be kept to limited amounts Alcohol: High in sugars Hard on the kidneys Also a diuretic (just like coffee) Often causes carbohydrate cravings

Sports drinks: Most are packed with sugars High sodium Absolutely NO nutritional value Many are also high in caffeine Important to NOTE about sports drinks: Even IF you are exercising, there is RARELY a need for a sports drink to stay hydrated! IF you are doing some kind of activity (running a marathon, for example) that causes heavy sweating for OVER an hour, then you might consider replenishing with a lighter-sugar sports drink diluted with water.

When weight loss is your goal: The VERY FIRST step is to STOP drinking beverages with more than 0 calories. If it causes more problems than good, and lacks any nutritional value while adding unnecessarily to your daily calorie intake…. WHY would you drink it? DON’T feed the sugar monster in your body. Give your body what it REALLY needs to function at optimal, fat-burning levels: WATER

How important is water? WATER makes up 60-70% of your total body weight. A 100-lb. person carries about 60 pounds of water. A 200-lb. person carries about 120 pounds of water.

Water is NECESSARY for ALL functioning in the body. Water is in bone (22%) Water is in tissue cells (25%) Water is in muscle cells (75%) Water is in blood (83%) Water is in brain (75%)

Water is VITAL for: - disposing waste that builds up (through urine, feces, and sweat) - lubricating joints - acting as a shock absorber for eyes and spinal cord - assists in regulating body temperature - necessary as a catalyst for ALL chemical reactions in the body

What happens when you are dehydrated, or don’t have enough water? ALL systems in your body are compromised. EVEN IF your body is only.5% dehydrated (half of one percent), there is already increased strain on your heart. Dehydrated by 1%?  reduced aerobic endurance Dehydrated by 3%?  reduced muscular endurance Dehydrated by 4%?  reduced muscle strength, reduced motor skills, heat cramps Dehydrated by 5%?  heat exhaustion, cramping, fatigue, and reduced mental capacity It doesn’t take much for your body to get OUT OF BALANCE when you don’t get enough water.

Plus, water makes you LOOK better! Here is an example of one woman who did not previously drink much water. Then, she set a goal to drink one gallon of water a day (128 ounces). This was the result, after 30 days:

Signs of dehydration/not enough water? Brainstorm with people sitting near you. How do you know if you are not drinking enough water?

Do you know the signs of dehydration? BEST indicator: The color of your urine – if it is dark yellow in color, you are not getting enough water. If you are adequately hydrated, your urine will be very pale yellow. Other signs: Headache Dizziness Lack of concentration Fatigue Difficulty breathing Unexplained yawning

How much water do I need to get? When you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated! Figure out how much water you need daily by thinking of it this way: Take your bodyweight and divide it in HALF. The answer to that equation is the number of OUNCES of water you should drink DAILY. Example: If a person weighs 200 pounds, they should be drinking at least 100 ounces each day (200 / 2 = 100)

How do I measure how much to drink? Take a look at your water bottle right now. How much does it hold? 16.9 ounces? 20 ounces? 32 ounces? Look at the number of ounces you just calculated as your daily water intake. Now take a look at the water bottle you have with you – and figure out how many of those you would need to drink to meet your daily water quota in ounces.

Help! How do I get my water in??? Strategies for success: * Room temperature or ice cold? - If you like it ice cold, fill up a couple refillable bottles and put them in the fridge. If you are always on the go, invest in an insulated bottle, which you can fill with water and ice cubes to keep your drink cool for longer periods *Add slices of fresh lemon or lime to “infuse” the water with some other natural flavors without the chemical or sugars

*Flavor your water with liquid Stevia drops – an herbal sweetener that is 50 times sweeter than sugar, and just a drop or two is all you need! Several flavors to choose from. *Try green tea or herbal tea as a different way to change up your water intake. Herbal teas do not have the same diuretic effect on the body (causing fluid loss and dehydration) as black teas and coffee do. *Brew your own green tea at home (only 3-5 minutes in hot water) Don’t steep too long, or it will be too strong. Flavor it with liquid Stevia if the taste is a bit too bitter for you.

More strategies: *Set a timer throughout your day if you have a hard time remembering to drink your water. *Create a checklist system: Every time you drink X amount of water, check it off your list.

*Rubber band your water bottle! If you have calculated that you need to drink 8 bottles a day and you will be re-filling your water bottle, take a minute in the morning to put 8 rubber bands around your bottle. Each time you empty it and have to refill, remove one of the bands. This will help you keep your “count” as your day goes on!

What if I have a soda habit? Or a juice habit….or a sports drink habit…. Whether it is diet soda, regular soda, or any other examples we have talked about today, This habit WILL derail your weight loss goals. But….habits are often hard to break! As a group, let’s brainstorm some strategies to cut back on soda/juice/sports drink consumption.

Strategies to cut back on soda: *Determine how much you drink daily, and then cut back by one. Replace that one soda with a full bottle of water of the same size. Make that replacement for one full week. The next week, replace another soda with another full bottle of water of the same size. Continue for another week, replacing two sodas with water. *Try diluting your soda with water. This will give you the taste, but start to cut back slowly on the amount of soda you are drinking. *What other strategies did you come up with?

Your homework: 1) Figure out how much water YOU should be drinking daily, based on your current bodyweight. 2) Identify a strategy or two that will remind you to drink your water throughout the day. 3) Drink your water FIRST, before you reach for beverages that have more than 0 calories. 4) Find a friend who will help keep you accountable to drinking your water each and every day. 5) If you are trying to kick a soda/juice/sports drink habit, identify which strategy you are going to use to help move you toward less soda and more water. Remember, habits ARE hard to break…so put the steps in place that will help you to SUCCEED! Making one small change each week will ensure your success.

Bottom line for weight loss & health: DON’T drink beverages with more than 0 calories. Eliminate fruit juices, soda, coffee/teas, and most other sugary beverages from your day. DRINK at least HALF YOUR BODY WEIGHT (in OUNCES) of WATER each and every day. Be beautiful on the INSIDE and OUT!