Why What You Drink Is Important To Your Health

When it comes to healthy eating there are some people that forget to consider what they are drinking. There are some drink choices that are just a bad idea, health wise, and some that you should always be including in your day-to-day life.

So, how do you know what to drink and what not to drink? It’s pretty simple. One way to determine what is good for you is to simply read the labels. Here are some things that people drink on a daily basis and what is good or bad about them.

Soda

Studies have shown that drinking soda could be as bad for your health as smoking. The chemicals and all of the sugar in pop makes it a very unhealthy drink options. And diet soda isn’t much better.

People are still unsure of the negative health effects of some sugar substitutes when it comes to diet pop. Aside from that, soda of any caliber is just empty calories. And if it has 0 calories it still isn’t serving any healthful purpose to your body.

Energy Drinks

Over the years there have been many news items about younger generations dying on the sports field and some people believe that one culprit for this increased health risk is the energy drink. Not only do they speed up heart rate, in youths and adults, but they also contain too many calories and too much sugar.

Smoothies And Juice

The health benefits of smoothies and juice really depend on their ingredients. A dessert smoothie with ice cream will be less healthy than one made with rice milk. Just like a homemade juice with be healthier than a store bought one, even if simply for the fact that you know the ingredients in the one you made.

Drink store bought juice on a limited basis, unless it’s 100% juice and doesn’t have added sugars.

Meal Replacement Drinks

Meal replacement drinks should never be combined with a meal, since they already contain everything your body needs in a complete meal. You will be doubling up on calories and everything else. These are definitely a great option for someone on the go though that doesn’t want to skip meals or make unhealthy fast food choices.

Coffee And Tea

In moderation, your morning coffee can actually be a great asset to your diet. It hydrates, it motivates, and some studies have shown that it can actually be good for your brain health as well. You just need to watch your creamer ingredients and limit the sugar.

Tea is also a healthy option, without the cream. Green tea, and other tea options, are rich in antioxidants. Tea is also believed to help suppress appetite.

Water

Since the human body is made up of mostly water, it makes sense that you would want to drink water on a daily basis. While there is some controversy over how much water you need to drink each day, if you are at least drinking water most of the time when you are thirsty, you are probably getting enough.

It’s extremely important to drink water when you are working out, spending time in the heat, or if you go for walks or hikes.

Beer, Wine, And Liquor

These may be some of the most controversial of things people drink. Beer has been called bad, than good. It seems the way to go with this is to drink in moderation, which is a wise idea with any alcoholic beverages.

Liquor can be OK, just skip the soda and juice, which add calories. And, of course, a glass of red wine each night just may help with heart health.
Drink smart.