Going on a diet to lose weight and increase well being means that we change the way we eat and consume foods with lower calories to obtain the results we wish to achieve and then maintain.
What is equally important as the foods we eat in general are the types of liquids we swallow. When you embark on your new diet full of energy and purpose could you ever imagine sitting down and consuming 10 teaspoons of sugar, if you are serious probably not, but that is exactly the amount contained in only 12 ounces of Cola which not only stacks on the weight but can lead to the development of many other health problems.
Soft Drinks, wine, cocktails, juices and sweetened coffee drinks all contain huge amounts of sugar which when drunk regularly pile on the pounds. In essence they are useless calories. Sugar is also very addictive and is not designed to satisfy us. It punishes us with fatigue when we miss our regular hit of it and the longer you drink these types of beverages the more you will require to get the same kind of fix. Sugar is similar to cocaine in that it temporarily increases the level of well being hormones Dopamine and Serotonin that stabilizes our mood, inducing feelings of well being and happiness, As Sugar intake brings on this euphoric mood and after a while the body as with all drugs becomes accustomed to it people need to consume more and more sugar to gain the equivalent results
The danger in the huge amounts of sugars contained in these liquids is that they are so compacted in such small quantities. An interesting comparison is the popular liquid drink Coconut water which is promoted as a health drink with many benefits such as Electrolytes and Potassium, however Coconut water can contain MORE sugar than many soft drinks so any benefits it might contain are negated in the way of a weight loss or health value due to the high caloric sugar content. Beer does not contain sugar but is high in carbohydrates which is a form of sugar. We have all heard of the term ‘Beer Belly’.. This is exactly what you will eventually achieve if you drink too many beers. Full of bloating yeast and grains it is harder to digest and again packed full of useless calories. Juices are another liquid teeming in Sugar Calories and like Coconut Water contains on average more sugar than soft drinks. Many people can be fooled into thinking that anything with fruit in it is healthy and yes fruit is healthy when you eat it. When you eat fruit it is not normal to sit down and eat 10 to 20 oranges in one go. This is because fruit when solid contains fibre which fills us up and stops us from overeating. However with fruit juice it is conceivable that a glass can contain the juice of many oranges and if you drink a few glasses it would not be hard to drink the juice of 20 oranges which is a huge sugar intake. Our livers need to work overtime to digest the onslaught of insulin that these huge sugar rushes contain. The sweetened drinks do not satiate us in the same way that solid food does, so it is easy to drink copious amounts of liquids containing vast amounts of sugar without even noticing it.
What about coffee. Coffee is fine without the cream, sugar and milk, but when plain coffee is turned with the aid of these sweeteners into a sugary treat you are definitely not going to lose and maintain weight loss.
If you must drink alcohol and you wish to lose weight stick to liquors like vodka or gin that contain no sugar and fewer carbohydrates because they are generally not fermented. If you wish to drink wine try diluting it with water and stick to one glass.
As for the soft drinks ditch them altogether. Not only will they greatly hinder your weight loss efforts, they will also decay your teeth, lead to chronic diseases like Diabetes 2 and Alzheimers and are in general extremely detrimental for maintaining health.
The best thing to do is to go cold turkey and completely eliminate these liquids from your life. They are not doing your waistline any favours. If your goal is to lose weight and to keep it of this is a sure fire move on your way to success. Sugar is a drug. Once you have eliminated sweet liquids from your diet, you will find that you will also gradually lose the desire for sweet food. In fact a sugar surge will end up giving you a stomach ache or bring on a headache. This is your body’s way of telling you the sugar is not something it needs or wants.
Liquids that are healthy to drink are of course water which takes the number one spot. Water can be drunk in huge quantities and as are bodies are made up of up to 80% water it is healthy, calorie free and only beneficial. Unsweetened teas and coffee are also acceptable and if necessary small amounts of diluted juices and the occasional alcoholic drink if desired.
By eliminating these sugary laden, calorie fuelled liquids from your diet you will lose the pounds as well as gain from many other health benefits.