We are always thinking about being careful of what we eat by constantly checking the nutritional information of food. What we forget, though, is to think about the nutritional value of what we drink. It’s important to be aware that drinks can also contribute to our weight, and making adjustments to what we drink can create a major difference. Here are the drinks that you should avoid the most, and the healthy alternatives to those drinks:

1. Alcohol: This can be Enemy #1 in your process to lose weight. Drinking alcohol slows down your process because of the large amount of calories that each drink has. More than that, it can also slow down your liver function. While your liver is processing the alcohol in your system, it disregards the fat that needs to be stored. Alcohol consumption can also affect your hormones by causing hunger to increase so that you are looking for more food to eat. You should always limit your alcohol consumption to one or two glasses (max) a week. Always go for drinks that are lower in sugar.

2. Soda: Soda is another one of those major diet enemies because of all of the sugar contained in just one glass of soda (38g or 12 Tablespoons). It also has a ton of Fructose Corn Syrup, which gives your body an incredible amount of sugar. If you stop drinking soda, you could lose 2 pounds a week! This is one of the most serious adjustments you could make to your diet. Diet soda is a good alternative, but you also shouldn’t consume an excessive amount. Limit yourself to drinking soda 2 or 3 times a week.

3. Fruit Juice: You have to remember that although fruit has a lot of vitamins, it also has a large amount of sugar. A glass of orange juice can have as much as 28 g of sugar and practically the same amount of calories as a regular soda. Fruit juice is a carbohydrate that you should one have during breakfast and you should limit it to only a few days a week. It is always better to consume the whole fruit, because liquefying it loses a lot of nutrients and fiber your body actually needs from fruit.

There are plenty of alternatives for drinks that not only help replace calories, but can also help you accelerate burning those calories. Water is essential, and should always be the first alternative. You can use the amazing Hydration Aloe Vera drink mix by Yes You Can!  They have hibiscus, mango, pineapple, peach flavors. If you drink it cold, it’s even better because your body uses more energy to raise the water to body temperature, which burns more calories. Another excellent alternative is green tea, which has many powerful antioxidants and can also stimulate energy use and weight loss. Another trick to not drink your calories is to limit your intake of drinks with carbonation. It is proven that drinks with carbonation generate a false sensation of being full, which can quickly turn in hunger.

Alejandro Chaban