More often than not I get a sheepish smile followed by a confession… “I drink a lot of coffee”, “I have a few diet drinks a day”, or “lots of tea and water”. Then, inevitably, comes the final question: “Oh, by the way, just how ‘bad’ are energy drinks and alcohol?”
Based on these common responses it is safe to say that, in essence, many people may be consuming sufficient liquid each day. However, you may not be consuming enough water and, more importantly,
you may be drinking a whole lot of empty calories. This combination can have massive consequences to your health and may be a huge contributing factor to your weight gain or your inability to lose weight. So, let’s liquidate this debate... The amount of water that we have in our bodies ranges from 50% to 75%. This variance in body composition can be attributed to factors such as age, gender, fitness level, diet, hydration status and the use of diuretic substances. The average adult woman is comprised of about 55% water. It is therefore clearly evident that water is a significant constituent of a healthy body.
In an ideal world we would all drink enough water to remain fully hydrated, but nowadays that is difficult given our busy and demanding lifestyles. Some people literally forget to drink anything at all
during their busy day, while others survive on coffee or, worse, they get through their day or their workout with sugar-laden energy drinks. Further compounding the issue is the fact that many who struggle to eat during the day or are following strict diet plans often opt for fruit juices or a liquid with a ‘nutritional’ value to fill up on calories and curb those cravings. However, this is extremely detrimental when it comes to nutrition and overall health. Simply put, our bodies don’t register liquid calories in the same way as solids. If you are on a calorie controlled eating plan you have a limited number of calories you can consume each day. This figure has (hopefully) been carefully calculated to ensure you have enough energy to get through the day and also achieve your goal, be it weight maintenance, weight gain or weight loss. If you drink copious amounts of flavoured liquids such as sugar-laden flavoured waters and juices you are simply adding empty calories to your diet, which sabotages your goal. Take, for instance, high fructose sugary liquid syrups or cordials and full fat milk – they can add between 80-160 calories to your innocent hot beverage or meal accompaniment. How about hot chocolate during the colder Winter months? It’s not only the added sugar in the formulation that impacts your waistline, but there is full fat milk powder too. Mix this in with milk, be it fat-free, skim, low fat or full cream and you could be consuming 150 to 400 calories and 25-58g of carbs per serving. If you’re a soya milk girl then you’re a little better off , but even soya hot chocolate drinks have been shown to contain anywhere from 170 to 399 calories per serving.
PICK YOUR POISON
So, even if we cut out the decadent drinks and opt for cappuccinos or lattes you could still consume between 80-150 calories per serving, and that’s if you manage to keep it to just one per day. With this in mind it is essential that you ‘pick your poison’, but even then, if you’re on a calorie restricted diet that aims to create a 500 calorie-a-day deficit to lose 0.5kg per week, a seemingly innocent cappuccino with the girls can swing your deficit into a surplus for the day and hamper your weekly weight loss plans. If left unchecked this daily cuppa can easily add an extra 1050 calories per week, which is already 66% of an average woman’s daily calorie intake; almost an entire day of extra calories! And don’t forget, not only are these drinks loaded with calories and devoid of any nutritional value, but they won’t quench your thirst and they’ll leave you wanting more. In addition, the sugary drinks will spike your insulin levels which will result in that inevitable energy slump,
which leaves your body wanting its next fix of sugar. Furthermore, most flavoured waters, sugary energy drinks, juices and alcoholic beverages are packed with chemicals and other artificial substances that aren’t good for your body. It is therefore essential that you drink the majority of your
recommended daily fluid intake of 2-3L a day in the form of ionised and mineralised water. This will ensure that your body remains hydrated. On the days that you train, be it at the gym or out on the road, ensure that you drink a bit more to avoid dehydration. The general rule of thumb is to drink to thirst and aim to replace the weight you may have lost with a commensurate amount of water.
The best way to achieve this is to always keep a water bottle with you and to keep it topped up so that you are encouraged to drink. Try limit diet drinks, juices, alcohol and sugar-free energy drinks to one per day, but only when required. In closing, it is pertinent to mention that we often mistake hunger for thirst. As such, if we ensure that we’re always hydrated we’ll be doing our waistlines a huge favour.
BY DANI WATERSTON,
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