Take one of your sugary drinks each day and replace it with water. A recent study shows this creates a significant difference in your health – and help you live longer!
Sugar, Sugar
Sweetened beverages like soda, juice, coffee drinks, and “energy” drinks contain more sugar than you can handle healthily. The caloric intake from the addition of those drinks into your daily diet can be detrimental. Replacing even one of those beverages with water each day will make a huge difference.
Sugar, cane sugar, fructose, sucrose, and others sounding similar add empty calories to your body’s daily consumption. They have zero nutritional value. Even “diet” drinks are unhealthy. The sugar-substitutes are mostly chemical and also do not offer vitamins, minerals, or fiber.
Sweetened beverages in your diet increase your risk for weight gain, obesity, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes. The journal Nutrients recently published their findings—simply replacing one of those sweet drinks with a glass of water (once a day even!) decreases all of the above-listed risks.
Side Note:
Another thing about sugary beverages…Those who consume them are more apt to have a less healthy diet overall. The more sodas that someone drinks, for example, the more hamburgers, French fries, and other unhealthy foods they are apt to consume.
Conversely, those who drink water and low-sugar beverages tend to eat foods higher in fiber, protein, and valuable vitamins, and minerals.
The Sugar Study
Researchers collected data from close to 20,000 participants between the year 2007 and 2012. They discovered that those who substituted a glass of water for a glass of juice or soda reaped better health results overall.
An adjunct faculty member of the Virginia Tech University study stated, “We found that among U.S. adults who consume one serving of sugar-sweetened beverages per day, replacing that drink with water lowered the percent of calories coming from drinks from 17 to 11 percent.” That’s a big, beneficial difference.
Water Options
Water from your tap may not taste good. It also may contain too much fluoride. What’s the story with bottled water? www.GetThrive.com has shared research on this particular topic several times this year. Bottom line, however, water is a must.
If you don’t trust your tap, boil it. If you need some flavor, add fresh lemon juice. A gulp first thing in the morning is totally purifying.
Fancy Water
CHLOROPHYLL WATER has become a commonly ordered drink at juice bars and yoga studios. Chlorophyll can increase the quantity of red blood cells in the body—thus transporting more oxygen through the cells. Studies have shown that it enhances energy and assists in removing pollutants and metals from our bloodstream.
COCONUT WATER is chock full of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. The micronutrients in coconut water help boost the immune system. It’s also rumored that the plant hormones called cytokinins existing in coconut water exhibit anti-aging, antithrombotic, and anticancer effects.
Water is at the root of our existence. Embrace your roots and drink from the fountain (but not the one at the elementary school). Keep hydrated from a natural source and your body will smile and keep healthy.
