Water: The Drink of Choice with Any Diet

Water is a fantastic way to fill the gaps between meals.  When your mouth wants to be busy, say around 3:00 in the afternoon when dinner is still a few hours away, a cold glass of water can help take your mind off of the snacking habit.  What’s wrong with soda or diet soda?

Scientists and health advocates blame soda for a wide variety of ailments ranging from tooth decay to diabetes, even cancer.  The reason is simple: beyond high-fructose corn syrup, which is pure sugar, the remaining ingredients are chemicals.  What about diet soda, you may ask; it doesn’t have any sugar.  True, instead it has more chemicals and many scientists believe that these chemicals and artificial sweeteners in particular need to be studied more thoroughly.  There is a general consensus among those in the medical industry that artificial sweeteners play some role in the epidemic of obesity in the world. 

Not happy with water? 

Many people don’t like to drink plain water.  Like many healthy goals, it helps to make small changes.  If you drink two cans of soda a day, replace one of your cans of soda with a glass of water and try that for a few weeks.  Once you’ve got the hang of that, you can replace the other can, too.  To make your water more palatable, why not add a slice of fresh citrus to it.  Or consider drinking the flavored and carbonated water that is now available at most grocery stores.  Take care to make sure that the water has no additional sugar or artificial sweeteners.  Mineral waters, carbonated or non-carbonated, also offer an appealing alternative. 

Coffee and tea without added sugar or milk, also offer a midday alternative to snacking.  Be careful to keep caffeine intake in moderation.  Too much caffeine can make you jittery and affect your adrenal glands, which can interfere with your hormonal balance and contribute to insulin resistance and weight gain.

Alcohol is primarily a carbohydrate and will contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss.  Additionally, it may inhibit your decision making abilities and make that bag of chips and greasy burger look even more tempting. 

When it comes right down to it, water really is the best thing for your body.  It hydrates your cells, cleanses your body and helps you lose weight, and it helps you stay healthy and feel better.