If you’re serious about losing weight, you have to pay close attention to the beverages you consume. Beverages such as sugary sodas, fruit punches and cocktails are fine in moderation, but should be limited or avoided entirely when you’re trying to lose weight. Instead, focus on drinking the following beverages. Not only are they calorie free, but they have a number of important health benefits to help you look and feel your best.
Water
It doesn’t get much better (or cheaper) than good ol’ H20. Studies have found water to be an effective weight loss aid because it helps encourage the stomach to feel full. For best results, drink two full glasses of water before mealtime. The water will make you feel fuller faster so that you’ll be less likely to overeat.
In addition to the weight loss benefits, drinking adequate amounts of water can help boost energy levels, reduce stress, prevent muscle cramping during exercise and improve your metabolism! For an extra metabolism boost, make sure the water you drink is ice cold; your body will have to work extra hard to warm it up.
Women should aim to drink about 9 8-ounce glasses of water each day. That number increases for men, who should aim for 13 glasses a day.
Green Tea
If you’re looking for a mild caffeine boost, green tea is a good option. Not only is it calorie free, but some studies have shown that it also stimulates weight loss! Drink two glasses of green tea a day – one in the morning and one in the afternoon or early evening—to reap the biggest weight loss benefits of green tea.
Green tea drinkers can also look forward to the disease-fighting properties of the tea, along with its ability to lower cholesterol and prevent type 2 Diabetes.
Coffee
If you can’t get through a morning without your daily dose of caffeine, take heart. Coffee is a zero calorie beverage that, when consumed in moderation, will support your weight loss efforts. Just be careful not to overload it with sugar and cream, as this will add unnecessary fat and calories into your diet.
In addition to giving you a jolt of energy, coffee has been shown to reduce the symptoms of depression and reduce instances of cancer, type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and stroke. Moderation is key, however, as heavy coffee drinkers may experience irregular heartbeats, restlessness and anxiety.
Smoothies
An all-natural smoothie for breakfast or afternoon snack is a great way to satisfy your hunger, increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables and increase your intake of fiber. One smoothie that is particularly good for you is a green smoothie, which utilizes fresh greens such as spinach, kale or chard.
These greens are blended smoothly with water and fruits such as bananas, pineapples, mangos or peaches into a sweet, delicious beverage.
When making your smoothie, use soymilk, water or a mix of 100 percent fruit juice and water as the liquid base. This will reduce the calories and eliminate the fat found in most dairy products.
And while green tea, coffee and smoothies will all support a healthy weight loss diet, there is one clear winner on the list – water. To improve your health and weight loss efforts, challenge yourself to drink more water every day by getting into the habit of drinking two full glasses of water before meals, carrying around a water bottle or adding a splash of fruit juice to enhance the flavor.
What’s your secret to drinking more water?