Healthy Beverage Choices

So now that we’ve spent all week talking about how bad some beverages are for you….let me give you the good news. I don’t believe in completely banning certain food/drinks from your lifestyle.

My food philosophy (read more here) has always been that life is hard enough without getting to enjoy a certain food/drink again. I don’t think that is realistic and I don’t think it’s fair.

I honestly believe that everything (even those not-so-great beverages discussed in previous posts) are fine in moderation. Moderation, in my opinion, means not on a regular basis. Definitely not daily sodas or sugary coffee concoctions on your way to work every morning. I’m talking about indulging every once in awhile in a sweet mocha flavored coffee or sitting back and enjoying a freshly squeezed strawberry lemonade on a warm summer evening.

But here’s the kicker…be mindful of your choice and make it count. If you’re going to indulge in a not-so-healthy beverage, make a conscious decision to treat yourself to something you really want and enjoy it. Guilt free. Really sit back and savor it. Chugging a can of soda down in 2 minutes isn’t going to satisfy your craving or even allow you to enjoy your indulgence. Instead, I recommend pouring it in a glass with ice (crushed ice is my jam) and sit back and enjoy every freaking sip. Then, once you’ve finished, move on. Don’t give it another thought. Simply realize you had a soda, you enjoyed it and get back to your healthy lifestyle.

So what is better to drink on a regular basis?

• Water
  • No shocker here, but water is so good for your body. And naturally calorie/sugar free!
  • Jazz it up with cut up lemon slices, strawberries, mint, cucumber, etc.
  • Sparkling water can satisfy your carbonation cravings
  • Start a content with co-workers to see who can drink the most water each day, track your progress and make it fun
  • Get a new water bottle or fun glass to drink it out of. Add fun straws or ice cubes in fun shapes
• Iced Tea
  • Unsweetened of course 🙂 Add lemon or other cut fruit to add some flavor
  • Be mindful of the caffeine though, some brands offer caffeine free, or get caffeine free tea bags and make your own
• Coffee/Tea
  • Black or with regular old milk
  • If you use a lot of creamer/sugar, consider slowly adding less and less each week until you don’t even miss it
  • Again be mindful of the caffeine
• Everything else in moderation

Just to illustrate, the below shows how having something in moderation can fit into a healthy lifestyle, versus having it on a regular basis:

As you can see, the choices on the left include a high calorie or high sugar drink at each meal, definitely not in moderation. But the choices on the right show how you can include beverages other than water into a healthy lifestyle.