This week I want to take some time to address one of the largest sabotages when it comes to weight loss, liquid calories. When losing weight many people spend time focusing on their food calories and they forget to account for liquid calories. It has been said that when one is trying to lose weight, they need to increase their liquid consumption. In today’s society, people will try to increase their fluid intake by increasing their intake of juice, soda, sweet drinks, coffee, tea and yes, even with alcohol. The only liquid calories needed by the body are water and milk. The fact of the matter is that average person needs around 90 oz of fluid per day and half of the daily fluid needs to come from water. The reason you need more than 40 oz of water per day is to flush/clean your kidneys and supply the needed fluid to the organs to help them properly function. Dehydration can lead to changes in blood pressure, pulse rate and mental status. Dehydration can also lead to increased hunger, which in turn can cause weight gain. Milk is the only liquid calories needed because it provides the recommended amount of calcium per day. (To refresh yourself on the importance of calcium, refer to blog #7.) Milk also provides some of the daily need of Vitamin D, B vitamins and phosphorus.
According to Advisory Committee on Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2005, those who consume a lot of added sugars from drinks, such as fruit juice, coke, flavored drinks and sweet tea, tend to consume more calories and fewer vitamins and minerals. This is true of any type of added sugar, whether it is sugar cane, honey or agave nectar. As a result, research shows there is a link between drinking sugary drinks and an increase risk for Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer and Obesity. Why you might ask? Great Question! Sugary drinks increase the risk of diabetes because 15 grams of carbohydrate, which is around 4 oz of most sugary drinks, spikes the blood sugar 50 points in 15 minutes. This is a rapid spike in blood sugar. When the blood sugar spikes, the body forces the pancreas to produce enough insulin to compensate. Overtime the repeated rapid blood sugar spike will wear down the pancreas and cause it to not be able to produce enough insulin to compensate. As a result, the blood sugar starts to rise in the blood and the diagnosis of Type II Diabetes follows. Research shows that the insulin resistance that is usually associated with Type II Diabetes is thought to increase the risk of certain types of cancer. Weight gain, which can be caused by the extra liquid calories, is also a factor that can increase the risk of cancer. The more weight one has from fat vs. muscle, the higher the risk of cancer. Sugary drinks also increase the risk of heart disease because all refined sugar can be made into triglycerides in the body. Triglycerides are bad cholesterol that is found in the blood. People who have triglycerides above 200 are thought to have an increase risk for heart disease.
The big picture is that there are no added health benefits to consuming calories from liquid, unless consuming milk. Sugary drinks decrease the amount of calories and carbohydrates that you eat throughout the rest of the day and therefore decrease the nutrients and fiber that you could have consumed. Many sugar drinks claim to prevent/limit dehydration because of the sodium and potassium content. I would rather you drink water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables. There is a reason that most fruits and vegetables are in season during the summer, which is usually a time we need our electrolytes replenished. Alcohol is actually digested more as a fat than it is as a carbohydrate. There are 7 calories per gram in alcohol. As a result, when trying to lose weight you need to count any alcoholic drink as a fat source to limit yourself from overeating. It is recommended that a man consume no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per every 24 hrs and a woman is limited to 1 alcoholic drink per every 24 hrs. Serving Examples of alcohol are: 12 ounces of Beer or 5 ounces of Wine or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof liquors.
If you are going to consuming liquid calories, you have to account for them in your overall daily calorie, carbohydrate and fat total to increase your success in weight loss and overall improvement in health. There is nothing sweeter than the feeling of successful weight loss and good health.
XOXO!!
The Dietnista
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