Sports drinks. There. I said it. And I mean it. And that’s my Tip of The Week Tuesday!
Unless you’re participating in continuous physical activity for sixty minutes or longer, sports drinks should not be a part of your beverage consumption. Nor your children’s either.
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Exercise lasting less than one hour will not deplete our carbohydrate or electrolyte stores enough to require supplementation following our workout, therefore, water is the appropriate beverage for these types of activities. So next time you go for a 30 minute jog and reach for a sports drink after, reach again for a better option.
Sports drinks are high in calories (125-200 per bottle), sugar (35-56 grams per bottle), and sodium (275-440 per bottle) – three things that most all of us could afford to cut back on. And when it comes to children, it’s our responsibility to keep them away from them as well. Children tend to really like the taste of sports drinks, I know I certainly did! Lemon lime please. With sugar as the primary ingredient, it’s no wonder we all like or once liked the sweet beverage. But don’t be fooled, sports drinks are no health drink and have no room in a healthy diet. The excess sugar not only leads to weight gain but it can also lead to tooth decay as well.
And unfortunately friends, the same goes for juice. Before sipping juice we should all water it down by at least 75%.
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So what else can you drink instead?
- Plain old fashioned water, or if you don’t like plain water you can try the following too:
- Add fresh lemon or lime into your water
- Try berries, cucumbers, cranberries, basil, or mint to flavor your water
- Try naturally flavored sparkling water, like LaCroix or Perrier
- Sip unsweetened green tea with lemon
- Add a splash of 100% juice to a large glass of water
- Here’s an awesome list of 35+ flavored water ideas too by Amanda at Amanda’s Apron
I hope you’ll join me and save the sports drinks for a a very rainy day, and for your kids too! This will not only save you money but your waistline too! Have a great Tuesday!
Good health!
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