You are what you drink!

We have all heard the saying you are what you eat, but what about what we drink? Most people don’t realize that many of the beverages we consume provide substantial amounts of empty calories and not enough nutrients. Recently a new initiative has been proposed putting a tax on sweetened beverages, but why? What do these drinks do that has been causing such a commotion among the public health community and why is it of the utmost importance to change?

Popular beverages

Soda



1) Calories
Soda adds empty calories to your diet. This means that soda will not provide any essential nutrients, just sugar.  
EX:  1 can of 120-calorie soda everyday for a year could equal 15 lbs.!


2) Bone health
Dark sodas contain phosphoric acids which is known to interfere with the absorption of vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential part of bone health because it is required for calcium to be absorbed. Therefore, if Vitamin D cannot be utilized calcium will be lost and bone health will suffer the consequences.

Alcohol 

-       Provides 7 calories/ 1g of alcohol

Recommended intake

Men: 2 drinks/day

Women: 1 drink/day

Serving sizes of alcohol are:

12 oz. of beer

5 oz. of wine

1) Increases urine output

Because alcohol is considered a toxin to our bodies it becomes of utmost importance to remove. Therefore, your liver will work at converting the alcohol to something that can be passed out through the urine and your body will continue to do this until it is all removed.

2) Causes dehydration

Because our urine output increases this will excrete many important electrolytes. This imbalance will force the body to become dehydrated. Dehydrations side effects are much similar to a hangover in that you experience fatigue, nausea, headaches, weakness, etc. That’s why the morning after drinking you are very thirsty because your body is trying desperately to obtain that fluid balance again.

3) Converts alcohol to fat

Once metabolized alcohol will:
a) Be converted to fat and stored
b) Stop all other energy burning systems in the body making it nearly impossible to burn the fat that you just consumed. 

*Remember your body has become so concerned with removing these toxins that everything else is secondary. The toll that alcohol can take on the body specifically the liver, hydration status and body fat is quite a powerful one, especially when consumed in excess. Naturally like most things if consumed in moderation alcohol can have potential benefits as well, such as the resveratrol in red wine and the effect it can have on appetite.

High Fructose Corn Syrup in Juices  

-       A diet high in sugar will interrupt energy burning systems in the body by overloading it. Once broken down to its simplest form sugar has one of two fates either energy use if necessary or stored for later if deemed not. Between the energy expenditure deficit and the overload of sugar fat will continue to be stored. Therefore, it is not these drinks that contribute to the obesity epidemic but the overconsumption of them as well as the physical inactivity to burn it.

Moral of the story:
Choose water more often than not. Be an educated consumer and choose your beverages wisely. There is no need to eliminate them but know why they are bad and how they can influence your health. Remember anything you consume whether a solid or liquid contributes calories to your diet, choose those calories wisely!