SavvyHealthGirl's Blog

This page will give you what’s hot each month on just about everything. It may be a new bike for the cyclist or a new spa/resort that we spa enthusiasts just have to try once to regain our sanity. I invite recommendations, suggestions and feedback about anything. It’s sometimes nice to have other people be the guinea pigs or give their feedback, as we determine “will this work for us?

So what’s hot this month?

The Skinny on Drinks

Everywhere I turn these days, some woman is ordering a skinny latte or a skinny girl margarita. But are we really losing weight and reducing calories, as well as reducing our sugar intake? Well here is the skinny on drinks that are considered the best and worst to helping lose weight.

BEST:

Water: This is a no brainer. Some studies show that drinking two glasses of water before you eat, may make you feel full and you will eat less. Also, drinking water has shown to have a positive impact on metabolism.

Vegetable Juice: A 12-ounce serving of tomato juice has 80 calories, compared to 160 calories for orange juice. Vegetable juice with pulp is also high in fiber and can help control hunger.

Green Tea: This drink is known to be calorie free and have some health benefits such as reducing risk of cancer and heart disease. Green teas also has plant-based compounds that may temporarily cause the body to burn more calories and melt fat. The benefit appears to last only a few hours, so it may help to drink green tea at least twice a day.

WORST:

Mixed cocktails: A shot of hard liquor has fewer calories than wine or wine coolers, but once you mix in soda, sweeteners, or cream, watch out… An 8-ounce white Russian made with light cream has 715 calories. A less fattening option is to mix rum or vodka with diet soda or club soda.

Flavored Coffee Drinks: Yes, there is nothing better than a grande, caramel macchiato with whip. BUT, once you add heavy cream, flavored syrups, and/or a snowcap of whipped cream, that cup contains up to 570 calories per cup — possibly more than an entire meal! Instead, go skinny — use skim milk, sugar free syrup and no whip.

Sports and Energy Drinks: A no-no! These drinks are calorie bombs like soda. They may have more added nutrients, but you can find the same vitamins and minerals in low-calorie foods. People who are serious about losing weight should stay hydrated with water rather than sports drinks.

Soda: Every time you chug a bottle of soda, you’re consuming hundreds of empty calories. Diet soda is better, but should be drank in moderation.