Page 27 - HLIF Manual

UNDERSTANDING

BEVERAGE CHOICES

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
- A healthy eating style includes both what we eat and what we drink
- All drinks are not equal in nutritional content
- Water is essential to life!

A healthy eating style includes both what you eat and what you drink. Many beverages contain added sug-
ars and chemicals that can be harmful. While many drinks offer little to no nutrients, others many provide
some nutrients but too many calories from unhealthy saturated fat.

Your body is made up of 60% of water! So it’s not surprising that water is the most important drink for your
body. In order for our bodies to function at its best, we should drink 8-12 glasses of water per day.

Seem difficult? There are creative ways to increase your water consumption every day!

- Drink some bubbly! To make drinking water more fun, try sparkling water. It is a great al-
ternative to plan, flat water and comes in a variety of flavors. It’s also a great substitute when
you’re craving the bubbles in soda!
- Add a bit of sweetness! Drinking plain water can be difficult if you’re used to drinking
sweet drinks. To enhance a plain glass of water, add your favorite fruit to your cup to boosts
some flavor. Fruit is a wonderful addition to water because it adds natural sweetness along
with a few additional vitamins and minerals!
- Get herb happy! Herbs such as mint, lavender and basil can be used to boost your H2O.
They give your water a refreshing taste and are loaded with body benefiting ingredients. Be
sure to smash and muddle up the herbs a little to release the flavor.
- Heat it up! Quick and comforting drinks are tea and coffee. Both are inexpensive and nice
alternatives to boring water when they are served plain. They are loaded with antioxidants
that can help remove harmful chemicals from our bodies. On the other hand, teas and cof-
fees with added sugar and cream can add a lot of unnecessary empty calories- keep it plain!
- Mix it up! Can’t decide which route to go? Mix it up and combine your favorites! Hot sum-
mer day? Try some sparking water with fresh strawberries, cucumber and mint. Looking for a
warm winter drink? Add some oranges and basil to a cup of hot tea. Get creative!

It is easy to avoid water for something sweeter and more delicious, but be aware of what you’re putting in
your body. You may think that low- calorie or diet drinks have nutritional benefits, but it is often just false
advertising. Even sports drinks like Gatorade that you may think help you perform better as an Athlete, are
often loaded with high fructose corn syrup and extra sugar.

These alternative drinks are often loaded with artificial sweeteners and chemicals that can have a negative
effect of your body and lead to weight gain. These drinks can also make you more dehydrated rather than
provide the body with the water it needs to function at its best. Read the labels- as a general rule, if you
can’t understand the ingredients in a drink, it’s probably best to avoid it.

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