This is a quick look at 4 popular beverages that we consume and some of their functions in the body. How they may or may not aid in promoting your health and wellness/fitness efforts.
Juices and Drinks
I have Chosen to start with juice because these are the beverages that many of us are giving to our children. I have a picture of a blueberry drink, this particular one looks eerily similar to the windshield wiper fluid next to it. The best juice that you can consume is the one that you make by cutting up fruit in a juicer or high powered emulsifier. The actual fruit should be squeezed or cut up and made into drink. The majority juices prebottled for you are loaded with sugars and additives to make them look attractive and last long enough for the consumer to purchase them. Many juices are chemically altered to have a uniform flavor. Think about it… no two oranges taste exactly the same but every box of orange juice taste exactly the same according to brand. No two of any thing in nature taste exactly alike yet and still juices of a certain brand have the same flavor regardless of the fruit used to make them, they are chemically altered. Drinks are different than juices and have far less nutrients than juices. You will see that drinks have little more than a sweetener, water and dye of some sort. They are usually cheaper because they usually contain no fruit. If you must choose between these two go with a juice over a drink any day.
Soda & Diet Soda
We all know of the unhealthy ramifications of drinking sugar laden sodas and colas. What many have switched over to is proving to be no better. There are no calories in diet sodas but the absence of calories have lead to the presence of other things. Calories have never been a problem for the body to use as fuel or store. Artificial sweeteners, preservatives etc. have had adverse effects on the human body. A study by the University of Texas Science Center has concluded that participants who drank diet soda daily over a 10 year span have waistlines that have increased 70% more than non soda drinkers. Expanded waistlines are associated with heightened risks of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. When will people understand that zero calories does not mean automatically healthy?
Coffee
Sadly enough it is true that coffee and not fresh produce is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. Recent studies have concluded that Coffee is full of chlorogenic acid and melanoids (antioxidants) that act to prevent the oxidation of our bodies' cells and DNA. A recent study by Harvard School of Public health concluded that coffee can help to regulate blood sugar and positively affect type 2 diabetes. Coffee has also been associated with diminishing the risk of stroke, altzheimers, Parkinsons, Dimentia, decreases in cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer( colon, prostate, rectal, breast). Coffee is considered an acidic food because it causes urine to become more acidic. Coffee ranks only a 5-5.1 on the PH scale. The side effects are jitters in some people, possible aggravation to ulcers. It is a stimulant so you will notice higher blood pressures and higher heart rates. Increased calorie consumption is also a side effect as people add other things that have high calorie levels such as sugar cream and other things for desired flavor. In my opinion Coffee is not as bad for most people as you might think.
Alcohol
Other than that fact that drinking alcohol in excess could dramatically change your life for the worse (hangovers, bad decision-making, sickness, addiction etc) there are a few things about alcohol consumption that may derail your fitness efforts as well. Alcohol provides No nutrients to the body whatsoever and actually interferes with how nutrients are absorbed. Alcohol does provide calories. These calories must be used as fuel or will have a high possibility of being stored as fat in the body. Keep in mind that the alcohol industry is not made to show what is in their proprietary formulas. You do give up the control to make healthier choices in alcoholic beverages. This is a little different than the options you get to enjoy while consuming other foods. Alcohol has 7calories per gram consumed and fat has 9. Both carbs and protein only contain 4 calories per gram consumed. Hormonally there are two things to know about drinking alcohol. Alcohol suppresses both growth hormone release and testosterone production. This is not such a good thing if you are looking to create an anabolic environment in the body, grow muscle, lose body fat and lean out (tone up).
The fact of the matter is that all of these four very common (daily consumable) beverages have the ability to affect your fitness levels and well being. Some peoples body chemistry can withstand the effects of some of these beverages better than others. Each persons body will have a different expression when exposed to a stimulus. Across the board though Water is most beneficial when looking for something to drink that does not have any side effects and promotes Great health. Drinking things that are as close to natural as possible seems to be a great rule of thumb as well. In my opinion I do believe that the expression of the foods and drinks that we eat differ from individual to individual. Many people drink these and other things without thought. It is very important that you are in touch with your own body and its idiosyncrasies. The best person to tell how your body will respond to any input is you. As always, a conscious approach to anything always makes for the best outcome.
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If you would like to use this blog post you can! Just be sure to include all info and links in their entirety: Andre Farnell is a 17 year Fitness Expert and Lifestyle Coach in NY/NJ and worldwide and owner of Better Body Expert LLC (Fitness Solutions Company) Inventor of the Better Body In A Box workout card series and the Better Body Method of training. Andre specializes in training Workaholics, Celebrities,Executives and the extremely busy. Andre is a Fitness Personality, Speaker, and Author with 20 years of fitness experience both training and as an athlete. He has been featured in and on Open Chanel 67, MTV, INC Magazine, MSNBC, BodyBuilding.com , Business Week and numerous blogs and has also been awarded by the American Heart Association. www.BetterBodyExpert.com Copyright 2009-2012 Better Body Expert LLC. |
