Which Drinks Cause the Most Weight Gain?
If we could somehow completely eliminate all the drinks that cause the maximum weight gain from our daily diets, we would be so much healthier. These drinks lead to excessive calorie consumption and also have a direct impact on water retention. Despite many people drinking the recommended quota of 2 litres of water per day, as per the WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines, only a minor percentage of them actually drink pure water. Excessive calories and sugars consumed via beverages negatively affect our body dimensions as well as our health.
We’re so used to drinking fizzy beverages, fruit juices, sugar-sweetened and alcoholic beverages, flavoured drinks, etc. as an accompaniment to our everyday meals or after exercising, that we often forget the negative impact these drinks have on our health. It’s high time that we acknowledge why and how these drinks influence our health.
Alcoholic drinks
Obesity and alcohol are closely interlinked to each other for many different reasons. First and foremost, alcoholic beverages are a major sources of calories, and they put an additional processing load on our liver. Indulging in excessive alcohol consumption may also lead to permanent damage of this vital organ. Furthermore, the liver is unable to burn other fats (consumed via food items) while it’s busy burning off the alcohol.
Alcohol also increases our food cravings, instead of satiating our hunger. Once the hunger pangs come into play, they can quickly transform the habit of alcohol drinking into our body’s worst nightmare! Also note that alcohol is a type of mild drug which creates an addiction. Anyone who gets addicted to alcohol may find it extremely difficult to keep his/her consumption at moderate levels. Limiting oneself to an occasional pint of beer with friends or a small glass of wine with lunch/dinner may become a very difficult task.
Sodas and other sweet drinks
Sweetened, soda-based beverages are another major cause of obesity in people. Almost all soft drinks consist of added sugars, and contain the lowest and cheapest quality, genetically modified corn syrup. These drinks contain a good amount of glucose to create addiction in consumers, giving them that ultra-sweet taste.
Sugar-free or zero calorie drinks aren’t really better. These drinks are usually sweetened with aspartame, which is very harmful to our health. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need to add sugar to our daily food items. If we need to sweeten things, it should be done naturally with stevia, as Coca-Cola has started doing in Argentina. Although this practice doesn’t eliminate sugar completely, it does reduce it.
Not only do soda-based drinks contain artificial sweeteners, they also lead to excessive sodium content in the body, resulting in water retention. Apart from being detrimental to our weight loss efforts, these drinks put tremendous stress on the liver and kidneys, too.
Fruit juice
Nothing could be more energy-filled, tastier and healthier than natural fruit juices. They’re even better if they’re organic, free from industrial or chemical pesticides. In case you do decide to switch to these juices, ensure that the ones you buy have organic seals, guaranteeing their purity. Industrial juices have hardly any natural fruit juice in them and contain unhealthy colouring agents and additives. They may even have low quality sweeteners in them.
Hence, the most natural and healthy juice is that which is prepared at home with fresh, good quality organic vegetables and fruits.
The best drinks
Without an iota of doubt, the best drink you could ever consume is pure water. Fresh mineral water obtained from the tall Sierras and Alps is considered the best for drinking purposes. It can be purchased at a reasonable price from most shops or vending machines.
Apart from water, other popular and healthy options include:
- Freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices
- Herbal teas and other tea variants
- Water-dissolved roasted grains (like barley or coffee)
- Vegetable milk obtained from almonds, rice or oats.
