DON’T DRINK YOUR CALORIES!!

I love summer…hot, sticky, humid summer…  Staying hydrated … with appropriate beverages is an issue in my house.  During the summer is when I see this played out most vividly. Several summers ago, me and my boys packed up and went to Disney World. We’ve made it our vacation destination, when we can’t think of anyplace else to go. I love going to the amusement parks…the rides, game shows, exhibits and the L I N E S…  We’ve mostly visited during the summer…and I would always warn my men...It's Florida, It's summer and It WILL be HOT…so…NO complaining.”

I always carried plenty of water…I carried it in my back pack (on my back)…like a pack horse...along with granola bars and fruit. I was attempting to eliminate the need for sugary beverages to quench their thirst!  It got so bad we had to establish “the beverage-vacation rule”. WHY do you ask…?

One particular summer vacation my spouse drank $30 worth “liquid candy”… to stay hydrated! I know it was $30, because my sister (who was on vacation with us) tallied the cost of his beverage intake. She was amazed!  I counted the calories!

Here are a few summer time favorites in my house:

·         Gatorade …my son would drink 2 to 3 of these a day…we finally went to G2 (low calorie Gatorade), which has 70 calories per 20 ounce bottle.

·         12 ounce of Soda = 140 calories…and on a hot summer day I’ve seen grownups drink 4 to 5 at a picnic. That would be ~ 560 calories…

·         A pouch of Capri Sun is 6.75 fluid ounces… and 70 calories each…how many of these has your child inhaled?

·         Beer…I just opened my beverage frig and found beer that ranged from 90 to 110 calories for light beer!

·         Orange, Apple, Grape juice…any type of juice…16 ounces = 220 + calories

Some would say …but what about diet drinks, or iced tea with splenda…? I say…Save Your Money! Nothing is better than water to quench thirst!

So…the beverage rule when on vacation goes like this: whenever we are eating a meal out… everyone orders water. Coffee and milk at breakfast are exempt. When at parks, the pool and picnics…we drink water. We’ve practice this for 10 years. We have saved money, calories and we’ve been better hydrated.  And my boys have gotten used to ordering water at most eateries.

So…If you are guilty of drinking more than 150 calories a day in liquid candy…STOP!

Sugar sweetened beverages can lead to unnecessary weight gain…which can increase a person’s risk for chronic disease.  Juice can be the worst…most people think juice is a healthy alternative to soda (not when you drink 20 ounces)…therefore they over consume… 4 ounces is plenty.

Here’s a great way to get flavored water pretty cheap. Cut an orange, apple, and a few grapes…put them at the bottom of a water bottle…cover with ice and fill with water. Continue to fill the bottle with water throughout the day. At the end of the day when the ice has melted…eat the fruit!

Inexpensive flavored water and a few servings of fruit…that’s what’s needed on a hot summer day!

Le Greta