Processed Drinks {you should avoid them}

This is going to touch on just the liquid consumption of sugar...

Many people don't realize how much sugar they are drinking on a daily basis. Many want to live in denial, but they want the extra pounds to just magically go away. Many people doesn't realize their energy level is low because of over consuming sugar.  Sugar IS a drug. Seriously. Many people believe that if sugar was introduced today it would have a hard time getting approval from the FDA. That's food for thought. Here's a great link discussing the fact that Sugar is a Drug, www.hungryforchange.tv

From here on out, you will not be in that group of "many" people. Why you ask? That's because I have spelled it all out for you in this blog entry.

 It's time to get educated on the world of PROCESSED {sugary} DRINKS. If you are reading this, you now will know.  That only leaves two options for you... 1) you can ignore the fact that consuming sugary drinks/chemical drinks are causing you to feel poorly and is stopping you from reaching your optimal health... or 2) YOU can make a massive CHANGE. Starting today! That will impact your tomorrows.

Here's a list of MANY sugary drinks I see people consuming on a daily basis. Many of them being consumed by children not old enough to even understand what a gram of sugar even means and how sugar affects their bodies. That fault goes back on the parent. I was there once, I can admit that.  However, life is different now that I know the facts and how sugar negatively affects our moods and overall health.

Capri Sun Roarin' Waters

Ingredients: WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CITRIC ACID, SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA(R) BRAND SWEETENER), NATURAL FLAVOR.

You are reading that correctly, it does contain water...BUT, it also contains HFCS and artificial sweeteners. Let's come to terms with the fact that Natural Flavor really isn't natural at all. I used to give this to my kids thinking it was just flavored water. WOW! When I started reading labels this NEVER came back into my house again.  

Capri Sun 25% less sugar Fruit Punch

Ingredients: WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, APPLE AND GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATES, CITRIC ACID, WATER EXTRACTED ORANGE AND PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATES, NATURAL FLAVOR, VITAMIN E ACETATE.

This has 16g of sugar even after it makes you think it's the better choice. It's hard to say how much sugar a child is supposed to consume because of the large age range of children. A good rule of thumb is to stay under 15 grams of sugar a day (for a child 10 or under). This drink is mainly water and HFCS and concentrated juices (processed juice). Read what Food Babe has to say about it:Capri Sun 

Sunny D
This drink contains 11g of sugar per 6.75 ounces. That isn't even the worst part of this beverage. Look at the ingredients! Water, High Fructose, Corn Syrup and 2% or less of EACH of the following: Concentrated juices (orange, tangerine, apple, lime, grapefruit). Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, (Vitamin C), Beta-Carotene, Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Natural Flavors, Food starch-modified, canola oil, cellulose gum, xanthan gum, sodium Hexametaphosphate, Sodium Benzoate to protect flavor, Yellow #5, Yellow # 6
YUCK! And they advertise it that it will give you a "boatload of energy"? WOW. Do NOT believe commercials or labeling. 

Danimal Smoothies

My kids used to suck these down 2-3 a day.  I will say they have changed the ingredient profile a little bit since 2010, but it's still mainly milk and sugar. 14 grams in each TINY little smoothie container. The ingredients at the end of the list are preservatives and food additives. 

Orange Juice
There is approximately 22 grams of sugar (30 grams in the not from concentrate types) in 8 ounces of concentrated orange juice. It is VERY important to give up processed sugary drinks if you really want to have more energy, lose weight, and eat clean!

Let's do a little exercise, shall we...a pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories.
If you drank ONE glass of OJ a day that would be 22 grams of sugar (8,030 grams a year). Convert that to calories. There is roughly 4 calories in one gram of sugar. That's 32,120 calories you could drop in one year by giving up ONE 8 ounce glass of OJ in the morning. That's over 9 pounds of calories. If you aren't very active, I'm guessing that 9 pounds is sitting somewhere on you right now.

Soda
Coke: 20 ounce bottle: 65 grams of sugar
94,900 calories a year from one 20 ounce bottle a day.
25 lbs of calories a year.
Mt. Dew: 20 ounce bottle: 77 grams of sugar
Sprite: 20 ounce bottle: 64 grams of sugar
Here's a great link that shows the sugar in many popular sugary drinks: www.sugarstacks.com

Just in case you are someone that doesn't consume ANY of the sugary drinks above, there is still a huge issue in drinking diet drinks...

I've touched on this many times. Stop drinking diet drinks. Period. Need reasons to quit?, read this: Diet Coke {rehab}


I get asked many times, WHERE do I begin this eating clean journey? I say, start with what you drink.  Drink only water, coffee (1-2 cup a day), brewed Green Tea (a must), and/or any other brewed {all natural} teas that are sweetened with {all natural} Stevia. You can make fresh lemonade with Stevia as well.

 If you are paying close attention you will notice that I didn't mention milk. There are plenty of other ways to get calcium in your diet besides drinking milk. Cheese, yogurt, almonds, flaxseeds, and green leafy vegetables to name a few.  Leaving out milk will also help with reducing inflammation.

There you have it folks, my run down on why I feel it's VERY important to overhaul what you drink. I think I'll go have a glass of water now.