Obesity and the case for water

[lekate]

Article on water as the best choice for what to drink.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...rticle4250327/

"After all, it is estimated that 20 to 40 per cent of all the calories we consume are liquid calories."

"This does not mean these beverages should not be consumed, but moderation is the key. The Canadian Paediatric Society, for example, says young children should not drink more than 1/2 cup of juice daily, and big kids no more than one cup.
Limiting sugary soft drinks (which contain fructose corn syrup, not even real sugar), or avoiding them altogether, is a no-brainer. Diet soft drinks are not nearly as bad because they are calorie-free, but there is growing evidence that artificial sweeteners pique interest for other sweets, which defeats the purpose.

All that to say, that the best beverage to have as the basis for a healthy diet is water – not vitamin water, not expensive sparkling water shipped from France, not bottled water, though a pretty good case can be made for some of its variants, like tea and coffee (as long as they are not loaded up with sugar and cream).

But, in our quest to find solutions to the bedevilling obesity epidemic, one of the most elemental building blocks for a healthier life is at our fingertips – and it comes out of the tap for free."


I was going to do an indepth analysis, but I'm sure anyone can run the numbers themselves. Juice, pop, milk all have calories in them. While juice and milk have inherent 'good' things about them, they still deliver calories. Juice itself, should be super healthy, but in the juicing process, the pulp of the fruit is discarded. That perfect little vehicle of antioxidants and fiber is no more. You still get the vitamins, but at a cost. Solution? Eat whole fruits. No ifs ands or buts.

I don't drink milk because I find it repulsive. Srsly.

Pop, has nothing going for it. Why are you still drinking it? (I don't want to come off as mean, I used to be addicted to the stuff too, I feel your pain!)

I drink tea and coffee. Green tea is loaded with healthy antioxidants, and one cup a day isn't too bad. I like coffee, the bane of my existence. But other than these two, I really don't drink much else other than water. And I'm told coffee is somewhat healthy (in moderation, and since I really can't drink a lot of caffeine in the day I'm already limited to 2 cups max).

The upside to switching to mostly water? Savings! Again, was going to go into depth but I'm heading out soon, but I can't help but think of all the savings I have because I do not buy juice or pop. I spend at most 1.6$ a day on my coffee habit, but that's all the liquid I really buy. Tea can be bought as low as 6 cents a serving .

[lekate]

Another article

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...rticle1367863/

[anisa]

my kids think tap water is yummy

[nancyliu0522]

that's brilliant. Thx for sharing....

[hollyquaiscer]

Interesting, water is a staple to me, I bet I drink about 10 glasses a day.

[walkonby]

lekate, I saw a short thing on the news recently about the " myth " around needing 8 glasses of water a day. They cannot even trace back the original source for the recommendation for this. Someone said it, we all did it ( well anyone who wanted to be healthy )
Different diet plans and experts would all use that standard when giving advice to people. Tea and coffee they said did not count towards the 8 glasses because they are diuretics, so you had to gulp down even more liquids.
I laughed when I heard this latest discovery that water is in our foods so we get liquids from them, and it certainly counts towards our total daily intake, as well as all the tea and coffee we drink too.

[lekate]

lekate, I saw a short thing on the news recently about the " myth " around needing 8 glasses of water a day. They cannot even trace back the original source for the recommendation for this. Someone said it, we all did it ( well anyone who wanted to be healthy )
Different diet plans and experts would all use that standard when giving advice to people. Tea and coffee they said did not count towards the 8 glasses because they are diuretics, so you had to gulp down even more liquids.
I laughed when I heard this latest discovery that water is in our foods so we get liquids from them, and it certainly counts towards our total daily intake, as well as all the tea and coffee we drink too.

Yea, I've heard about that. The food part depends on what you're eating, meat is 70% water raw, but cooked it goes down. Vegetables and fruits are high in water too.

I just think on a regular basis when grabbing a drink people should consider a water first... Everything else is just 'liquid candy'....

[anisa]

ok this might be a little gross...


i know i am drinking enough water when my pee is barely yellow. that is my gauge.

sorry, i know, gross, but i warned you!

[jessep13]

lol thats considered " healthy pee" its gross when your pee is sooo totally dark because u drink juice/pop always. never water. (this happened to a friend of mine, )