Drinking soda is hardly good for our bodies & most of us know that. However, those drinks in the “healthy” section of the grocery store aren’t always as good as they claim to be. Yes we’re talking about you – fancy fruit juices & flavored waters! Here are twelve “healthy” drinks and how they’re destroying your body.
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Fruit Juice
Who doesn’t love a glass of orange juice in the morning? While it’s made from fruit, this kind of juice has lots of sugar & none of the good fiber you get from eating the actual fruit. Drinking too much fruit juice can increase your blood sugar and, over time, cause weight gain. It can even increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.
Vegetable Juice
Similarly, you’d think that vegetable juice would be the best kind of health drinks. And it is—unless you buy store-bought versions. These often have too much sodium, which is bad news for your blood pressure and heart. Try sticking to low-sodium options or make your own. At least then you’ll know exactly what’s in your glass.
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Flavored Water
Flavored water is great for those of us trying to drink more water but bored out of our minds with the plain stuff. Unfortunately, some of these drinks have way too many added sugars or artificial sweeteners. These additives can mess with your cravings & make you gain weight while damaging your teeth. Always check the label or, better yet, infuse your own water.
Sports Drinks
Unless you’re actually running a marathon or sweating it out in intense workout sessions, you probably don’t need sports drinks. They’re designed to refill the electrolytes you lose when you sweat a lot. For the average Joe, they just add extra calories & sugar you don’t need and this makes your exercise rather pointless.
Diet Soda
Many people have been misled by diet soda’s promise of “zero calories.” Yes it doesn’t have sugar—but the artificial sweeteners aren’t doing us any favors either. They’re linked to things like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Worse still, they can even trick your body into craving more sweets, making for a lose-lose situation.
Detox Teas
Detox teas are quite popular as they claim to flush out toxins & help you lose weight—it sounds too good to be true. And that’s because it is! Many of these teas contain laxatives like senna that can lead to dehydration and mess with your digestive system if you’re not careful. Science also doesn’t support the whole “detoxing” thing.
Coconut Water
What’s wrong with coconut water? After all, it’s a good source of potassium—but it’s not free of calories or sugar. Drinking too much of it can cause problems for anyone watching their weight or sugar intake. Like everything else, moderation is important. You can keep drinking coconut water although you shouldn’t expect it to work miracles.
Almond Milk
Almond milk is a great dairy-free option yet not all almond milk is created equal. The flavored varieties often come with added sugars that can make that healthy choice far worse for you. Plus, almond milk doesn’t have as much protein as cow’s milk does.
Smoothies from Stores
Smoothies sound like the ultimate health food since they’re essentially fruits & vegetables blended into a delicious drink. But when you buy them from a store, you often get a lot more sugar than you bargained for. Most stores will add syrups and even ice cream to make them taste better! Instead, you should make them at home because you can control what goes in.
Energy Drinks
Whenever you need a pick-me-up, energy drinks will give you a quick energy boost—at a high price. They contain loads of caffeine & sugar. Such a combo often causes energy crashes and some serious health issues down the line like heart problems & high blood pressure. Too much caffeine can also mess with your sleep.
Iced Tea
As refreshing as a tall glass of iced tea on a hot day might be, commercial iced teas are often sugary drinks in disguise. They can include as much sugar as a soda—you don’t need us to tell you why that’s so bad. You’re better off brewing your own and skipping, or at least reducing, the sugar content.
Kombucha
Don’t get us wrong—Kombucha has many probiotic benefits but it’s not without its downsides. It contains sugar (and sometimes alcohol) as byproducts of its fermentation process so it’s best to drink it in moderation. It’s a good addition to a healthy diet as long as you remember that it’s just that—an addition.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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