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Family Health Magazine
DIABETES

Healthy Beverages
Choose healthier versions more often

There’s nothing like sitting outside sipping a refreshing beverage, especially during warm summer weather. When it’s cold out, fancy hot drinks are great for warming up. Coffee shops, restaurants and grocery stores offer tantalizing choices such as fruit smoothies, slushes and a variety of iced and hot coffees.

Although these drinks seem innocent, many are packed with calories, fat and sugar. It’s easy to fill up on tasty beverages. However, extra calories add up quickly and can lead to weight gain. In fact, the increase in liquid calorie intake has played a major role in higher rates of obesity in North America. Increased weight is a major contributing factor in the development of type 2 diabetes, now reaching epidemic proportions. Choosing healthier beverages can help control weight gain, which may reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Making healthier beverage choices can also help with management of type 2 diabetes.

How many calories do these drinks contain?

Can one iced coffee or fruit smoothie really make such a difference? Definitely! Many of these beverages contain over 300 calories per serving. We know that serving sizes are getting bigger all the time. A regular-sized beverage serving in most fast food restaurants is 12 to 16 ounces (355 to 473 mL). Years ago, portions were about half that size. A recent study reported most restaurant portions are now two to eight times larger than standard servings.

Take a careful look at the ingredients found in many of these specialty drinks. The source of the excess calories are obvious. Many blended drinks, iced and specialty coffees are made with whole milk or cream. Some are topped with whipping cream. High-fat ingredients can add large amounts of calories to the daily diet. An extra 500 calories a day can translate to a one pound weight gain each week – an extra 52 pounds each year. The calories in these innocent beverages really add up!

The nutrient information on these popular beverages can help you decide how often you want to include them in your diet.

Can these drinks be made healthier?

Yes. The good news is that you can still enjoy your favorite beverages by making a few small changes. Here are a few tips.

• Choose the smallest size (some places have a child’s size).
• Skip the whipped cream.
• Ask for skim or 1 per cent milk.
• Ask for half the syrup in specialty coffees.

By making a few changes, you can still enjoy great-tasting beverages while reducing the calories and fat. For instance, a 16 ounce or 473 mL (Grande) Toffee Nut Latte from Starbucks, made with whole milk and topped with whipping cream, has 460 calories, 24 grams of fat and 45 grams of carbohydrate. By choosing the smaller size (12 ounce or 355 mL), asking for skim milk and no whipping cream, you cut out 280 calories and 24 grams of fat! A 12 ounce skim milk Iced Caffè Latte from Starbucks has only 70 calories, no fat and all the great taste.

Staying hydrated

We’ve all heard that we need to drink at least eight cups (two litres) of fluid daily. By the time we are thirsty, we are already dehydrated! As we age our thirst mechanism weakens and we are less likely to notice thirst. However, the human body still needs the same amount of fluid every day. Common symptoms of dehydration include headaches, tiredness, decreased concentration and decreased exercise performance. The bottom line – make sure you drink enough fluid to keep hydrated.

Remember, all things in moderation! Enjoy your favorite beverages and choose healthier versions more often.