People are busier than ever and life is moving so quickly it\u2019s driving Americans to drink!\u00a0 We spend billions every year on sports drinks, coffee, and sodas, attempting to quench our thirst for more energy.\u00a0 \u00a0Health concerns grow as we guzzle an average of 14 billion gallons of carbonated water, sugar, and caffeine every year.<\/p>\n
The addictive qualities and super-sized servings keep us coming back for more.\u00a0 Sugary drinks account for the largest portion of calories consumed by Americans.\u00a0 It has become such an issue that our government has started an intervention.\u00a0 These refreshments have been linked to diabetes, cancer, obesity, insomnia, tooth decay, and anxiety.\u00a0 If that\u2019s not enough to make you think twice before dousing in liquid motivation, health regulators are currently investigating several deaths involving energy drinks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re ready to pull the plug on your elixir, here are three obstacles you will encounter along with helpful tips to aid you on the road to recovery:<\/p>\n
Carbonation.\u00a0 <\/strong>It\u2019s debatable whether carbonation itself is harmful.\u00a0 Many feel bubbly beverages are ok as long as they\u2019re not loaded with sugar and other harmful ingredients.\u00a0 Try healthy alternatives like mineral water.\u00a0 Sweeten it up with nature\u2019s nectar \u2013 add fruit!\u00a0 The biggest problem with carbonated beverages is that people are drinking them instead of water, milk or juice – all of which are beneficial to your health.<\/p>\n Sugar.\u00a0 <\/strong>Many drinks are marketed as healthy and may tell you they contain vitamins and antioxidants, which are good, but the amount of sugar and other malignant ingredients will cancel out any benefit.\u00a0 Always read labels! Question the ingredients and serving sizes and turn to healthier options. \u00a0Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits, and drink milk or orange juice.\u00a0 These are high in vitamins, minerals, and natural carbs that your body needs to keep going.<\/p>\n Exercising will increase energy and release feel good chemicals in the body.\u00a0\u00a0 Keep it simple.\u00a0 Take the dog for a walk, jump rope, toss a ball with your kids \u2013 there are plenty of ways to keep active that don\u2019t have to feel like a work out.<\/p>\n Caffeine.\u00a0 <\/strong>Masking fatigue is part of what makes caffeine so addictive.\u00a0 It can stay in your system for up to 12 hours, affecting your ability to rest well.\u00a0 The only way to feel better is with more caffeine.<\/p>\n Try figuring out why you\u2019re so tired.\u00a0 Many are chronically dehydrated and don\u2019t know it.\u00a0 Drinking 8 glasses of water a day will increase your energy level and keep you alert.\u00a0 Add citrus for flavor. \u00a0Try switching to tea – less caffeine and it ranks higher in antioxidants than some fruits and vegetables!<\/p>\n Sleep is the best way to fight fatigue.\u00a0 Getting 8 hours and still tired?\u00a0 See your doctor.\u00a0 Simple blood tests will reveal if you are deficient in vitamins and minerals such as iron, which is very common in women.\u00a0 Make sure to get enough protein in your diet and snack every couple hours to keep blood sugar levels stable.\u00a0\u00a0 Bananas and peanut butter mid-day will provide a nice pick-me-up.<\/p>\n Caffeine is often added to beverages and therefore must be listed as an ingredient, but there is no requirement to list caffeine levels.\u00a0 Legislators are becoming more involved in drink regulations because of misleading marketing and health issues.\u00a0 The best energy comes from the age old advice of being well rested, staying active, eating right, and drinking plenty of water.<\/p>\n Jennifer Vargo, RD, is a Registered Dietitian with Lee Health Solutions specializing in weight management for Lee Memorial Health System.\u00a0 She can be contacted by calling 239-424-3120.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" People are busier than ever and life is moving so quickly it\u2019s driving Americans to drink!\u00a0 We spend billions every year on sports drinks, coffee, and sodas, attempting to quench… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16060"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16060"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16060\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}