Feb 01, 2025
Welcome back to House Call on WDTV. Plain drinking water counts toward your daily total water intake. A UHC Family Medicine physician is here to discuss the benefits consuming quality water.
1). What tips do you provide to your patients concerning better ways to increase water consumption.
Some good ideas to increase your water consumption are:
- Carry a reusable water bottle with you.
- Freeze water in freezer-safe bottles for ice-cold water all day.
- Choose water over sugary drinks.
- Opt for water when eating out.
- Serve water during meals.
- Add a wedge of lime or lemon to your water.
2). Is water the only option or are there other types of beverages that can be beneficial?
Many other beverages can be part of healthy eating patterns.
- Low- or no- calorie beverages
- Plain coffee or teas, sparkling water, seltzers, and flavored waters are low-calorie choices.
- Drinks with important nutrients
- Low-fat or fat-free milk; unsweetened, fortified milk alternatives; and 100% fruit or vegetable juice contain important nutrients. Enjoy these drinks within your recommended calorie limit.
3). What beverages should we try to avoid or decrease our intake?
Tread lightly when considering the following beverages:
- Sugary drinks: Regular sodas, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened waters, and sweetened coffee and tea contain calories but little nutritional value. Learn how to Rethink Your Drink. Alcoholic drinks: If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Caffeinated drinks: Moderate caffeine consumption (up to 400 mg per day) can be a part of a healthy diet. That’s about 3 to 5 cups of plain coffee.
- Drinks with sugar alternatives: Drinks that are labeled “sugar-free” or “diet” likely contain high-intensity sweeteners, such as sucralose, aspartame, or saccharine. These sweeteners may reduce caloric intake in the short term. However, there are many questions about the sweeteners' effectiveness for long-term weight management.
- Energy drinks: In addition to added sugar, these products may also contain large amounts of caffeine and other legal stimulants. Concerns have been raised about the potential health risks of these products, especially for young people.
This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.
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