5 Beverages That Promote Weight Loss
If you’re trying to lose weight or keep the pounds off, it’s important to pay attention to not only what you’re eating but what you’re drinking. Sodas and sugary fruit juices can derail even the best fitness plans without you even realizing it. In fact, according to WebMD, the average American gets a fifth of daily calories form beverages! Luckily, there are drinks that can actually help you reach your goals, including the following five, which can boost your metabolism, curb your appetite, give you essential nutrients, or all three!
1. Vegetable Juice
A serving of tomato or carrot juice has all the nutrients found in fruit juices with much fewer calories. An eight-ounce serving of tomato juice for instance, only has 45 calories, yet you’re getting an essential serving of veggies. (The same amount of orange juice has 112 calories.) Vegetable juices with pulp also contain fiber, which leaves you feeling fuller longer so you’re less likely to over-eat.
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2. Coffee
Drinking black coffee can offer your body huge doses of disease-fighting antioxidants, decrease your risk for neural degeneration, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and provide an energy pick-me-up—all without disrupting your daily calorie count. Like expensive, sugary energy drinks, coffee can give you the oomph needed to hit the gym a little harder, but unlike energy drinks, it doesn’t contain any calories. If you can’t stand the taste of black coffee, add a bit of skim milk and artificial sweetener to keep the calories low while still reaping the benefits of this antioxidant-rich blend.
3. Green Tea Like coffee, green tea gives you an energy boost. But it’s not just the caffeine that aides your energy expenditure (a main component of metabolism); a 2008 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the active plant ingredients in green tea increase fat oxidation, the process that converts your fatty cells into usable energy. Green tea extract stimulates weight loss because the plant compounds temporarily cause the body to burn calories and melt fat
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4. Low-Fat Smoothies
We’d never suggest to head to your local ice cream parlor for a “healthy” smoothie if you’re trying to lose weight, as the added honey, ice cream, or sugar can cancel out all the benefits of this beverage. But if you stick to a blend of fresh fruit and skim milk, a smoothie can deliver the nutrients needed to boost your metabolism and fill you up. Plus it tastes great! To increase the nutritional value of your smoothie, try adding a bit of protein powder. Protein builds lean muscle, which is an essential, efficient component of burning fat.
5. Water
Anyone serious about weight loss knows how important it is to stay hydrated with water. It’s the cheapest, most effect weight loss tool at your disposal! According to WebMD, studies showed that subjects’ metabolic rate increased 30 percent in both men and women after drinking 17 ounces of water. In addition, drinking at least two glasses of water before eating will help you feel fuller so you’re less likely to over-indulge.
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
photo credit: istockphoto.com
