Summer “Break” Your Bad Habits: Drinking Excess Calories

WRITTEN BY KRISTEN HUNG, MPH, RDN, AND MAGGIE O’MEARA, DIETETIC INTERN

Warm weather, sunshine, and time with friends and family are some of the best parts of summer. With this sweltering season often come feelings of dehydration and thirst. If you find yourself craving something other than water to drink, watch out for the common bad habit of consuming excess liquid calories. Keep reading to find out what these sneaky calories are, their health risks, how to avoid them and the best summertime drinks to choose instead.

Liquid calories in just about any form—alcohol, juice, soda, energy drinks, sweetened water, sports drinks, coffee or tea—are stealthy. We don’t often think of them as adding to our daily calorie intake, but they do make an impact when consumed regularly.

The CDC’S National Center for Health Statistics reports that approximately 50% of the U.S. population drinks sugarsweetened or calorie-filled beverages on any given day. About 25% of this population drinks at least 200 calories worth of these beverages a day. That might not seem like a lot, but those calories add up quickly when consumed with other sugar-filled or excess caloriecontaining foods.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that fewer than 10% of a person’s daily calories come from added sugar in food and drink. A healthy dietary pattern does not have much room for extra added sugars or calories from beverages. Decreasing your intake of excess liquid calories can be a great step toward a healthier diet.

It may seem impossible to give up your daily iced latte or that midafternoon soda, but choosing lower-calorie or sugar-free beverages is beneficial in the long run. Excess liquid calories and sugar-sweetened drinks have been linked to weight gain, tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other health problems.

The act of drinking excess calories is also linked to unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, not getting enough sleep, infrequent exercise, a high amount of screen time, fast-food consumption and poor fruit or vegetable intake. Choosing hydrating and nutrient-dense beverages within your calorie limits is not only better for your health but will keep you more satisfied than sugar-sweetened drinks that often leave you feeling hungry. •

• Instead of soda, choose sparkling water for a bubbly and flavorful substitute.

• Instead of “vitamin” water, choose low-sugar kombucha for a kick of subtle sweetness and the added health benefits of probiotics.

• Instead of energy drinks, choose green tea packed with antioxidants that boost heart health and lower blood sugar levels.

• Instead of store-bought juice or smoothie, choose a homemade, fiber-packed, customized smoothie with no added frozen yogurt, sherbet or fruit juice.

• Instead of your specialty coffee/ tea drink, choose a sprinkle of cinnamon. Skip the sugary syrup and added sugar for a boost of flavor and blood sugarstabilizing benefits.

• Instead of flavored drops or powders, choose infused water. Choose fewer artificial sweeteners, flavors and colors by infusing your water with a combination of fruit, vegetables and herbs.

If you have questions or are interested in learning more techniques to help build a healthy and nutritious lifestyle, contact one of our registered dietitian nutritionists at the Outpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy Office or our Diabetes Self-Management Program located in the Torrance Memorial Specialty Center, 2841 Lomita Blvd., Suite 335, Torrance. Call 310-891-6707.