What Should You Drink?

The photo here is of a few doors of the beverage refrigerators at the Village Place & Market in the Village East community. Look at all those choices! We are lucky in the U.S. to have so many options but sometimes those options for beverages (or gum, or bread, or pasta sauce or cheese or the millions of other things for which we have a zillion choices) can overwhelm us, making it hard to settle on a simple drink.

So what should you drink? Beverages quench our thirst, keep us hydrated and can provide nutrients. Beverages often provide too many calories and added sugars for many people in the U.S., which can contribute to weight gain. That doesn't mean that soda is evil - it does mean that you should know not to drink soda in large quantities, though.

Here are some beverages to include regularly:

• water
• non fat or lowfat milk or soy milk
• tea (hot or iced)

Here are some beverages that most people can derive some benefits from but should be consumed in small quantities:

• 100% juices (great nutrients, but most of us should aim to eat more whole fruits)
• coffee (has some health benefits; know your caffeine tolerance)
• artificially-sweetened, low-to-no calorie beverages (don't want to start a great debate about artificial sweeteners here but the real deal is this: it is better to be hydrated by an artificially-sweetened, low-to-no calorie beverage than to be dehydrated or drink excessive calories from a sugar-sweetened beverage and gaining weight)

Here are some drinks to consider "treats":

• regular soda
• fancy, high-calorie coffee drinks
• juice drinks

What do college students drink all the time that they really don't need and could be dangerous if consumed excessively?

• ok, yes, alcohol
• but I was really thinking of so-called "energy drinks" - Basically, energy drinks have unproven health claims, can make you jittery, can be dangerous when paired with alcohol and are generally unnecessary and unable to deliver on their promises. If you feel like you "need energy," don't look for an energy drink as a solution. Instead, evaluate your sleep habits, your eating habits, your stress management, your hydration status, and/or your medical status.
  

I'm off to get a glass of water!

Cutting Back on Sugar?

I frequently hear people say that they are trying to "cut back on sugar" or that they "don't eat sugar." I often wonder exactly what they mean when they say, "sugar." A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that Americans cut back on added sugar in a study period during 2007-2008 as compared to a study of added sugar intake between 1999-2000.

The "typical" American diet contained 100 grams of added sugar in '99-'00 versus 77 grams in '07-'08. The study says that the decrease is primarily from a reduction in sodas and sugary beverages.

http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2011/07/13/ajcn.111.018366

I'd say that that's good news for Americans but unfortunately rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses continue to climb.

Even still, choosing beverages without added sugars such as water, milk, 100% juice or freshly squeezed juices, teas, coffees is better for you than choosing sugary beverages, sodas, "juice drinks," and highly sugared tea and coffee specialty drinks. But keep in mind that added sugar is just one part of the nutrition puzzle. Having an occasional iced cold cola with some salty peanuts is one of my favorite treats - and there is some serious sugar in that cola! But it's worth it and put into the larger scope of a balanced diet, it's an ok thing to do.

Trying to figure out the nutrition puzzle? Let me know your questions!

Becky at rmcdivitt@ucsd.edu

For Finals: Aim for Healthy Beverages!

Aim for healthy beverages such as water, soymilk, fat free milk and even lowfat chocolate milk to keep you hydrated and nourished during your study sessions.

Avoid increasing your intake of caffeine this week. Try to keep it consistent so that you avoid headaches and sleep disturbances.

Good Luck with Finals! Numi, New You.

Dining Services restaurants now serve Numi tea, which comes in a variety of flavors. Tea is a great beverage alternative to sugary, high-calorie sodas and juice drinks.

A nice, hot cup of tea can soothe a stressed out student. Tea even contains anti-oxidants!

You can get hot water on the side of the coffee dispensers in Dining restaurants. Then you can steep your tea for about 3 minutes.

Good luck on your finals!