If someone gave you 10 sugar cubes and told you to eat them, you would probably hand them right back and say, “no way!”. But, did you know that just one can of coke contains 10 ¼ teaspoons of sugar!
What about that Starbucks frappe you or your teenager has a few times a week? Well, the average frappe at Starbucks will contain 20 tsp of sugar! To help you put this into context, the AHA recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar each day for women and no more than 9 tsp for men. WOW!
One study that analyzed the USDA Sugar and Sweetener Outlook Data found that the US population is consuming more than 300% of the recommended daily amount! Just looking at a can of coke or that starbucks treat, it’s easy to see… well, how easy it truly is to consume 300% of the recommended amount of sugar in a day!
So what should you do?! RETHINK YOUR DRINK!
Here are 3 easy steps you can take to start:
- Drink more water! If you struggle with this, invest in a water bottle with a straw and try experimenting with flavor adds such as citrus fruits and herbs like mint!
- With summertime quickly approaching, packed with bbq’s, parties, and other social events, be sure to keep your alcoholic beverages simple by choosing light beers, red wine, and spirits mixed with water and fruit.
- Speaking of alcoholic beverages, remember to aim for a 1:1 ratio of water with your alcoholic beverage to help minimize dehydration and the negative effects it may have on your performance and/or recovery in the gym!
If you are looking to dial in your nutrition and learn more about how the beverages you are drinking may be holding you back from achieving your health and wellness goals, schedule a FREE Nutrition intro today to chat with our nutrition coach! (click here)**