Nutrition – What To Drink?

In this series of articles we’re looking at nutrition. So far
we’ve talked mainly about desserts, meat and veggies….which
are the three components of most meals.

As we wrap up our focus on ‘what to eat’, we’re going to examine
what we should be drinking. If it’s true that “we are what we
eat, from our heads to our feet” then we can also accurately
claim that we are what we drink.

Make no mistake about it, it is entirely possible to get fat by
simply consuming too many fattening drinks. Even if we closely
watch what we eat, we can still do some severe damage to our
scale if we don’t watch what we drink.

Check out the facts on the following drinks: * Root Beer 12 oz.
can = 180 calories * Starbucks Caramel Mocha Whip 16 oz. = 470
calories * Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Creme Whip 16 oz. = 500
calories * Coca-Cola 32 oz. (fast food size cup) = 310 calories
* Orange Juice 10 oz. = 140 calories * PowerAde 21 oz. = 140
calories * Skim Milk 8 oz. = 80 calories * Water any size
serving = 0 calories

The issue many of us have is that we regularly consume massive
quantities of regular soda. The fast food chains and convenience
stores haven’t exactly helped us in this area, either: the
‘small’ and ‘regular’ sizes have been removed from many menus
only to be replaced with ‘SuperSize’ and ‘Big Gulp’ sizes.
(Whatever happened to the regular ‘gulp’ size, anyway?) We’ve
even seen some gas stations selling a super-tanker 44 oz. size
soda, which packs at least 400 calories!

The important thing to note is that, from the above list, only
skim milk gives us the protein and calcium we need without
attaching too many calories. Yes, the Starbucks Caramel Mocha
Whip has 13 grams of protein, but at a cost of 470 calories
(this is about 25% of the TOTAL calories a typical woman should
have in one day!).

Now in comparison let’s look at a double-serving of milk (16
oz.) so that it will be the same as the Starbucks serving size:
that same amount of skim milk as 16 grams of protein (vs. 13 for
the coffee) and only 160 calories.

Calcium is one of the nutrients most likely to be lacking in the
American diet. The calcium found in milk helps build and
maintain strong bones and teeth. This mineral also plays an
important role in nerve function, muscle contraction and blood
clotting. Each 8-ounce glass of milk provides 300 mg or 30% of
the Daily Value (or recommended intake).

The vitamin D found in milk helps promote the absorption of
calcium and enhances bone mineralization. Milk is one of the few
dietary sources of vitamin D. Each 8-ounce serving of milk
provides about 25% of the Daily Value.

Lowfat and fat free milk have the same nutrients as whole milk
with little or no fat. The American Heart Association endorses
fat free and lowfat milk to reduce fat in your diet, but still
get nutrients you need every day.

About three-fourths of Americans (or about 75%) do not get
enough calcium in their diets. Nine out of 10 women and 7 out of
10 men fall short of current calcium recommendations.

Many studies suggest that fat free or lowfat milk, as part of a
lowfat diet, may help reduce the risk of hypertension.
Hypertension or high blood pressure afflicts one in four
Americans and is the leading cause of heart disease and stroke.
The American Heart Association recommends fat free and lowfat
milk.

Chocolate milk is just as healthy of a drink as white milk.
Lowfat and fat free chocolate milk packs in the same amount of
calcium and nutrients as white milk, making it a great tasting
way to grow strong, healthy bones.

Drinking milk now helps prevent osteoporosis when you get older.
Osteoporosis affects 28 million Americans and one in five of
those affected is male. Milk helps build strong bones because
it’s rich in calcium and vitamin D, which can double the amount
of calcium absorbed by your body. You should drink more milk to
help prevent osteoporosis

Milk is a great nutrient package of 9 essential vitamins and
minerals, including calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, protein,
potassium, riboflavin, niacin (includes niacin equivalent) and
phosphorus. Milk provides good nutrition for your body.

The choice is clear: choose skim milk and water as your
beverages of choice and watch the pounds drop off. At only about
13 cents per serving ($2 per gallon), milk makes an economical
choice as well.

We’ll see you at the dairy case!

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