Ask the ExpertLillian Korbus, RD, IC®,

RYT—DTE Energy Health Improvement Specialist

Q. I’ve been hearing a lot about vitamin water. Is it better for me than plain water?

a. For most people, plain water is best. If you’re eating a balanced diet, you won’t likely benefit from drinking vitamin water (fortified with vitamins and electrolytes). Plus you should watch for added unhealthy ingredients such as flavorings, caffeine and sweeteners. Fruits, vegetables and other whole foods are the best sources of vitamins and minerals. It’s also tough to beat plain water as a healthy, no-calorie drink. If you don’t care for plain water, try sparkling water or a squirt of lemon or cranberry juice in your water.

(Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference)

GTAKECHArGE!

Playing on a Computer Near You: “Conquering the Beverage Beast”Interested in learning more about reducing calories while enhancing health through the beverages you choose? Check out this new EYL video clip online at www.dteenergy.com/eyl/myWorkLife/eylVideos.html.

Choose Wisely

Calories matter but they shouldn’t be the only factor. When choosing a beverage, consider what it offers besides calories. Milk may have a few more calories than soda, but it also offers calcium, protein and vitamins—while soda offers very little nutritional value.

InSteaD oF…

Medium café latte (16 ounces) made with whole milk

20-oz. bottle of regular cola with your lunch

Sweetened iced tea from the vending machine (16 ounces) or Red Bull Energy drink (8 ounce can)

A glass of regular lemon-lime soda (20 oz) or A glass of regular cola (20 oz)

Beer (12 ounces) or A Cosmopolitan Martini (3.3 oz)

trY…

Small café latte (12 ounces) made with fat-free milk

Bottle of water or diet soda

Unsweetened iced tea with lemon (16 ounces) or Sparkling water with natural lemon flavor (not sweetened)

Water with a slice of lemon or lime or Seltzer water with a splash of 100% fruit juice (2 ounces)

Light beer or

Mojito or Glass of red wine (4 oz)

CalorIeS

265

227

180

110

100

240

148

250

850-1,162

CalorIeS

125

0

0 0

0

30

90

150 100

215-305

oCCaSIon

Morning coffee shop run

Lunchtime combo meal

Afternoon break

Dinnertime

Evening/ Happy Hour

Daily Total

What Do You Drink? It Makes More of a Difference than You Think (Source: The Centers for Disease Control)

As warm weather approaches, watch what drink you reach for! Drinks are typically overlooked as a common source of weight gain. In fact, drinks make up about 20% of the calories you consume every day. In an age when the average daily diet has increased by as much as 300 calories per day, 50% of that increase can be directly related to beverages. But there is good news—you have plenty of options for reducing the number of calories in what you drink without losing flavor! As you’ll see in the chart below, substituting no- or low-calorie drinks for sugar-sweetened beverages cuts about 635-860 calories in a given day.

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