Sugar can sneak up on you.
Energy drinks, juice, alcohol, flavored coffee and tea are all loaded with sugar. The American Heart Association advises us that sweetened drinks lower “good” cholesterol and increase fat in the blood.
Try to figure out why you like drinking sugary beverages. Because it’s handy to grab? Choose bottled water instead.
Is it because pop and powdered drink mixes are cheap? Tap water is free.
Do you enjoy the lift you get from the caffeine? Try unsweetened coffee or tea.
Maybe you choose a beverage out of social pressure: young people often choose beverages because of ads targeting their age group. Adults aren’t immune to peer pressure: consider the millions of dollars spent on advertising beer and wine, which contain sugar.
Beware of sugary seasonal traditions, such as eggnog, or pumpkin spice latte.
If water seems boring, experiment with infused water. Simply fill a container with water and add anything from lemon to cucumber to fresh mint for a change of pace.
Uncover the reason you drink sugary beverages, and plan your strategy. In the end, the important thing will be a decrease in your risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Ann Cochran is the health navigation coordinator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
My “strategy” is Purecane sweetener. Kind of expensive but given it’s an erythritol made from sucrose (table sugar) instead of the usual fructose, it has no aftertaste while tasting really close (really unnoticeable) to regular sugar. Great in baked goods or lemonade made from $1 Dollar Tree juice (or my personal favorite: smoothies made from their frozen berry selection). Diabetic/Keto-friendly, so why suffer from a lack of sweet stuff?