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ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION: The best thirst-quenching drinks

By Sharon Palmer, R.D., Environmental Nutrition on

established by the Institute of Medicine:

--Women: Consume 2.7 liters of total water from beverages and foods each day -- that's about nine eight-ounce glasses from beverages.

--Men: Consume 3.7 liters of total water from beverages and foods each day -- that's about 12 eight-ounce glasses from beverages.

Daily Healthy Beverage Guidelines

Follow these tips, based on recommendations from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Beverage Guidance Panel, to help plan your optimal beverage intake for the day.

--Water. At least half of your daily fluid should come from water. If you are aiming for 12 cups of fluids a day, that means six should come from water. And even more is better; up to 100 percent of your daily beverage needs can come from water.

--Coffee and Tea. About one-third (about three to four cups) can come from unsweetened coffee or tea. Just remember to go easy on flavorings, such as sugar, cream or whole milk. If you don't like these beverages, substitute them with water.

 

--Low-fat milk. Milk can make up another 20 percent (about two 8-ounce glasses) of your total beverage consumption. Less is fine; just make sure to replace the calcium from another source, such as fortified soy milk, green leafy vegetables, almonds, calcium-fortified foods, or calcium supplements.

--Fruit Juice. Up to one small glass (4 ounces) of 100 percent fruit juice may be included in your daily beverage intake.

--Alcoholic Drinks. If you drink, you can include up to one to two alcoholic drinks (12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits) for men and up to one for women as part of your daily beverage intake.

--Diet Drinks. Optimally, you may want to exclude diet drinks made with artificial sweeteners, but up to 8 to 16 ounces a day may be allowed.

--Sweetened Beverages. Ideally, you should consume zero drinks sweetened with added sugars, such as cane sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, but up to a maximum of 8 ounces may be allowed.

(Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition in clear, concise English. For more information, visit www.environmentalnutrition.com.)


 

 

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