Drinks: What is more healthy?

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

When I decided to drop all my spare bodyfat and become fit and light enough to race motorbikes, in 18 months I went from 21 stone and a fat layabout to a 12 stone, pretty fit specimin.

I didn't drink any alcohol at all - so forget that.

My 'treat' drink became a coffee - a normal water based coffee, with a splash of milk - the treat element being one normal sugar. I had maybe 3 a day. Everything else was strictly calorie controlled, low fat and boring. So the 'full sugar' coffee became my only 'treat or vice' that I looked forward to, in amongst a sea of boring, low-fat, bland food.

Then hydration wise - I couldn't stand litres of water by itself - so I would chuck in a splash of squash. Didn't seem to hinder my fat loss, and made hydration more palatable. It's actually more effective to make sure that when you drink water or squash, that the drink is made with very cold water. Either put ice in it, or run the tap for ages. Reason being - your body uses up calories heating the drink to body temperature when it hits your stomach.

HTH

[Xerstead]

Try adding a splash of lemon juice (not squash) to a glass of water, adds to the taste with very few calories.
Mostly I just drink plain water, just get a glass and neck it, it's for hydration rather than sitting to have a drink.

[TheDiplomat]

Xerstead said:

Try adding a splash of lemon juice (not squash) to a glass of water, adds to the taste with very few calories.
Mostly I just drink plain water, just get a glass and neck it, it's for hydration rather than sitting to have a drink.

I would watch your teeth mate. Regular lemon juice and water would not only thin enamel but could also harm your pharynx. Perhaps use a straw mate to minimise long time damage if you take lemon juice regularly?

[daz3210]

R300will said:

daz3210 said:

pokethepope said:

Nope, bicarb is used to adjust the acidity, the bubbles only come from adding CO2.

Does the bicarb make it more acidic or less?

Alkaline. Ribena is good

Thats good, because recently I have had problems with excess stomach acid.

Hence the reason for my asking.

But doesn't Ribena have loads of sugar?

[Carlton Banks]

Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

When I decided to drop all my spare bodyfat and become fit and light enough to race motorbikes, in 18 months I went from 21 stone and a fat layabout to a 12 stone, pretty fit specimin.

I didn't drink any alcohol at all - so forget that.

My 'treat' drink became a coffee - a normal water based coffee, with a splash of milk - the treat element being one normal sugar. I had maybe 3 a day. Everything else was strictly calorie controlled, low fat and boring. So the 'full sugar' coffee became my only 'treat or vice' that I looked forward to, in amongst a sea of boring, low-fat, bland food.

Then hydration wise - I couldn't stand litres of water by itself - so I would chuck in a splash of squash. Didn't seem to hinder my fat loss, and made hydration more palatable. It's actually more effective to make sure that when you drink water or squash, that the drink is made with very cold water. Either put ice in it, or run the tap for ages. Reason being - your body uses up calories heating the drink to body temperature when it hits your stomach.

HTH

That is one heck of a reduction!

[daz3210]

Mobile Chicane said:

Something with a high vitamin C content.

The RDA of 60mg is the minimum required to prevent scurvy, however you need more than that.

Vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant and lowers blood pressure. 500mg daily is what you should be having.

Get a juicer and juice oranges and kiwi fruits.

If I just ate loads of these fruits would that too lower blood pressure?

[R300will]

daz3210 said:

R300will said:

daz3210 said:

pokethepope said:

Nope, bicarb is used to adjust the acidity, the bubbles only come from adding CO2.

Does the bicarb make it more acidic or less?

Alkaline. Ribena is good

Thats good, because recently I have had problems with excess stomach acid.

Hence the reason for my asking.

But doesn't Ribena have loads of sugar?

Depends how much you dilute it it's your choice. Glucose helps you take on water faster than just drinking pure water. Thats why re-hydration drips have small concentrations of sugar and salts in.

[jackh707]

R300will said:

Depends how much you dilute it it's your choice. Glucose helps you take on water faster than just drinking pure water. Thats why re-hydration drips have small concentrations of sugar and salts in.

Shirley if it's entering your body paranterally a la drip the conc.s of sugars and salts dosn't affect 'taking on water'.
IV fluids are isotonic with the blood so as to replace salts but no reduce their concentrations avoiding making you hyponatremic/kalemic.

Your boxer friend is right in that his beverage is absent of sugar, but alcohol is high in calories, 7 calories/gram I think.
Dropping the booze will make a big difference.

[R300will]

jackh707 said:

R300will said:

Depends how much you dilute it it's your choice. Glucose helps you take on water faster than just drinking pure water. Thats why re-hydration drips have small concentrations of sugar and salts in.

Shirley if it's entering your body paranterally a la drip the conc.s of sugars and salts dosn't affect 'taking on water'.
IV fluids are isotonic with the blood so as to replace salts but no reduce their concentrations avoiding making you hyponatremic/kalemic.

Your boxer friend is right in that his beverage is absent of sugar, but alcohol is high in calories, 7 calories/gram I think.
Dropping the booze will make a big difference.

Dam you're right i was thinking of ORAL rehydration therapy. A drip would be isotonic. And you put the stupid french phrasing in too just to rub it in

Is that 7 calories per ml of ethanol?

[-Pete-]

I know it's a slightly different angle but I'm sitting here treating myself to a bottle of Becks Blue, which is zero percent. If I'm feeling generous I mix it with a small bottle of beer, which is less than half the average pint.

Regarding carbonated drinks, I believe they're bad for your teeth too.

[R300will]

-Pete- said:

I know it's a slightly different angle but I'm sitting here treating myself to a bottle of Becks Blue, which is zero percent. If I'm feeling generous I mix it with a small bottle of beer, which is less than half the average pint.

Regarding carbonated drinks, I believe they're bad for your teeth too.

Some more than others. Coke does it nicely but fizzy water isn't that acidic

[-Pete-]

R300will said:

Some more than others. Coke does it nicely but fizzy water isn't that acidic

I was rubbish at chemistry, but seem to remember that CO2 is highly acidic, no?

[R300will]

-Pete- said:

R300will said:

Some more than others. Coke does it nicely but fizzy water isn't that acidic

I was rubbish at chemistry, but seem to remember that CO2 is highly acidic, no?

Yes but not in the concentrations found in sparkling water.

[Xerstead]

TheDiplomat said:

Xerstead said:

Try adding a splash of lemon juice (not squash) to a glass of water, adds to the taste with very few calories.
Mostly I just drink plain water, just get a glass and neck it, it's for hydration rather than sitting to have a drink.

I would watch your teeth mate. Regular lemon juice and water would not only thin enamel but could also harm your pharynx. Perhaps use a straw mate to minimise long time damage if you take lemon juice regularly?

Why is mixing it with water so bad? I understand at higher concentrations it could cause problems but I just add enough to flavour the water (a few shakes from the bottle into a pint of water). It's much weaker than normal orange juice or squashes and doesn't have the sugars or sweeteners.

[jackh707]

R300will said:

Dam you're right i was thinking of ORAL rehydration therapy. A drip would be isotonic. And you put the stupid french phrasing in too just to rub it in

Is that 7 calories per ml of ethanol?

If it helps, I checked in a text book after writing my original post , I assumed you mean't oral therapy anyway, in which case, of course you are right.

erm... I think it's 7 calories/gram so with ethanol being 0.789 g/cm³, a ml of ethanol would be 8.9 ish calories by my reckonings.
I remember reading somewhere in my studies that alcohol is not used very readily as an energy source, it tends to get converted to fat quite easily, I shall check and come back later.

Edited by jackh707 on Monday 21st May 21:15

[R300will]

jackh707 said:

R300will said:

Dam you're right i was thinking of ORAL rehydration therapy. A drip would be isotonic. And you put the stupid french phrasing in too just to rub it in

Is that 7 calories per ml of ethanol?

If it helps, I checked in a text book after writing my original post , I assumed you mean't oral therapy anyway, in which case, of course you are right.

erm... I think it's 7 calories/gram so with ethanol being 0.789 g/cm³, a ml of ethanol would be 8.9 ish calories by my reckonings.
I remember reading somewhere in my studies that alcohol is not used very readily as an energy source, it tends to get converted to fat quite easily, I shall check and come back later.

Edited by jackh707 on Monday 21st May 21:15

Also checked a dusty chemistry textbok and you're right on the specific gravity of alcohol and its calorific value. I don't know whether it turns to sugar and then fat or straight to fat though. Revision is maxing out the brain a bit atm

[Flibble]

R300will said:

Some more than others. Coke does it nicely but fizzy water isn't that acidic

The pH of coke and sparling water is quite similar - in the 3-4 range, the main problem with coke is not only is it acidic, but it's full of sugar which then feeds bacteria in the mouth which also produce acid. Fizzy water has no sugar so once you've drunk it your mouth pH will return to normal more quickly.

If you're concerned just brush your teeth properly with a fluoride toothpaste - fluoridating enamel will prevent a lot of weakening from acidic drinks.

[Flibble]

R300will said:

I don't know whether it turns to sugar and then fat or straight to fat though. Revision is maxing out the brain a bit atm

Neither, it gets converted to acetaldehyde and then to acetic acid which then enters the normal citric acid cycle much as glucose or any other energy source would.

[R300will]

Flibble said:

R300will said:

I don't know whether it turns to sugar and then fat or straight to fat though. Revision is maxing out the brain a bit atm

Neither, it gets converted to acetaldehyde and then to acetic acid which then enters the normal citric acid cycle much as glucose or any other energy source would.

Ah yes that makes sense thank you. I'm sure coke must be more acidic as its got phosphoric acid and carbonic acid in it.

[Paul Dishman]

daz3210 said:

Mobile Chicane said:

Something with a high vitamin C content.

The RDA of 60mg is the minimum required to prevent scurvy, however you need more than that.

Vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant and lowers blood pressure. 500mg daily is what you should be having.

Get a juicer and juice oranges and kiwi fruits.

If I just ate loads of these fruits would that too lower blood pressure?

No.

Vitamin C doesn't lower blood pressure