It’s very important to make healthy food choices for managing your diabetes, but it is equally important to be aware of what you drink. Without a doubt, the best and healthiest drink is, of course, water. It has no calories, no hidden sugar or carbs and is perfect for keeping your body hydrated and functioning efficiently. But what can you drink if you fancy something with a touch more zing to please your palate?
Say No to Sugary and Sweetened Drinks
Drinking sweetened drinks like regular soda, energy drinks, sports drinks and sweet tea can add empty calories and contribute to weight gain. Even when using “artificial sweeteners” such as sucralose or aspartame, you may be making yourself more likely to gain weight, according to recent studies. This can be because the artificial sweeteners can “trick” your body, altering metabolism1. The ADA recommends that we all avoid sweetened and decrease artificially sweetened drinks and use other alternatives, with an emphasis on water intake2.
What About Fruit Juice?
Fruit juices sound healthy, but most, especially orange juice, have a high amount of concentrated sugars, and not much fiber. Concentrated sugars in juice can raise blood glucose more than even a candy bar. It is much healthier to consume the whole fruit which has more nutrient and fiber value, than the juice. It’s also worth noting that juice can have as much sugar as a can of soda. As an example, a cup of grape juice contains 36 grams of sugar, compared with 27 grams of sugar in a cup of grape soda.
So, make sure to count the carbs in your juice as part of your meal plan. Better still, use water as your “go to” beverage. And, if you want to add some interest to your water, add orange or lemon slices, a splash of cranberry juice and other fruits for a natural refreshing flavor.
Unsweetened Tea
Hot or cold, green, black, and fruit teas can provide lots of healthy variety and are a great thirst-quenching option. You can even experiment with your own combinations by adding natural fruits and herbs.
The Bottom Line About Beverages
Watch those hidden sugars in your drinks; keeping in mind that daily sugar intake should hover around 25-30 g /day. A flavored coffee at your local coffee shop can easily have as much as 44 grams of added sugar per serving! Yogurt drinks, energy drinks, and even coconut water contain sugar. Check all labels before consuming these, and remember, just because something sounds healthy or is advertised to be healthy, doesn’t mean it is healthy!
Drink Smarter with Dario
Proper hydration is an essential part of our lives and making wise choices can help you can stay on track to a healthy life. The Dario mobile app can be a powerful tool to keep your carb intake in check, even if those carbs come in liquid form. Use Dario to start spotting patterns and trends between the foods you eat and drink, and your blood glucose levels!
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC2892765/
2 American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2019 (S49)
DAR-0122 RevA 08/2019