This Week's Healthy Eating Tip from Holistic Health and Nutrition

By Susan Dopart, M.S., R.D.

If you need an afternoon Caramel Macchiato fix, or start each morning with a strawberry-banana smoothie, you may be getting more than you bargained for on your waistline.

Even if you're diligent about your calories from food, you may be overlooking those that are coming from the drinks you choose.

With the expansion of new drinks every day, many of us want our beverage choices to be as interesting as our food choices. I feel like a prude when clients ask me what to drink. My reply is, "Stick to regular water, sparkling water, tea and organic milk."

These may seem boring, but drinking water can save you calories, additional sugar intake and the increased sweet cravings that can come from artificial sugars.

In addition, sticking with water prevents you from ingesting large amounts of calories since the body does not register fluid calories in the same way that it does calories from solid foods.

The Science of Sipping

Research conducted by Rick Mattes, Ph.D., R.D., on the cause of obesity in America showed that obesity is highly correlated with the increased intake of beverages. His research also indicated that solid food has a much greater affect on satiation than beverages. In his findings, Dr. Mattes wrote, "Calories from solid foods are better registered by the body than calories from liquids."

Once they have the facts, the one beverage people are the most upset about is juice. For many people juice equals fruit, so drinking juice would seem like a healthy choice. They are surprised to find that drinking juice is similar to drinking a soda. Ounce per ounce they contain the same amount of sugar.

Count up the Carbs

When you add up the amount of sodas, coffee drinks, juices and smoothies, the additional calories and carbohydrates numbers are mind boggling. How does it really translate to our bodies? I like to compare carbohydrate choices to a slice of bread, which contains approximately 15 grams of carbohydrate.

Here are a few examples to illustrate:

• A typical smoothie has 60-100 grams of carbohydrate, or four to eight slices of bread worth

• Many sweetened drinks (including specialty and energy drinks, teas and alcoholic beverages) contain 100-150 grams of carbohydrates, or seven to 10 slices of bread worth

• A sweetened coffee drink could contain 45 grams of carbohydrate, or three slices of bread worth

You might have an afternoon smoothie between lunch and dinner, but would you ever consider sitting down to eight slices worth of bread in the afternoon? Both the carbohydrates and calories can quickly add up and go well beyond your metabolic needs.

Most of us know soda is bad for us, but carrot juice or a smoothie could be providing the same or more grams of sugar per serving (though it should be noted that natural fruit beverages do contain nutrient-based calories, as opposed to the empty calories of a soda drink). Manufacturers are deceptive in making a typical juice contain two servings per container. And really, are you going to drink only half your carton of juice? Usually not, which means you could be getting the equivalent carbs of six slices of bread in your "healthy" beverage.

Offset your carbohydrate footprint

One of problems of specialty drinks is that we are not compensating for them by lowering our food calories and carbohydrates.

If your beverage choices are important to you, consider lowering the amount of food you consume, unless you need to gain weight or you regularly run marathons.

In addition to the unfavorable effects on your weight, increasing your intake of carbohydrates can increase risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. The body only requires a certain amount of carbohydrate per meal, and exceeding this level is a setup for danger, especially if you are susceptible or have a family history of diabetes.

"I'll have the sparkling water with a touch of lemon or lime" might not be all that interesting but your body and jeans will thank you at the end of the day, leaving you with energy and room for eating calories from interesting cuisine. I think I'll drink to that.

Comparing Drink Choices

The following are examples of the calorie and carbohydrate content of some common beverages.

Mineral water/water
Approximate Calories: 0
Approximate Carbs: 0

Hot tea with milk, 8 ounces
Approximate Calories: 30-50
Approximate Carbs: 3-5 grams

Specialty water, 12 ounces
Approximate Calories: 75
Approximate Carbs: 20 g

Milk, 1 percent, 8-ounce cup
Approximate Calories: 120
Approximate Carbs: 13 g

Sports drink, 12 ounces
Approximate Calories: 100-150
Approximate Carbs: 20-35 g

Orange juice, 8-ounce cup
Approximate Calories: 110
Approximate Carbs: 25-30 g

Cranberry juice, 8-ounce cup
Approximate Calories: 135
Approximate Carbs: 30-35 g

Fruit punch, 8-ounce cup
Approximate Calories: 120
Approximate Carbs: 32-35 g

Regular soda, 12-ounce can
Approximate Calories: 155
Approximate Carbs: 40 g

Caffeinated energy drink, 12-ounce can
Approximate Calories: 150-300
Approximate Carbs: 40-60 g

Coffee latte, med-large
Approximate Calories: 150-200
Approximate Carbs: 15-20 g

Chai latte, med-large
Approximate Calories: 200-300
Approximate Carbs: 40-50 g

Mocha, med-large
Approximate Calories: 250-550
Approximate Carbs: 40-50 g

Smoothie
Approximate Calories: 300-800
Approximate Carbs: 50-100 g

For more information, visit susandopart.com

Type 2 Diabetes Basics and Three Methods of Prevention

Although some people may inherit a predisposition to diabetes, their genes carry messages that must be expressed in order for the disease to develop. A healthy lifestyle that includes a low glycemic eating plan, regular exercise and nutritional supplementation can modify the expression of those genes and prevent diabetes.

Diabetes Basics
Diabetes is a condition characterized by faulty sugar metabolism, resulting in high levels of sugar in the bloodstream. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin to control blood sugar. In Type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin. If not controlled, the disease can lead to long-term complications that include heart and circulatory disease, kidney failure and cataracts. Type 2 diabetes is the preventable kind.

Insulin Resistance
The hallmark of diabetes is insulin resistance, which is the loss of sensitivity of the body's cells to the effects of insulin. As a result, the pancreas puts out more insulin to drive the sugar in the bloodstream into the cells to be burned or stored. With excess insulin around, cells become immune to its effects, and this further exacerbates insulin resistance. Reversing insulin resistance by re-sensitizing cells to insulin is the key to preventing diabetes. The right foods and nutritional supplements, as well as exercise, help to restore the communication between insulin and the body's cells.

Low Glycemic Diet
A low glycemic diet is designed to maintain blood sugar levels on an even keel, so as to minimize insulin levels. Small, frequent meals and snacks should include some protein and/or fat to "buffer" the carbohydrate foods, thus slowing their absorption into the bloodstream. Sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and whole, unprocessed starches such as dry beans, yams and sweet potatoes. Nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil, avocados and fish provide monounsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids that help to reverse insulin resistance. All beverages are sugar-free. You can eat an occasional sweet after a meal rather than alone as a snack.

Exercise
Most diabetics are aware that exercise helps them to control their blood sugar levels. In contrast with unconditioned muscles, toned and developed muscles are more responsive to blood sugar and insulin. Regular exercise helps lower blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. According to Journal of the American Medical Association, people who exercise consistently have a dramatically reduced risk of developing diabetes.

Nutritional Supplementation
Two nutrients that are often lacking in the American diet are chromium and omega-3 fats. Chromium is an essential trace mineral that may play a key role in glucose metabolism. Supplementation with chromium helps to normalize blood sugar levels, as demonstrated in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A deficiency of chromium causes glucose intolerance, which can lead to the development of Type 2 diabetes.

As reported in the Journal of Nutrition, omega-3 fatty acids can also lower the risk of diabetes by reducing insulin resistance. High-quality fish oil is the best source of omega-3 fats. Recommended doses for fish oil are 2g to 4g per day.