The Power of Intention: Being Mindful About What You Drink Is the Fastest, Easiest Way to Transform Your Health
In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we often overlook one of the fundamental aspects of our well-being: what we drink. Our health focus tends to be primarily on what we eat and the exercises we do, but the beverages we consume can have a profound impact on our health as well.
I learned this through my own health journey. I was actively tracking my steps on my Fitbit and entering my meals and snacks in a nutrition tracker that all converged to give me a pretty accurate accounting of my daily energy input and expenditure. Many such apps also encourage you to track your water intake as well. WATER intake! Nowhere do these apps inquire about what else you might be drinking: sodas, “milks”, coffee drinks, juices, energy drinks, kombucha, lattes, sweet teas, or even a harmless glass of wine or that “celebrate the end of the workday” brewski! But these saboteurs can have a profound negative effect on your very best efforts.
Let’s say you are trying to drop a few pounds and decide to reduce your calories and increase your exercise in order to create a daily 500 calorie deficit. This is a very sound strategy which should result in losing a safe and reasonable 1 lb. per week. Now let’s say you forgot or didn’t even think to log in 3 of the beverages listed above that most people at least consume every day without giving it a second thought. You may have just created a 300-calorie surplus instead of a deficit. No wonder the scale won’t budge and people are frustrated.
This is exactly what happened to me. My careful accounting of every mile and morsel left me baffled as to why my efforts weren’t resulting in weight loss. This was in the early stages of my health journey when I still had a lot to learn. My self-education on nutrition and fitness, which led to formal training to become a certified holistic health coach, and my growing knowledge and love of tea really opened my eyes to this fact: Calories you drink are still calories! Often, they are the worst kind of calories: sugar, artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, palm oils, dairy and the list gets worse as it goes on. Even if you don’t want to lose weight, you don’t want that junk in your body. Yuck!
I began to focus on only drinking zero calorie teas that I dearly LOVE as well as plenty of filtered water and my efforts were rewarded with the results on the scale I was hoping to achieve. Every “pumpkin spice latte” season reminds me of this important health takeaway. Consider caloric beverages the same way you would a treat, like a cookie or sharing a dessert with your dinner mate. It’s a TREAT, not something you mindlessly indulge in daily. Keep track of those calories and make room for them in your day when they are important to you as you would any other treat.
At Tea Market I blend craveable zero calorie yummy teas, that are also interesting and healthy, to make this as easy as possible for myself and anyone else looking to count on tea to achieve better health outcomes with almost no effort.
Being intentional and mindful about what we drink can be a game-changer for our overall health and wellness. Let's explore how making conscious choices about our beverages can lead to a healthier, more vibrant life.
Hydration with a Purpose
Water is the elixir of life, and staying adequately hydrated is crucial for maintaining optimal health. When you consciously choose to drink water and make it a priority, you ensure that your body functions efficiently. And TEA, (zero calorie, freshly brewed, first quality tea) IS hydration with a purpose. Tea is 97% water and brings a small energy boost, delicious flavor, focusing L-theanine and immune boosting anti-oxidants and more. Tea definitely counts as water toward your hydration goals. Proper hydration aids digestion, helps regulate body temperature, supports healthy skin, and promotes cognitive function. Being mindful of your water intake and opting for water and teas over sugary drinks can significantly improve your health and well-being. Shoot for 80-100 ounces of water or tea per day.
This graphic above shows how easy it is to consume 1370 calories in common beverages most people have in the course of an average day. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy chewing my calories, which is part of the danger of these drinks. Liquids don’t trigger any of the body’s satiety signals. Its calories without the pleasure of eating. Choosing water and tea, leaves more room in the calorie budget to enjoy something truly yummy.
Making Informed Choices for a Balanced Diet
Understanding the calorie content in popular beverages enables us to make informed choices aligned with our health goals. Opting for zero or low-calorie beverages like water, teas and tea blends, or herbal tea can help manage daily caloric intake. When consuming beverages with higher calorie content, moderation and portion control are key. Pairing your beverage choices with a well-balanced diet and regular exercise is a holistic approach to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Stay mindful, stay hydrated, and enjoy your beverages responsibly.
If you’d like more information and would like to take a deeper dive into just how you can incorporate more tea into your routine, consider scheduling a consultation. Tea Market is the tea shop with the heart of a teacher, and we’re here to help. Schedule a consultation with me.