Sports beverages: Sports beverages include Gatorade, Powerade,
Accelerade, and so on, and if you’ve never tried them, they’re actually
quite palatable — most taste just like Kool-Aid. The advantage of a
sports beverage over water is that it includes electrolyteslike potassium,
magnesium, calcium, and sodium that you lose as you sweat. Sports bev-
erages can also keep you from getting a stomachache after exercising.
The disadvantage is that sports beverages are pretty high in calories,
and if you get in the habit of thinking of sports beverages like water, you
can easily gain weight. If you really feel you need to include a sports bev-
erage after workouts, try to limit your daily intake of sports beverages to
12 ounces, just after you finish exercising.Sports drinks are expensive if you buy them in individual bottles. To
save money, buy the powdered version at your local grocery store. You
simply mix the powder with water, and you pay less than one-tenth the
price with the exact same flavor. You can dilute sports beverages in
extra water to reduce calories and sugar content.
Carbonated sodas and carbonated sports drinks: Carbonated beverages,
including sugary sodas, add calories to your diet without adding any
vitamins or other nutrients, and they don’t contain the electrolytes that
sports beverages offer. One alternative is the new variety of carbonated
flavored water. However, all carbonated beverages, even carbonated
water, also contain phosphates, which can interfere with calcium absorp-
tion and may lead to bone-density problems. A treat now and then isn’t
going to hurt you, though.Juice: One-hundred-percent orange juice is rich in potassium, vitamin C,
and other important vitamins. However, it’s high in calories and doesn’t
really fill you up, so go easy on it. One small glass per day (6 to 8 ounces)
is about all you need. You get a better bang for the buck by eating the
whole fruit, so if you’re choosing between the fruit and the juice, go with
the fruit — it’s more filling than juice and provides additional nutrients.
Low-fat or nonfat milk: Two or three 8- to 12-ounce glasses of low-fat or
fat-free milk are an excellent source of calcium, but you may not be able
to stomach a glass of milk right after working out. If not, try drinking a
glass of skim milk just before bed (warm it up in the microwave, if you
like). In addition to helping you get much-needed calcium, milk has pro-
tein, which may help you fall asleep quickly.Coffee and tea: Coffee and tea are hot, tasty beverages, but a better
choice is water. However, coffee and tea are fluids that count in your daily
total of 8 cups, and if you look forward to your mug(s) of coffee or tea
everyday, you don’t need to stop drinking it completely. Just limit the
total number of mugs, because caffeine can have a dehydrating effect,
negating some of the benefits of drinking the fluids in the first place.100 Part II: Enjoying Total-Body Health: Eating Well and Staying Injury-Free