What springs to mind when you hear those words? I’m guilty at times – my friends will ask me about the weather but I’m a million miles away thinking about everything I want or need to do by the end of the weekend. I’m away with the fairies or quite simply not present and my mind is elsewhere. As you may know, a distracted mind can affect your dietary behaviour, so today I’d like to put a new spin on our classic phrase. I want to use drinks for doing that, and as usual, I’ll start with some questions…

Do you ever eat Chit Chat biscuits between your three main meals? How about a Moro bar or Big Mac over the day? If that seems crazy, what about a few trim flat whites to drink instead? My reason for asking, is that fluids can actually contribute as much energy (calories) as what you’ll find in sugar-rich foods like chocolate biscuits, if you’re drinking them regularly. This ends up being like snacking but not snacking if that makes sense, and it can affect weight management if you’re not present or thinking about your choices.

I’m totally against counting calories from foods. I think it makes for an unhealthy relationship with food and overall dietary behaviour. Instead of counting calories, I encourage a focus on portion control and eating quality/dense protein first for the feeling of fullness. When it comes to fluids though, I think awareness of the calories they contain is important. That’s the reason I do suggest you at least think about your existing fluid choices rather than just grabbing what might seem like a' ‘free ride’ in terms of not being a snack because it’s not being chewed. For your information, the following table shows you the calories of various fluids in comparison to some energy-dense foods like the ol’ chocolate biscuit.

Using your mind when choosing fluids is crucial. While many of these fluids shown here might fly below the radar of dumping risk (i.e. less than 10g sugar per serve), they still contain calories without much else in terms of goodness (i.e. protein). That means if you’re drinking them frequently, you might see an impact on the scales if you’re weighing yourself regularly.

Fresh is best is an old nutrition saying I was schooled on. In this case today, you can consider water as being ‘fresh.’ I know a lot of people struggle with plain water, and that’s why alternative fluids can seem like a god-send. For some, protein water works well as an option– it contains protein for your daily needs as well as being a source of hydration. It’s great for those involved with a heavy load of exercise each week. On the other hand, if you’re relatively inactive and drinking a lot of it, you may want to think about other options with less calories. For example, sparkling water is a refreshing choice if you can manage bubbles. Sugar-free water drops are tried and true too. If you dislike the flavours, adding fresh lemon or lime juice to your water can work well (hot or cold) instead. Then of course, fruit teas and tea infusions have been a big hit with so many - they can be brewed hot and left to cool, and then you can add some extra pizazz to them with a soda stream.

The Take Home

Thinking about your situation is important when making fluid choices. Fluids are so important for hydration which affects your appetite. I’m not saying to forever avoid anything except water, all I’m hoping to do is to raise your awareness of the extra calories you might be getting each day without even realising. Being present with your fluid choice will mean you make the right call for your taste and weight management needs. In other words, have your ‘lights on while someone is home’ choosing the fluids.

All the best until next time.