9 Beverages to Boost your Weight Loss Efforts

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9 Beverages to Boost your Weight Loss Efforts

Obesity has become a major problem in the United States with the 2013-14 Nutrition Health and Examination Survey producing some shocking results: 32.7% of American adults aged 20 and above are overweight, 37.9% are obese, and 7.7% are extremely obese.

These are quite some alarming figures for a developed country and a world superpower like the United States.

While it may not be feasible for everyone to join a gym and follow a top notch diet plan, there are some easy and convenient ways to shed those extra pounds around your waist without breaking a sweat.

One of these ways includes drinking beverages that have weight loss inducing properties.

Here is a list of 9 of these beverages which if consumed regularly can aid you in losing weight.

Lemon Water

Lemon water is one of the most simplest of beverages you can consume for weight loss.

As the name suggests, it consists of fresh lemon juice mixed with water (hot/warm/cold).

  1. It is almost negligible in terms of calories and keeps you hydrated.
  1. It also acts as a natural diuretic, reducing bloating.
  1. It is rich in vitamin C, which is known to help in weight loss.

Water/Ice Cold Water

Drinking a glass of water can actually help you in losing weight.

  1. It might seem paradoxical but increasing your water intake can actually help you in flushing out excess water weight, reducing bloating and giving you a flat belly.
  1. Drinking water before meals can make you eat less than usual, reducing your calorie intake.
  1. Being thirsty can make you think that you are hungry, leading to you eating more food than your body needs. So always drink a glass of water when you feel such signals rather than opting for food straightaway.
  1. Water is also known to allow the liver to burn more fat.

Cold water can be especially effective in weight loss as our body has to expend extra calories to warm the water up to body temperature

Consuming eight glasses of cold water a day is known to burn around 62 calories.

Detox Water

If you are not a big fan of gulping in just water throughout the day to reduce your intake of foods, opt for a glass of detox water.

It is an infused water which is a combination of fruits, herbs and vegetables immersed in cold water.

It also contains very low or zero calories and is full of flavors.

You can keep having a sip of detox water throughout the day to boost your health and assist your weight loss.

Coconut Water

Coconut water, known for its tropical feel and naturally sweet and slightly sour taste is filled with nutrients.

It is one of the highest fiber containing drinks, which fills you up, reducing hunger pangs and aiding in weight loss.

It also doesn’t bloat you up, so feel free to have some coconut water when on a weight loss diet.

Hot Cocoa

Cocoa contains phytochemicals called polyphenols which are known to provoke muscle metabolism, replicating the effects caused by regular exercise to cause fat burning and build lean muscle mass.

It is also known to improve insulin sensitivity and neutralize the effects of the stress hormone cortisol – two things which assist in weight loss.

Numerous studies have consistently shown that regular cocoa drinkers tend to have a lower BMI as compared to non-drinkers.

Fat Free Milk

Milk is a rich source of calcium and research has shown that increasing your calcium intake can help in weight loss.

  • Calcium is known to quell your appetite, thus reducing your calorie intake and assisting in weight loss.
  • Calcium suppresses the hormone calcitriol which is known to cause weight gain, leading to our body breaking down fat quicker than before.
  • It is also known to stabilize blood sugar levels, reducing your cravings for food.

If possible, go for non-fat milk over low-fat or whole milk as it contains less calories without any decrease in nutrients.

Plus, it also contains slightly more calcium than whole milk.

Green Tea

Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages that we can consume to boost our health.

  1. It is a diuretic, flushing out excess water weight which is known to make us feel bloated.
  1. It is chock-full with antioxidants and various other substances that are advantageous to health.
  1. It contains bioactive substances called catechins that help curtail hunger, burn fat, detoxify and boost immunity.
  1. It also has a considerable amount of caffeine which is known to enhance our fat burning metabolism, stimulating weight loss in the process.
  1. Drinking 3 to 5 cups of green tea daily is known to aid in burning 35% to 43% more fat.
  1. Matcha is the best of green teas with it being a more richer source of nutrients and antioxidants than other types.

Vegetable Juice

Consuming a glass of fresh vegetable juice not only stimulates weight loss but also provides your body with essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fibre.

These leads to a boost in metabolism, thus burning more calories than before.

Vegetables with high fibre and water content fill you up quickly, leading to a reduced consumption of calories.

According to a study done at Pennsylvania state university, drinking a glass of vegetable juice before your meals may lead to you eating 135 less calories.

Whey Protein

  1. Whey protein is known to aid in fat loss while maintaining lean muscle mass when on a calorie deficit diet.
  1. Whey protein is highly thermogenic in nature, that is our body has to expend more calories to digest it.
  1. It helps regulate blood sugar levels and insulin for reduced fat storage and more fat burning.
  1. Whey protein assists in releasing a lot of cholecystokinin which is an appetite suppressing hormone.

Conclusion

These beverages with their low calorie content and weight loss stimulating properties will help you stay in a calorie deficit and speed up your weight loss respectively.

Just substitute these beverages for your glass of cola or soda and see your waistline getting trimmed gradually.