You're sweaty and thirsty after a long, hard workout and you're feeling all Badass, so you reach for a tall, cool can of Rockstar Energy Drink.
FAIL.
That can of "energy" is packed with the same amount of sugar (62 grams!) you'd get by eating six Krispy Kreme donuts in one sitting.
FAIL. And GROSS.
There are loads of "sports drinks," healthy-sounding "herbal teas" and "energy drinks" on the market. When the summer heat turns up and we're working on our Badass Fitness, it's tempting to guzzle them down.
But the quickest way to negate all that hard work and muscle-burning sweat is by drinking in empty, sugary calories. Rockstar and many of its liquid peers are little more than Kool-Aid or Mountain Dew with some vitamins and antioxidants pumped in.
The reality is, water will do just fine to keep you hydrated. Coconut water is also ideal. Beyond those two, it's all crap, OK?. No matter how many times it says "antioxidant" on the label, your Badass doesn't need it.
If you don't believe me, just scroll through the Men's Health list of 20 Worst Drinks in America for 2010 and try not to be, frankly, mortified.
One 20-ounce Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water has 150 calories and 33 grams of sugar - the same as eating 2 Good Humor Chocolate Eclair Bars. A 20-ounce SoBe Green Tea sounds healthy enough, but it's more sugar cane than green tea: 240 calories, 61 grams of sugar! You'd get the same amount of sugar eating...wait for it... FOUR SLICES of Sara Lee Cherry Pie, and at least with pie you're getting a little fiber from the fruit!
If we wouldn't fuel our workouts with donuts and pie, why are we guzzling down the equivalent?
Even Gatorade is sugar-filled. A one-cup serving has 14 grams of sugar and about 50 calories, but how many of us stop at one cup when it's 90 degrees out and humid after a long run?
So we give ourselves these sugar comas, and then we wonder why diabetes and pre-diabetes is on the rise in adults and kids (to the tune of some 90-million Americans). And gee, I wonder why so many children and adults struggle with obesity.
Ok, that's my rant. Now here are my suggestions for the best way to keep your Badass hydrated but sugar-free:
1. Ice cold water: Self-explanatory, and when you're hot and just worked up a good sweat, there is often nothing better than that first long guzzle.
2. Coconut water: Brands like Zico make varieties flavored with small amounts of REAL juice for flavor without the Frankenstein ingredients and high-fructose corn syrup of other "sports drinks.
3. Crystal Light or other sugar-free flavor packets: Water can get boring, monotonous. Add flavor and less than 10 calories with these packets. Bonus - Crystal Light now makes a Pure Fitness variety with stevia instead of Splenda, and no other added artificial ingredients.
4. Lemons and mint: Add squeezed lemon slices into your water, and not only does it help reduce bloat but it adds a nice tart flavor. Throw in a little fresh mint, and you've got a refreshing hydrator.
5. Be a Sugar-Free Rockstar: If you must, and if he list of unpronouncable "ingredients" doesn't bother you, go for sugar-free varieties of Rockstar, Red Bull, Snapple, etc. Pick G2 over regular Gatorade.
6. Golden Rule - Read: Always, always, read the label and serving sizes. Add up the sugar and calories, and think twice about whether you really want to drink down the 250 calories you just burned up in the first half of that cycling class.
Coming next week: Skinny happy hour, Badass Foodie, Badass Buster leg routine, and healthy snacks for the little Badasses who are home for summer. Lots of good stuff!!!
