National Nutrition Month :
Think Your Drink
Alarming Amount of Sugar from
Beverages Being Consumed
Everyone has heard about the rise in the number of children being diagnosed
with type-2 diabetes, a disease that once developed only in adults. An alarming
amount of teens, 25%, drink more than 26 fluid ounces of soft drinks each day,
amounting to 300 extra calories daily. Americans consume 100 pounds of sugar
per year. Consuming extra calories through over-eating and drinking sugary
beverages can contribute to obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.
There are a variety of sugary drinks available today – soda, sports drinks, sweet
teas, and fruit-flavored drinks. Many beverages claim to be “all natural” or “thirst
quenching” – but the original all natural, thirst quenching drink is WATER.
Make the Switch to Water
Limit the amount of sugary drinks you and your family consumes and encourage water when thirsty. Water has no
calories and is important for your health. The human body is 60% water. When you don’t drink enough water you
can become dehydrated which can lead to fatigue, headaches, and poor learning and thinking ability. Water helps
regulate body temperature and removes toxins from the body. Given all the benefits of water, it may seem like an
obvious healthy beverage choice. However, two-thirds of Americans don’t drink the daily recommended amount of
water, and as mentioned earlier, the amount of sugar being consumed continues to rise.
Tips for Drinking More Water
Here are some tips for drinking more water and less sugary drinks.
• Keep a reusable water bottle filled with water so it’s always available. (Remember – you need to drink water
BEFORE you feel thirsty to stay properly hydrated.)
• Don’t buy sugary drinks for your home.
• Make fruit infused water and keep it in the refrigerator as a cooling treat. Adding a wedge of lemon,
lime, or even a slice of cucumber can enhance water’s flavor and make it more fun to drink.
• Suggest water as an alternative when your child asks for a sugary drink.
• Offer water or low fat or fat free milk with meals instead of sweetened drinks..
Recommended Intake(s)
The daily amount of water that a child or teen needs will depend on factors such as age, weight
and gender. Air temperature, humidity, and a person’s activity level affect daily water requirements, too.
So how much water should your child drink per day? As a rule of thumb, your child or teen should
drink at least 6 to 8 cups of water a day (48 to 64 fluid ounces). People who
are more active or outside in the heat on a regular basis may require
more water, while less active, smaller people may need less.
Adults generally need 8 to 10 cups of water a day
(64 to 80 fluid ounces). Water is found in all beverages
including soda and coffee, but unsweetened water
is best because it has zero calories and no sugar.
Did You Know?
• 75% of the human brain is water.
• Excess sugar in the diet has been linked to: obesity, high blood
pressure, headaches, diabetes, and other serious health problems.
• The average American drinks 52 gallons of soft drinks per year. This is
equivalent to one and a half bathtubs full of soda!
• In 1822, the average American consumed 45 grams of sugar every five days.
In 2012, Americans consume 765 grams of sugar every 5 days.
Other Names for Added Sugar
The best way to find out if a food or drink has added sugar is to read the
ingredients label. If ingredient labels just said “sugar,” identifying added sugar
would be easy, but they don’t, so it’s not. There are many names for sugar and the
list below identifies some of them. All ingredients are listed by how much is in
the food – ingredients that are listed first and second are in the greatest amounts, and
ingredients lower on the list are in smaller quantities. For example, a food like a muffin might have flour listed as
the first ingredient, but salt or baking soda might be listed later because the muffins are mainly made of flour,
with just a little bit of the other ingredients. A good rule of thumb is to skip products that have added sugar at or
near the top of the list—or have several sources of added sugar sprinkled throughout the list. By limiting added
sugar in your family’s diet, you can lower the risk of obesity and heart disease.
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Agave nectar
Brown sugar
Cane sugar
Corn syrup
Fructose
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High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Molasses
Raw sugar
Syrup
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about healthy eating and living?
Visit our website
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Recipe: Cucumber & Mint Infused Water
Recipe: Orange Infused Water
Yield: 16
Yield: 16
Portion: 8 fluid oz (1 cup)
Portion: 8 fluid oz (1 cup)
Ingredients
Ingredients
4 fresh mint leaves
15 thin slices cucumber
1 gallon water
3 large oranges, sliced
1 gallon of water
Directions
1. Place cucumbers and mint in a large pitcher/container
2. Add water
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours
Directions
1. Place orange slices in a large pitcher/container
2. Add water
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours