Learn how sugar-free drinks can help you stay fit, hydrated, and energized every day

By: Charli Dee 

I looked at my test results with mild shock. My A1C was borderline, meaning I am pre-diabetic. I say mild shock, because my weight has been steadily increasing. Weight gain can lead to diabetes. Also, I used to drink a lot of sugary drinks. I especially loved buying the powdered mix drinks. 

Sugary drinks can lead to weight gain, which then leads to diabetes. Lastly, diabetes runs in my family. It’s no surprise then really that I am pre-diabetic. Fortunately, I can prevent developing full blown diabetes by changing my diet. One major change would be drinking sugar free drinks.

The Trouble with Sugar

Not only has too much sugar been shown to cause weight gain and diabetes, it has also been shown to cause “heart disease, kidney diseases, and non-alcoholic liver disease”. Consuming large amounts of sugar is also connected to cognitive decline and dementia and different kinds of cancer. For these reasons, going with sugar free drinks is a healthy decision.

In my country of the United States between the years 2011 and 2015, “63% of adults aged 18 or older reported drinking sugar-sweetened beverages once daily or more”. According to the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC), “sugary drinks are leading sources of added sugars in the American diet”. 

Experts suggest that a healthy daily diet should not have more than 10 percent added sugar. Nine tablespoons of sugar for men and six tablespoons for women is the recommended daily amount of sugar one should have. One 12 ounce can of soda has about 9 tablespoons of added sugar. To lower your sugar intake make the switch to sugar free drinks.

Non-sugary Options

Water is your Friend

So what are good drink options for someone who wants to consume less sugar? At the top of the list is water. Nothing can quench your thirst like a nice cold glass of water can. Sugary drinks actually make you more thirsty. When the sugar enters the blood stream, water is also pulled into the blood to add balance. This leads to you feeling thirsty. Turning to water is the healthiest choice, so drink up! Picking up a bottle or can of sugary juice might be tempting, but you might be saving your own life by picking water instead. I learned that through a perfect stranger I met one day.

Some time ago, I was in a Burger King restaurant (not the healthiest decision, I know, but making healthier food choices is another story). I was eating alone when an older woman approached me and politely asked if she could sit in the empty seat in front of me. I said yes, and she made herself comfortable. She then told me she wasn’t from the area. 

She was from another state, and was only visiting. She proceeded to open up about why she was visiting another state. Turns out her daughter was living here. Her daughter had kidney trouble and was on dialysis for a long time. She had recently passed away after a long battle with her illness. “Make sure you drink enough water”, the woman told me.

Now I pass on that woman’s warning to all of you. Make sure you drink enough water. I continued drinking a lot sugary drinks even after that woman’s warning. I took what she said seriously and to heart, but I can be quite stubborn when it comes to changing my ways. It wasn’t until I found out that I’m pre-diabetic when I really cut down on the amount of sugar I was drinking and started drinking a lot more water. Ive stopped buying powdered sugary drinks all together. How much water you should drink daily varies from person to person and your lifestyle, however, men should drink around 15.5 cups of water, and for women it should be around 11.5 cups.

Low or No Sugar Alternatives

Another good option is water with fruits in it. Personally, this is my mother’s favorite way of drinking water. She particularly loves putting fresh lemons in her water. My mother also loves seltzer water, which is an excellent replacement for sugary drinks. Unsweetened tea or coffee are also good. My father is always drinking unsweetened tea. Smoothies work too. Make your own natural smoothies with fresh fruit! Avoid store bought smoothies with a lot of added sugar. You can drink unsweetened milk as well, which are a great source of vitamin calcium, needed for bone health. My family enjoys drinking unsweetened soy milk or almond milk. 

My family also loves drinking kombuchas. Kombucha drinks contain probiotics, which are great for gut health. Make sure to go for the low sugar options. Coconut water is healthy as well. It has electrolytes like Potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium that your body needs. You lose some electrolytes after sweating or using the bathroom. Coconut water is one way to get some of those electrolytes back.

Natural Sweeteners

If you can’t do without sugar, there are natural, healthy ways to sweeten your drinks. Stevia or monk fruit are natural sweeteners you can use. Stevia is made from the leaves of a plant called Stevia rebaudiana that grows in South America. Stevia is often recommended to people with diabetes. Monk fruit is a round, small fruit that grows in China. Stevia is up to 400 times sweeter than table sugar, and monk fruit is up to 250 times sweeter.

Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweetener options are Splenda (Sucralose) and Equal (Aspartame), which are often suggested as table sugar substitutes for those with diabetes.

Bottom Line

I know family members who have died from diabetes. It is a very serious condition. All the illnesses developed from consuming too much sugar are very serious, and should be treated as such. Don’t make the mistake I did of waiting until you are borderline sick to make changes to your diet. Start making changes now. You only have one life, and you want to live it to the fullest. Treat your body well. Start drinking sugar free drinks today.

Author Bio

Charli Dee is a blogger based in the United States trying to make healthy choices in her own life, especially for her mental health. One of the main focuses of her blog is sharing her experience with mental illness. Visit her blog Life with Charli and say hello. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.