I hate the thought of giving up my morning cup of coffee so much that I told the nutritionists a viable substitute would need to be even creamier and more delicious. They had me at chocolate. Walters recommends whipping up a drink with high-quality chocolate, which has a small amount of natural caffeine. "Raw cacao is the best," she says. "It's an antioxidant, and it's high in magnesium, which helps your body absorb nutrients." She suggests blending coconut milk, half a banana, raw cocoa nibs, and ice for a diet drink that's like a cross between a blended coffee and a chocolate milkshake.
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Instead of too many glasses of wine ...
...try having only one glass of wine -- and make it red.
The average glass of wine has about a hundred calories, which is fine if you only have one. But when one turns into three or four, those numbers start to add up quickly. "There's nothing wrong with one glass of wine," says Kotsopoulos. "But choose red -- it tends to be lower in sugar and higher in antioxidants [than white]."
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Instead of a frozen margarita ...
...have vodka with coconut water.
Most frozen margaritas have hundreds of calories because they're loaded with sugar. If you're going to indulge in a cocktail, Kotsopoulos says the best rule to follow is to always be in control of the amount of sugar that's in the cup -- even if it's fruit. "Squeeze the lime yourself," she says. "You want to know exactly what's going into that drink." One of her favorite combinations is coconut water and vodka. "The coconut water has electrolytes, which rehydrate you," she explains. "I like to say that you 'tox and detox' -- which means you're a lot less likely to be hung over."
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Instead of bottled iced tea ...
...make your own iced tea with natural sweetener.
Walters is a big proponent of natural sweeteners for everything from diet-friendly drinks to baking. "Living in the Northeast, maple syrup is everywhere -- so that's what I use," she explains. "I also like brown rice syrup, and I recommend Stevia -- it's plant-derived and doesn't have the negative side-effects of artificial sweeteners." (Remember, even though they're calorie-free, studies have linked artificial sweeteners to everything from cancer to weight gain.) She also emphasizes the benefits of local honey: "It contains traces of local pollen and allergens, which can boost your immune system."
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Instead of a can of soda ...
...try sparkling water with berries.
If you're prone to the 4 p.m. crash, Walters suggests reevaluating what you're eating for breakfast and lunch. "If you need caffeine to get you through the rest of the day, then your meals aren't doing enough to sustain you," she says. Try incorporating more protein and whole grains.
If your soda craving is more about satiating your sweet tooth, she suggests drinking sparkling water and spiking it with natural fruit nectar, berries, or a squeeze of lime. "And try having an apple or sweet potato with lunch -- it might help reduce your craving for something sweet," she says.
I recently tried one of those crazy cleanse diets. For two weeks, I ate entire fields of kale and schools of salmon, and I avoided alcohol, gluten, sugar, and dairy. (I also moaned to anyone who'd listen.)
And while it was a given that I'd avoid the free bagels and bundt cake in the office kitchen, the daily ritual I did keep was my morning cup of coffee (with cream). Giving up chocolate chip cookies and cheeseburgers was reasonably easy; abandoning my creamy coffee was not even a consideration. And I know I'm not alone in this: Whether it's three cans of soda, a couple glasses of wine, or that iconic green and white cup filled with frothy caramel macchiato, sometimes our drink addictions are even harder to resist than free Halloween candy.
And the so-called "diet drinks" aren't any better. "Both sugary drinks and zero-calorie drinks with artificial sweeteners like Aspartame contribute to weight gain," says Peggy Kotsopoulos, nutritionist and author of "Must Have Been Something I Ate." So what does that leave me with � water? I couldn't accept it.
So I turned to nutritionists and healthy-eating experts, and asked them for the most diet-friendly, nutritious alternatives to the delicious, addictive, high-calorie beverages we all love. I asked them what they drink and what their families drink. And, most importantly, I asked what I should have instead of my beloved cup of coffee with cream. So, the next time you go on a diet, pick up these diet drinks that will actually help your cause.
