Healthy Living

Fitness Water 

Who wants to sip just plain old water when there are plenty of other, more flavorful, vitamin-packed bottled waters out there? They claim to give you energy, oxygen and vitamins, but are they really better for you than tap water?

Many of these fitness waters claim to give you energy. But what we may not realize is that energy comes from calories, and those calories are sugar. Also, be aware that most bottles contain more than one serving. So while the bottle label may claim that the drink only has 10 calories, you are likely to double or triple your caloric intake by consuming the entire bottle. Watch those labels – some fitness waters contain up to 125 calories per serving! That’s nearly the same as a can of soda! So, if you’re looking to lose weight, drinking these kinds of drinks will only slow down or inhibit your progress.

According to the article Vitamin water: Better than plain water? written by Mayo Clinic dietician Katherine Zeratsky, best way to get your vitamins is through fruits and vegetables. “If you’re eating a balanced diet or taking a multi-vitamin, you won’t likely benefit from drinking vitamin water.”

Dr. Larry Cheskin, professor of medicine and director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, advises people to drink cold tap water in his article, Medical Expert Puts Bottled Fitness Waters to the Test. He says to simply “Refill an empty bottle with it and take a multi-vitamin and eat a good diet.”

The argument in favor of these fitness waters is that many people don’t consume enough plain water because it doesn’t taste like anything. Fitness waters add flavor so drinkers consume more. While the daily recommended intake of water varies for each of us depending on our lifestyle, the number you most often hear is 8 glasses a day.

So, not crazy about plain water and don’t want to go the fitness water route? Jazz plain water up by simply adding a fresh lemon or a squirt of cranberry juice, or try sparkling water.