It seems like almost all of us are interested in or working toward a leaner body. However, keeping “leanness” involves maintaining a healthy body weight range, which requires a variety of lifestyle choices, as well as maintaining an adequate proportion of body fat—essential and unnecessary. Age, gender, physical exercise habits, genetics, and food and beverage preferences affect how simple (or difficult) it is for us to “get lean.”
The best beverages to help you maintain a lean body over time are listed below. For more information on foods to choose from to help you achieve a lean body, read on.
- Water
Water continues to keep itself supreme among the best drinks to consume, and helping us achieve a lean physique is no exception. Maintaining healthy body weight is one of the many important processes water plays in our body. Find methods to add flavor and a touch of sweetness to your drink by adding fruit infusions, such as mixed strawberry and kiwi, blueberry and mint, or even a “lemonade” made just from lemons.
- Seltzers
We’re not referring to drunken seltzers here; rather, we’re referring to the expanding section of the grocery store filled with different carbonated waters with delightful flavors like orange vanilla, blueberry acai, and beach plum. These beverages, which contain over 99% water, can help you meet your adequate intakes (AI), which are 11.5 cups of water for women and 15.5 cups of water for men per day, including water in food. In addition, these drinks have no calories and neither sugar replacements nor additional sweeteners, which help to support weight management.
- Herbal Tea
In addition to the classic Camellia sinensis tea plant, additional plant species’ roots, flowers, and barks are used to make herbal teas. Chamomile, hibiscus, orange peel, and peppermint are typical constituents. Before eating, be sure to discuss the use of herbal tea with your doctor because some of the constituents may interfere with some drugs or not be suitable for some people, such as women who are pregnant or nursing. Herbal teas are great supplements for maintaining lean body mass because they don’t include caffeine.
- Black Coffee
Coffee sometimes gets a bad rap for having too many calories, too much sugar, and undesired saturated fat. It is also generally not a good option if you’re trying to lose weight. But coffee itself isn’t at fault. Coffee beans are free of calories, sugar, and fat per serving. Instead, these extra nutrients are packed in by specialized drinks such as sugar, cream, syrup, etc. Assess what you get from the coffee shop menu, or try switching to black or unsweetened coffee by reducing the number of additives you mix into your brew over several weeks until you find that standalone coffee tastes superior.
- Smoothies
A small, carefully crafted smoothie makes a great snack to help with weight management. Smoothies often contain fruit, occasionally vegetables, and possibly additional protein to boost satiety on top of the water, low-fat dairy, or a nondairy milk base.
Final Words
Combining elements outside our control, such as genetics, age, and gender results in a lean body. It also has elements, like nutrition and exercise, that we can control. Changing what we typically drink can impact our ability to reduce weight and gain overall lean body mass.
