You ladies love to drink, right? These days, your pick of poison says a lot about you. But hold on—we're not talking about booze. Whether you're slamming down your daily shot of wheatgrass or making a mess with your juicer, it's important to drink responsibly. Our resident dietitian shares the 411 on liquid nutrition:
Give your bod a break
Liquid nutrition delivers food that's already broken down, so the body has to do less digestive work. This can be a big advantage when your system needs recovery, if you have issues digesting certain foods, or during times of stress (the body slows down or steals energy from digestion to help you cope). But careful—this doesn't mean you should never chew solids again and steal your kid's baby food.
But consider a quarterly liquid nutrition cleanse to reboot your system, a one-day-per-week cleanse (perhaps a day that's extra stressful) or make a nutrient-packed liquid drink daily.
Liquid crap isn't healthier than solid crap
Artificial dyes, GMOs, chemical sweeteners, faux fats and shit you wouldn't feed to your worst enemy are floating in most liquids sold near you. You read labels on food packages, but when it comes to liquids, it seems behaviors are often more lax. Take that greens juice at your local store made from kale: Did you ask if it's organic kale or did you just gulp down chemically produced kale (one of the EWG.org's dirty dozen)? Gross.
Read labels, woman. And if you can't find the info or are too lazy to read, skip it and chew an organic salad instead.
Store-bought or DIY?
If you're lucky enough to have access to clean, quality liquid nutrition options (read: an organic juice bar), I say go for it—as long as they adhere to the other tips noted here. But if you don't have a quality juice shop in your hood, are trying to save dough or if your stupid ex frequents the same spot, it's time to suck it up a make it at home.
There are tons of gadgets on the market, but make sure you don't compromise nutrient value (do you lose more of the food than you retain in your liquid?) or food safety (are there so many parts to clean that you opt for the "I'll clean it next time" option?). I like the new NutriBullet, and I double love that it comes with health guru David Wolfe's plant-based recipes.
Avoid liquid portion pitfalls
Take fruit, for example: When we eat something like an organic apple, we get fiber, water, sugar and a whole bunch of plant nutrients. But when you're juicing an apple, that same apple translates to, at most, four ounces of "food."So a lot of juices you buy or make contain several portions of fruit, which can lead to sugar overload, fat gain and belly bloat. When it comes to fruits, practice portion control. If a small portion of juice doesn't satisfy or help you feel full, opt for eating the fruit instead.
Follow these tips and you can love your liquids like a smart HB.
Have questions about liquid nutrition? Leave us a comment below!
Have a question for Ashley? Email us at info@healthybitchdaily.com and we'll get your questions answered.
Ashley Koff, R.D., Resident Dietitian
Named among the Top 10 Registered Dietitians in the U.S. by Today’s Dietitian Magazine, Koff appears regularly on national media outlets, including Dr. Oz, The Doctors, Good Morning America Health, CNN, AOL and E!. Koff is also the dietitian for espnW, and the featured dietitian on the CW’s “Shedding for the Wedding” and Lifetime’s “Love Handles.” Koff maintains a private practice, regularly lectures, and works to improve the quality of food choices on the sets of popular shows such as Private Practice, CSI: New York, Big Love, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Bones. Her book, Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged (Hay House, 2011), hits stands later this summer. For more information please visit AshleyKoffRd.com.
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