With the heat index reaching over 100* today, what are you drinking? For anyone not familiar with the quote from the title of this post, you are missing out on some corny humor from Will Ferrell in Anchorman. The following article is a reprint from another newsletter I contribute for. I figured it would be fitting for a hot day like today. 

After a busy year helping people lose weight, I’m on vacation this week at a cabin on the Shenandoah River. That’s when I get a text that interrupts the serenity of nature (I told myself I would turn my phone off, who was I kidding?).

The text was asking me if I had the next article for the newsletter. That would be a big fat no! But, I was told something quick and short would suffice. Hmm, what could be quick and short that can also help you lose fat? As I was sipping on my beer (hey, I’m on vacation), it hit me. Don’t drink your calories.

There aren’t many dietary changes that would be so simple to change, yet provide such massive results. As a society today, we drink way too many calories. Think I’m fabricating this? From 1971 to 2001, we as a nation are consuming an additional 278 calories from drinks alone. That is staggering! Left unchecked, this can cause upwards of 30 extra pounds per year.

Back in college I did a quick 10 minute speech on how we as a nation consume way too much sugar. I talked about how things like soda, and wait for it… fruit juice, are not good for weight loss. In the middle of the talk, a student held up her hand to ask a question, “What are we supposed to drink?”  I was dumbfounded. Have we been so brainwashed as a society to believe that we have to suck down sugary drinks all day, bombarding our taste buds with constant flavor? In a split second, without thinking about it, I held my water bottle up and said, “This!”

Most people know that drinking sodas are not good for us. Sadly though, the millions of dollars pumped into advertising sugary drinks have brainwashed us into thinking there is nothing wrong with drinking fruit juices, Gatorade, and Vitamin Waters. If you’re out performing hours of intense exercise, Gatorade might be a decent option.  But, if you’re sitting at your desk all day, then go to the gym for a 60 minute workout, Gatorade probably won’t be conducive to your weight loss goals. That glass of OJ in the morning can pump just as much sugar into your bloodstream as a can of soda. And Vitamin Water? Why didn’t I think of that name? I could have bought this cabin we are staying at, rather than renting it for the week.

If you’re looking for an easy way to lose body fat, start by reducing the number of calorie containing beverages during your day. 

Article update: If you are going to be outside for prolonged periods of time on such a day as this, it would be a good idea to drink an electrolyte drink such as Propel (only 10 calories) or something like Powerade Zero. You get the benefits of preventing dehydration without the sugar bombardment.

It may not be a wise choice to eat your Chia Pet, but it would be to start eating Chia seeds. I can hear it now, “Mark has finally lost his marbles.” Perhaps, but the fact remains you will be hearing more about the health benefits of Chia seeds.

Why should you be eating them everyday? They pack 5g of fiber per tablespoon which accounts for all the carbs in them (a good thing for a fat loss diet). More importantly they offer 2.5g of heart healthy omega-3′s per serving. Omega-3′s are an anti-inflammatory for which many diseases can be tracked back to elevated inflammation in the body. The great thing about these fats is their ability to help with fat loss. Low blood levels of omega-3′s are also associated with depression.

I know it may seem weird at first to start eating seeds from something thousands of people have bought as a gimmick household plant, but quirkiness aside, they are healthy.

They  also  don’t have a taste. Simply add them to your protein shakes, or what I do is toss them into my oatmeal. A word of caution when adding to a shake is that the seeds will grow in size due to drawing water into them. Experiment with a tablespoon at a time.

If you decide to try them, you can pick up a 1 lb bag for about $16 (at MOMs Organic Market in Bowie) and they will last quite a while. If you find them to be a staple of your diet then you can buy a 5 lb bag on Amazon for about $25 shipped.