Top 5 Nutritious Drinks To Speed Up Weight Loss

The key to losing weight isn’t just watching what’s on your plate, it is also watching what’s in your glass. If you have been eating really well, exercising regularly, but the weight isn’t shifting, sometimes not being aware of your daily beverages may be the cause.

Drinking soft drinks, energy drinks, packet fruit juices, “health” drinks, “fancy” coffee or tea loaded with sugar and artificial sweeteners can sabotage your weight loss goals.

Not drinking enough water every day can slow down weight loss. Our body needs 2.5 – 3 Liters of water every day. Water is essential to filter waste products and toxins from our body so that it can function at its best.

Top 5 Nutritious Drinks

I’m going to share with you 5 nutritious drinks which you can drink on a daily basis and it can speed up your weight loss goal.

1. Green Tea

I recommend green tea as a natural fat burner. Green tea is rich in antioxidants, which aid in burning fat, especially belly fat by triggering the release of fat from fat cells. So if your goal is to lose belly fat, then consume green tea as part of your daily beverages. Consume 3-5 cups a day for best results.

Other unsweetened tea which can help you to speed up your weight loss process include: Peppermint Tea, Oolong Tea, Pu Erh Tea or White Tea.

2. Whey Protein

Whey protein isn’t just for men or bodybuilders. In fact, if combined with regular exercises, whey protein can speed up weight loss while maintaining and building lean muscles.

Protein is a much more satisfying nutrient in comparison to fat or carbs. What this means is that by drinking whey protein it will help you to:

• Keep satisfied for much longer, hence eating less throughout the day.
• Boost your metabolism.

I’m sure for those of you who are already drinking whey protein, you will agree with me that just one scoop will keep you satisfied for at least 2 – 3 hours.

Use the whey shake for a small meal replacement. For instance, I will have my whey protein shake as my mid-morning snack, prior to my workout. Another way of having whey protein is that you can always add one scoop into your morning oatmeal, muffins, pancake mixtures, smoothies and more.

3. Lemon Water

I’m sure we’ve all heard about the benefits of drinking lemon water, especially in the morning on an empty stomach.

Lemons are rich in Vitamin C and Potassium, which is a key nutrient for healthy metabolism. Drinking a warm glass of lemon water in the morning has been proven to improve digestion and rehydrate the body.

When we get up in the morning, our body is dehydrated from not having any liquid for at least 7 – 8 hours. So we need to rehydrate our body by drinking 2 – 3 cups of water first thing in the morning. And by just squeezing 2 – 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into your water it can:

• Improve your digestion;
• Reduce bloating;
• Release body toxins;
• Boost energy level;
• Reduce wrinkles;
• Lead to clearer skin.

The simple habit of drinking lemon water first thing in the morning can help to support a healthy weight loss.

I would suggest these lemon water recipe:

• 2 tbsp. fresh squeezed Lemon Juice;
• 2 tbsp. Raw Honey or Maple Syrup;
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper;
• 1 bottle of lukewarm Water.

4. Naturally Flavoured Water

I’m gonna keep the recipe really simple so that you could make it under 5 minutes and you can keep trying different variations. So the combination is simply to use:

• 1 -2 selections of Fruits or Vegetables (apple, orange, lemon, cucumber);
• 1 selection of Spices Or Herbs (cinnamon, mint, lemongrass, vanilla);
• 1 Litre of Water.

Place all the selected ingredients into a pitcher and chill in the fridge for an hour before serving. If you like a stronger flavour, then place it overnight and consume within 24 hours.

Here are few of my favorite combinations for one liter of water:

1. 1 medium Apple thinly sliced, 1 cinnamon stick;
2. 1/2 Cucumber thinly sliced, 1/2 Lemon thinly sliced and a small handful of fresh Mint Leaves coarsely chopped;
3. 1 Orange thinly sliced and 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract;
4. 1/2 Cucumber thinly sliced and 1 stalk Lemongrass smashed with a rolling pin;
5. 1/2 Lemon, 1/2 Orange and 1/2 Lime, all thinly sliced.

You can add or reduce each ingredient depending on how strong you want the flavours to be.

These naturally flavoured drinks provide a subtile, refreshing taste without adding many calories. Plus, your body will benefit from the fruits and vegetables.

5. Black Coffee

Coffee lovers, you will be happy to know that black coffee made it into my list of top 5 nutritious drinks for weight loss.

Black coffee is calorie-free and rich in antioxidants. It is known to boost metabolism and suppress hunger. Plus, drinking a moderate amount of coffee can help to improve mood and concentration. So your morning cup of joy isn’t bad after all, but just be careful with what goes into your coffee.

I would stick to black coffee or add a small amount of semi-skimmed milk. Drinking fancy coffee can actually lead to weight gain. Just keep your coffee simple to gain it’s benefits.

These 5 nutritious drinks are not miracle weight loss drinks. Just drinking these nutritious drinks on their own, without changing your lifestyle, will not help you lose weight.