#均衡饮食
#系列课程
如何选择合适的饮料。
我们每天需要喝水的主要原因是为了保持体内水分和体液平衡。食品和饮料行业的发展使得我们可供选择的饮料种类大幅增加。面对琳琅满目的选择，选择最佳的饮料有时会令人困惑。
在第一周的课程中，您了解到，在过去的一个世纪里，我们的饮食变得越来越不健康，因为我们摄入的新鲜水果和蔬菜越来越少，重要维生素、矿物质、纤维和抗氧化剂的摄入量也越来越少，而饱和脂肪、反式脂肪、糖、精制淀粉类食物和高热量食物的摄入量却越来越高。世界卫生组织认为这些饮食习惯是危险行为，会增加患上生活方式相关疾病的风险，并降低幸福感。因此，选择不会助长这些高风险饮食习惯的饮料至关重要。
让我们来看看一些常见的饮料类型：
含糖饮料
含糖碳酸饮料或汽水与饮食中糖分过高、肥胖以及生活方式相关疾病风险增加密切相关。最好尽量减少或完全杜绝此类饮料。
含糖饮料的例子包括：碳酸汽水、加糖果汁、冰茶、调味牛奶、调味甜水、加糖热饮（例如热巧克力）、加调味糖浆的加糖咖啡、能量饮料和运动饮料（除非您积极参与训练和体育赛事）。
高卡路里饮料
由于饮料中含有糖和/或脂肪，通常卡路里含量较高。建议您避免饮用高卡路里饮料，以保持健康均衡的饮食。
高热量饮料的例子包括：奶昔、冰沙（用全脂牛奶、冰淇淋或奶油制成）、加奶油的咖啡或热巧克力等。
果蔬汁
纯果蔬汁能够为您提供多种维生素、矿物质和抗氧化剂，尤其是鲜榨的。然而，与完整的水果和蔬菜相比，这些果汁通常几乎不含纤维。保持足够的纤维摄入量对促进健康和预防疾病至关重要。过量饮用果蔬汁会导致更高的卡路里摄入。如果您选择在饮食中加入果蔬汁，请适量饮用，并优先选择鲜榨果汁。
水——完美的饮品
水是一种独特的饮品，因为它不含糖、脂肪、卡路里、调味剂或添加剂。这意味着它不会带来任何饮食风险，因此是您的首选饮品。
您可能已经知道每天喝水很重要，但很多人并不知道水约占体重的60%。考虑到每天约有1至1.5升的水通过皮肤、肺部和肾脏以尿液形式流失，喝水和保持水分的重要性就显而易见了。虽然成年人不进食可以存活数周，但在低温至中温条件下，如果没有水，最多只能存活十天。
水在体内的主要功能包括：
水是清除体内废物的必需物质。
充足的水分摄入对肠道正常功能至关重要。
水就像一个运输系统，将营养物质和其他物质运送到全身，并进出细胞。
体内发生的许多化学反应都需要水。
身体水分的蒸发有助于调节体温。
关于饮水量的建议是什么？
普通成年人每天需要摄入2.5至3升液体，其中大部分应以水的形式摄入。对于体型较小的人，每天1.5至2升可能就足够了。这相当于每天喝6至10杯235毫升（一杯）的水。这并不意味着你需要强迫自己喝大量的水，但要意识到喝水的重要性，尽量对口渴的信号保持敏感，并尽可能多地喝水。
茶和咖啡
茶和咖啡不能取代水作为首选的补水饮品。茶和咖啡具有利尿作用，可以刺激肾脏排出体内水分。咖啡和茶中的咖啡因，如果过量摄入，也可能对健康产生各种负面影响。
不建议过量饮用茶和咖啡，每日应限制在3至4杯。不含咖啡因的花草茶是不错的选择，可以补充每日的液体摄入量。
本周重点信息
饮料方面，最好的选择是水。普通成年人每天需要6至10杯水。
应尽可能避免饮用高糖、高热量和/或高脂肪的饮料。可以适量饮用果汁和蔬菜汁，但最好选择鲜榨果汁。咖啡和茶（含咖啡因）也应限制饮用，但不含咖啡因的花草茶是不错的选择。
How to choose the right beverage.
The primary reason we need to drink liquids daily is to maintain hydration and fluid balance within our bodies. Developments in the food and beverage industry have created a major increase in the selection of beverages available to us. With all of these options available, making the best beverage choice can sometimes be confusing.
In Week 1 you learned that our diets have become less healthy over the last century as we consume fewer fresh fruits and vegetables, reduce our intake of important vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants and increase our intake of saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, refined starchy foods and high calorie foods. These eating patterns are considered by the World Health Organization to be risky behaviors that can lead to an increased risk for developing lifestyle related diseases, as well as reducing feelings of well-being. Therefore, it is important to select beverages that do not contribute to these high risk dietary practices.
Let’s take a look at some common beverage types:
Sugary beverages
Sugary carbonated drinks or sodas have specifically been linked to excessive sugar in our diets, obesity and an increased risk for lifestyle related disease. It is best to minimize or completely eliminate such beverages from your diet.
Examples of sugary beverages include: carbonated sodas, juices sweetened with sugar, iced teas, flavoured milk, flavoured sweetened waters, sweetened hot beverages such as hot chocolate, sweetened coffee with flavoured syrups, energy drinks and sports drinks (unless you are actively involved in training and sporting events).
High Calorie Beverages
Often beverages can be high in calories, due to their sugar and/or fat content. It is recommended that you avoid high calorie beverages in an effort to achieve a healthy balanced diet.
Examples of high calorie beverages include: milkshakes, smoothies (made with full cream milk, ice cream or cream), coffee or hot chocolate with cream toppings, etc.
Fruit and Vegetable Juices
Pure fruit and vegetable juices are able to provide you with a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, especially when freshly squeezed. However, these juices often have little to no fibre compared to whole fruits and vegetables. Maintaining adequate fibre intake is important to promoting health and preventing disease. When taken in excess, fruit and vegetable juices will contribute to a higher calorie intake. If you choose to include fruit and/or vegetable juice in your diet, do so in moderation and give preference to freshly squeezed juices.
Water - the perfect beverage
Water is a unique beverage as it contains no sugar, fat, calories, flavourings or additives. This means that it carries no dietary risk and is therefore the beverage of choice.
You may already know that water is important to drink on a daily basis, but many people are not aware that water makes up approximately 60% of body weight. The full importance of drinking water and maintaining hydration is recognized when you consider that about 1 to 1.5 litres of water is lost on a daily basis through the skin, lungs and via the kidneys as urine. While it is possible to last several weeks without food, an adult would only be able to survive up to ten days without water in low to moderate temperatures.
Click here to understand more about the key functions of water in the body
What are the recommendations for water intake?
Key functions of water within the body include:
Water is needed to remove waste products from the body
Adequate water intake is important for the normal functioning of the bowel
Water acts like a transport system carrying nutrients and other substances around the body and into and out of cells
Water is needed for a number of chemical reactions which take place within the body
Evaporation of water off the body helps to control body temperature
The average adult requires a fluid intake of 2.5 to 3 litres daily, most of which should be taken in the form of water. For smaller people, 1.5 to 2 litres daily may be adequate. This translates into an amount of 6 to 10 235ml (one cup) glasses of water daily. This does not mean that you need to force yourself to drink copious amounts of water, but be aware of the fact that drinking water is important, try to be sensitive to thirst signals, and give preference to water as often as possible.
Tea and Coffee
Tea and coffee cannot replace water as the preferred hydrating liquid. Tea and coffee act as diuretics, stimulating the kidneys to eliminate water from the body. The caffeine in coffee and tea, when taken in excess, may also have various negative health implications.
Excessive consumption of tea and coffee is discouraged and should be limited to 3 to 4 cups daily. Herbal teas that do not contain caffeine are good beverage options that can contribute to your daily fluid intake.
Key messages for this week
The best choice to make with regard to beverages is water. The average adult requires 6 to 10 glasses of water daily.
Beverages that are high in sugar, calories, and/or fat should be avoided whenever possible. Fruit and vegetable juices can be used in moderation, but preference should be given to freshly squeezed juices. Consumption of coffee and tea (with caffeine) should also be limited, but herbal tea that does not contain caffeine is a good beverage choice.
