Do you want to lose some pounds? Then change not only what you eat – but also what you drink

In 2019, one in two adults were overweight in The Netherlands. Therefore it is not surprising that many people want to lose some pounds. Bootcamps, gyms, healthy salads and less calories: we all know what it takes to get in shape. Yet often an important part is forgotten: be mindful of what you drink. These 11 healthy drinks could promote weight loss

1. Water

It will not surprise you that water is number 1 on this list. Water is the healthiest drink you can drink if you want to lose weight. Drink a glass of water before a meal and you’ll soon notice that you feel fuller. Often you’ll feel hungry, while you’re actually just thirsty. “The more water you drink, the more weight you will lose,” claims nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein. How much water you need to drink per day varies from person to person. For one person, 1.5 to 2 liters a day is the minimum, while another needs 3 liters. Drinking enough water not only helps you lose weight, it’s also very good for your skin.

2. Water with fruit

At some point you can get tired of just plain water. A solution is to give your water a different flavour. You can easily do that by adding some fresh fruit and let it infuse your water. You can also add a little juice to your glass of water, such as cranberry, orange or grapefruit juice. This way your ‘boring’ water tastes a little sweeter, but it’s still one of the healthiest drinks if you want to lose weight.

3. Green tea

Green tea contains special antioxidants, catechins. These catechins are supposed to stimulate the metabolism and make your body burn more fat. An analysis of fourteen studies showed that people who drank a lot of green tea lost about four kilos more weight than people who didn’t drink green tea.

4. Sour cherry juice

Poor sleep is often linked to obesity, weight gain and difficulty losing weight. One fruit that can help you sleep better is the sour cherry. Eating black cherries or drinking black cherry juice can improve sleep quality. This tasty and healthy fruit juice is naturally high in melatonin and tryptophan. These substances allow you to fall asleep faster and sleep longer and longer. In an animal test, two groups of rats were fed the same high-fat diet. One group of rats received freeze-dried black cherry powder, the control group did not. Rats given the sour cherries experienced a 9% reduction in abdominal fat and other signs of metabolic disease.

5. Coffee

Good news for all coffee lovers: a cup of coffee can help you lose weight. As long as you don’t pour a lot of milk and sugar in it, of course. A recent study shows that drinking four cups of coffee a day can lead to a 4 percent reduction in body fat. According to the researchers, caffeine has a positive effect on your metabolism.

Continue reading on the next page for more healthy drinks.