12 Healthy Ways to Get Lean, Mean, & Gorgeous

Photo by: Designed by Naomi Abel, R29

February: Do A Drink Swap

Americans between the ages of 20 and 39 consume 336 calories a day in sugary drinks - that's more than 15 percent of one's daily calories. It's not hard to figure out why: with an ever-expanding array of tasty non-alcoholic beverages on the market, it's becoming increasingly hard to nix bottled teas, juices, flavored waters, energy drinks, sports drinks, and smoothies (whew!) in ... more 

Photo by: Designed by Naomi Abel, R29

February: Do A Drink Swap

Americans between the ages of 20 and 39 consume 336 calories a day in sugary drinks - that's more than 15 percent of one's daily calories. It's not hard to figure out why: with an ever-expanding array of tasty non-alcoholic beverages on the market, it's becoming increasingly hard to nix bottled teas, juices, flavored waters, energy drinks, sports drinks, and smoothies (whew!) in favor of calorie-less, sugar-less, flavor-less... water. Excuse us if we're not exactly salivating.

If you can't get into guzzling H2O, cut nearly 100 grams of sugar out of your daily diet and still find the flavor you want with these satisfying swaps. Craving a fizzy, flavor-packed drink tinged with sweet and sour? Switch your soda for a kombucha or chia seed drink, which has up to 50 grams less sugar per 16oz bottle. While juice blends and pre-made smoothies can seem super healthy (hey, some of it's green!), fruit juice can be a deceptively high source of sugar. Odwalla Superfood, for example, packs 37 grams per serving, while whipping up your own concoction of cucumber, celery, watercress, lemon, ginger, and cayenne will wield only 6 grams of sugar.

Finally, if you're in desperate need of an energy surge, swap the Red Bull, Monsters, and energy shots - or even coffee, for that matter - for a stimulant tea (like greens, whites, blacks) or yerba mate shots. They have little to no sugar, plus they pack antioxidants and polyphenols, less