11 Beverages You Should Stop Drinking, Now

November 10, 2015 by Josh Bezoni

Labels can be tricky, often intentionally. If people really understood what ingredients and how much were going into their food, they would probably think twice before consuming. That’s why it’s so important to educate yourself about how to read a food label, what your daily intake should be, and how these ingredients effect your body, metabolism, and mood.

Here are 11 beverages I’ve already vetted for you. If you’re ready to be healthy and achieve/maintain a healthy weight, it’s time to stop drinking these beverages right now.

Vitamin Water. On the label it says it has 13 grams (g) of sugar, BUT there are 2.5 servings per container. That means this little 20 oz. bottle of “water” comes with 32g of sugar.
Welch’s 100% Grape Juice. The label says there is no added sugar but 8 oz. contains a whopping 39g of sugar. Even worse, it’s fructose, which is a kind of sugar that is more easily converted into belly fat.
Coca Cola. The second ingredient in Coca Cola is high fructose corn syrup. Just 8 oz. has 27g of sugar. Of course this isn’t just Coke. All soft drinks contain about the same. It’s time to put down the plastic cup and pick up some fresh water.
Amp Energy Elevate. The labels says it contains 29g of sugar per 8 oz. That means when you pick up a 16 oz. can you’re actually getting nearly 60g of sugar.
Sobe Cranberry Grapefruit. This Sobe drink has 26g of sugar per 8 oz.. With 2.5 servings per bottle, you’re getting over 60g of sugar in one drink. That’s 15 teaspoons! Would you sit and scoop 15 spoonfuls of sugar into your coffee in the morning and then drink it? I hope not!
Rockstar Energy Drink. Each can of Rockstar Energy Drink contains 62g of sugar. Enough said.
Gatorade. Some might be surprised but this one, but Gatorade contains high fructose corn syrup as its second ingredient. That’s hardly what any athlete needs to replenish.
Tropicana’s Cranberry Juice. This “juice” contains high fructose corn syrup and 32g of sugar per 8 fluid ounces.
Starbucks Doubleshot Energy plus Coffee. At two servings per container, this “coffee” drink contains 28g of sugar.
Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix. This mixer is loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Plus, the average margarita is 400 calories.

It might seem tough at first to cut out your favorite energy drink or juice beverage at first, but once you break the addiction to the sugar and caffeine, you’ll actually find that you have more energy, better overall health, and you’ll spend less time feeling the “crash” after all that sugar and caffein wears off.

5 Reasons to Drink Water

July 7, 2015 by Josh Bezoni

1.Drinking Water Maintains and balances Body Fluids

Your body is composition contains 60% of water. The functions of the bodily fluids that your body contains include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of salvia, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperatures. Josh Bezoni - WATER

2. Water Controls Calories.

For years, dieters have considered water as a weight loss strategy. Plot twist: Water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss. But please keep in mind substituting it for beverages that are higher in calories can certainly help.

3. Water Energizes Muscles

Are you aware of why cells shrink? Cells that lack balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel in size, this can result in fatigue. Drinking enough fluids while exercising is important. Thus helps increase the flow of energy and muscles activity.

4. Water Keeps the Skin Looking Good.

Your skin already absorbs plenty of water, and also functions as a protective barrier to prevent the loss of fluids. Over hydration will not defeat wrinkles and smile lines. Over hydration will however add an extra layer of strength to your skin.

5. Your Kidneys Love Water

One of the biggest toxins for the human body is blood urea nitrogen, which is a watery waste that is able to go through the kidneys and ex excreted as urine. When your body is receiving enough fluids, your urine will then flow freely and have a light and odorless free color. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor becomes enhanced because your kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions.

5 Proven Health Benefits of Coffee

June 23, 2015 by Josh Bezoni

Coffee is actually healthy. It contains antioxidants and beneficial nutrients that can improve your health.

Here are the 5 health benefits of coffee.

1. Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat

Coffee can boost your metabolism and contains caffeine, which is one of the natural substances that prove to aid fat burning. There are healthy forms of caffeine and unhealthy forms of caffeine. Coffee falls in the healthy category.

Several studies show that caffeine boosts the metabolic rate by 3-11% while increasing the burning of fat.

2.There Are Essential Nutrients in Coffee.

A single cup of coffee contains:

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 11% of the RDA.
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): 6% of the RDA.
Manganese and Potassium: 3% of the RDA.
Magnesium and Niacin (B3): 2% of the RDA.

3. Coffee Makes You Happier.

In a Harvard study published in 2011, it was stated that females who drank coffee had a 20% chance of being less depressed.

4. Coffee is a Huge Source of Antioxidants.

For those who engage in a western diet, Coffee might be the healthiest aspect of the diet.

The western diet is an eating pattern established in developed countries such as America. Although our eating habits are horrible, the best part of your day might be that small cup of black coffee.

5. Coffee Can Lower Your Risk of Stroke.

Check out this Journal from the American Heart Association

Energy Drinks – To Drink or Not to Drink?

June 16, 2015 by Josh Bezoni

What are Energy Drinks?

Red Bull, Monster, 5 Hour, Rockstar are all energy drinks that contain a large dosage of caffeine and stimulant like guarana and ginseng. Caffeine is a dominant ingredient in energy drinks ranging from about 75 milligrams – 200 milligrams per serving. In comparison, Coca Cola has about 34 milligrams and Mountain Dew has 55 milligrams of caffeine.

If the drink advertises no caffeine, there supplement is guarana, which is equivalent of 5 hour energy shots “no crash” guarantee. This is only referencing the no “sugar crash” because the drink has artificial sweeteners.

What are the Short Term Dangers?

Individuals respond to caffeine differently. Energy drinks contain stimulating properties that can boost the heart rate and blood pressure to an extreme point. This can also cause dehydration.For all my fitness junkies out there. Energy drink should not be used while working out. This can leave you severely dehydrated.When used occasionally, energy drinks are not necessarily bad for you, but they shouldn’t be seen as “natural alternatives” either. If you think of energy drinks as another highly caffeinated beverage, you will be bale to paint a clearer picture of what they are and how it can affect you. For example: You wouldn’t use Mountain Dew as a sports drink.

What happens when energy drinks are combined with alcohol?

Here is some advice. DONT DO IT.

Energy drinks are stimulants and Alcohol is a depressant, combining the two can be extremely dangerous. The stimulant will hide how intoxicated you are and prevent you from realizing how much alcohol you have consumed. Fatigue is one of the ways the body normally tells someone that they’ve had enough to drink.

Public Enemies

May 19, 2015 by Josh Bezoni

Don’t you think it is absolutely insane that we take natural things such as sugar cane, or vegetables like corn or beets (which are full of fiber and various vitamins and minerals in their natural state), and completely wipe away their healthy properties? What’s left of it now is a fast-digesting, highly addictive, nutritionally dead food that leads to malnutrition and sickness. imgres

Contrary to popular belief, these “stripped carbohydrates” like sugar, flour, enriched white flour, white flour, enriched bleached flour, enriched wheat flour, wheat flour, semolina flour, white rice, maltodextrin, glucose, fructose, malt syrup, corn starch, dextrose, and levulose are some of the world’s most dangerous obesity additives. But ironically enough, “fat-free” foods are loaded with the same ingredients!

The average American eats about 140pounds of sugar per year and about 173 grams per day. This is such a horrible but yet acceptable sugar addiction. It is imperative to know the sugar is an enabler and will continue to induce hunger and cravings. The thing is the sugar demons continue to wreak havoc on our bodies and blood sugar levels, causing them to rise, then fall. When you eat sugar you experience a surge of insulin releasing into your digestive track. Insulin holds on to sugar as tight as it can and stores it as energy. The bad part is, the excess sugar is then stored in your fat cells increasing fat in dreaded areas such as your belly. As a result to this dreadful process, your blood sugar levels drop, causing more hunger and cravings. Now, I am in no way trying to scare you away from sweets! But… numerous studies have shown that sugar causes inflammation—inflammation is the root of most disease. Sugar weakens the immune system and can cause depression. According to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology, it also accelerates aging and causes wrinkles.

Lets take a look at exhibit A: 12-ounce soft drink has around 140 calories—all of which come from sugar—and the typical American has at least three of these drinks a day. This equates to about 4 pounds of fat stored in your belly, thighs, hips, face and arms. Yes, ingesting fructose-sweetened soft drinks increases belly fat in overweight subjects. There is also a direct relation between an increase in sugary soft drink consumption and type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors. Are you terrified yet? You should be. I hope you are starting to see why these sugar-filled “Demons” are NOT the right choice, and that those extra pounds on your belly are there not only because of what you eat, but because of what you drink.

Check Out Josh Bezoni’s 15Foods that Kill Belly Fat, Fast!

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician.

Fighting Belly Fat: Beverages

April 21, 2015 by Josh Bezoni

Spoonful of Sugar — Sugar is often the culprit that makes beverages the enemy of a flat belly.

Many of us struggle with weight loss, particularly when it comes to the tricky belly area. In his piece, 37 Foods that Fight Belly Fat, fitness professional and Belly Fat Free author Josh Bezoni discusses some of the foods that may help promote fat burning and prevent weight gain. This series highlights some of the salient points from the 37 Foods report, and this installment deals specifically with the beverages that can both hinder and help fat burning.

Beverages to Avoid

Sugary Sports Drinks: This is one category of beverages to generally steer clear of. These types of drinks can be a wolf in sheep’s clothing because they are often associated with exercise. Unfortunately, drinking them can undo the progress you might make with your workout because of their high sugar content. If you’re working out, make sure to replace those sports drinks with plenty of water and nutrient-rich foods.
Soda: This probably isn’t news to anyone at this point, but most of the most popular sodas contain high levels of high-fructose corn syrup, which is arguably the “worst carb” EVER.
Energy Drinks: Energy drinks can be a common pitfall for those trying to burn fat because they can provide an easy jolt of energy for a late-night workout or after a long day of work. Again, these are often loaded with sugar, and the caffeine content may lead to a “crash” shortly after, leaving you reaching for more sugar for a pick up.

Belly-Flattening Beverages

Water: This is an easy one. No one working on losing weight can go wrong by replacing sugary beverages with pure and clean water. Athletes will benefit by making sure they are regularly hydrated. If plain water doesn’t strike your fancy, feel free to add a twist of lime or lemon or a small splash of fruit juice to liven it up.
Unsweetened, Caffeine-Free Teas: Naturally flavorful and containing zero calories, herbal teas are a great way to add delicious beverages into your day without bulging your belly.

These are just a few tips on how to choose the best beverages to support your health and body transformation goals. Check out the full piece for more information on belly-flattening foods, sources, and continued reading.