Bottoms Up

If you're on a reduced-calorie diet, remember that if soft drinks aren't specifically labeled low-calorie, they can significantly bump up your calorie intake. Here's an estimate of how many calories each of the following soft drinks has:

250ml can of cola: 103 calories
250ml can of diet cola: 1 calorie
250ml can of lemonade: 55 calories
250ml glass of fruit squash: 48 calories

Soft drinks are not the best choice for a healthy diet given their artificial nature and high sugar content. However, they are OK in moderation - just limit yourself to two cans a day.

3. Tea and coffee: Both tea and coffee contain caffeine, unless you choose decaf coffee or herbal tea, and they act as a diuretic, ridding the body of fluids. Even though caffeinated drinks are dehydrating, they can be counted towards your daily recommended fluid intake, assuming they are weakened. In other words, a cup of filtered coffee is ok, but espresso doesn't count toward your daily recommended amount. Without milk, both drinks are very low in calories - a 260ml mug of black tea contains around three calories, and the same size mug of black coffee contains approximately five calories. If you prefer these drinks with milk, be sure to choose skimmed or semi-skimmed to keep it low-fat. However the verdict is still out on the effects of caffeine, as it is a stimulant. In addition, tea contains substances called tannins, which can inhibit the absorption of iron from food.