Hydration Celebration!

Hello Clean Eaters!

I know that summer is here so that means it's time to stay hydrated! While I may be one of the few people out there who don't mind the bland taste of water, I know that others might not. I recently went out and bought a slew of goodies (and stole some teabags from my moms house) so I wanted to try some new water and tea combinations!

So before I get into the nitty-gritty, let me say that I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious and versatile the mint was. It lasted me a week and added a fresh flavor to the water and the tea! I also heard that infused water can be used at detoxes. I have always wanted to try a detox or maybe even a teatox but have not done enough research into to it to fully commit. In the meantime, check out what I drank.

Here is what I made:

• Green tea with mint and lemon - Putting lemon in my tea is not new to me put adding mint sure is! I have to admit, at first I was scared about burning and ruining the mint leaves but it actually provided a great flavor.
• Lemon grass tea with mint - Lemon grass tea is completely new to me. I didn't bother adding more lemon to this tea so the mint was a great counter balance!
• Water with mint and lemon - I have seen this one time and time again on Pinterest. I have read that mint helps settle ones stomach and aids in digestion (peppermint tea for example) and that the added lemon helps to cleanse the body and boost the immune system. I am not sure if these have helped (since I have been only been drinking them for a week) but I sure do like it!
• Cucumber lemon water - Classic, nothing more
• Cucumber mint water - A new favorite! Adding a few slices of cucumber to water makes me feel more hydrated and the mint was a welcome, fresh taste

In all, even though I only played around with a few different ingredients, I got good flavor combinations out of them. Go ahead and try some out for yourself and tell me what you like to infuse your water or tea with!

-Eating Clean in College

Smart Alcohol Choices

Okay, so we all know that alcohol serves no place in clean eating. It is a chemical – a fermented version of sugars from various sources, be they potatoes, agave plants, grapes, molasses, berries, barley, whatever.

The fermented version of these sources is, in fact, considered a “foreign substance” inside the body. It does not provide nutritional benefit. It does not provide sustenance. It does not fill up the body. It does not provide energy. BUT I do know that you will drink in college. Let's face it.

So if you choose to indulge in the "Devils Nectar", then here are some "healthy" beers that have both taste and a good buzz. Below there is a list of more common (draft, domestic) beers that come in at around 100 calories or less. You might have to sacrifice taste based on your personal preference.

Guinness Draught
Type: Stout
Alcohol Content: 4%
Calories: 126
Carbs: 10 grams

Sam Adam’s Light Lager
Type: Lager
Alcohol Content: 4%
Calories: 119
Carbs: 9.7 grams

Other Notable Mentions

• Bud Select 55- 55 calories
• MGD 64 Lemonade; Miller Genuine Draft 64- 64 cal per 12 oz
• O’Douls- 65 calories per 12 oz c
• Natural Light- 95 calories per 12 oz
• Michelob Ultra Amber; Michelob Ultra Amber- 95 calories per 12 oz
• Miller Light- 96 cal per 12 oz
• Heineken Light- 99 cal per 12 oz
• Corona Light- “                     ”
• Budweiser Select- “           ”
• Coors Light- 102 cal per 12 oz

If you’re going to drink liquor, use calorie-free mixers like tonic water. One shot glass or mixed drink will contain about 1.5 ounces of hard liquor

• Vermouth- Martini Rosso Vermouth- 66 calories per shot
• Captain Morgan- Long Island Iced Tea- 67 calories per shot
• (a lot of the Skinnygirl vodkas come in at under 75 calories per shot, but I did not think men would be interested in that)
• Malibu Rum- 81 calories per shot
• Captain Morgan Original and Parrot Bay Caribbean Coconut each come in at 87 calories per shot
• Jose Cuervo Especial Gold and Silver come in a t 96 calories each
• Bacardi, Jack Daniels, and Patron Silver each come in 99 calories

If you want to make the choice as simple as possible, go with wine or liquor. Note that I said liquor, not mixed drinks. As WebMD points out:
"It's the mixers, syrups, and sodas that really get people into calorie trouble, because most drinks start with 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits that only have around 96 calories, but mixologists can easily turn that into a drink with hundreds of calories,"

However, if you want to get super drunk, a shot of Everclear comes in at around 234 calories. This should be all you need for the night.

The recommended drink allowance is one drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men. As always, please drink responsibly and have a designated driver with you.

-Eating Clean in College