LOW-CARB DRINKS

1

UNSWEETENED ICED TEA

Carb count: 0 grams per cup

While sweetened bottled tea is a sugar bomb, a drink made with just brewed tea and water is a thirst-quencher that won't cause you to lose the battle of the bulge.

Nutrition Bonus: If you choose a brand made with green tea, you'll take in the antioxidants that researchers at Pennsylvania State University found can rev up your fat-burning metabolism when paired with an exercise program.12

2

UNSWEETENED ALMOND MILK

Carb count: 2 grams per cup

If you're looking for a moo-free option to add to your protein shakes or cereal, this nut-based drink is a good choice that won't come close to breaking the carb bank. Just be sure to select cartons labelled "unsweetened" to sidestep the added sugars pumped into many non-dairy beverages.

Nutrition Bonus: Imbibing almond milk infuses your diet with extra vitamin E, which has been shown to dampen the cell-damaging oxidative stress associated with exhaustive exercise.13

3

MAPLE WATER

Carb count: 3 grams per cup

Think of maple water—the clear liquid from the maple tree before it's boiled down into syrup—as the North American answer to coconut water, but with half the amount of sugar. Each sip has a subtle taste of the same flavor that you pour on your morning flapjacks.

Nutrition Bonus: Maple water is naturally rich in manganese to help promote better bone health.

4

TOMATO JUICE

Carb count: 10 grams per cup

Good for more than bloody marys, ye-old tomato juice has less than half the sugar found in orange juice. Besides, don't we all need more veggies in our diets? Lower-sodium options are now available to help reduce the risk for water retention. Also make sure that what you're drinking is 100 percent vegetable juice and not a blend made with sugary fruit juices and sweeteners.

Nutrition Bonus: In a study published in "Nutrition Journal," athletes who sipped antioxidant-rich tomato juice had less post-exercise inflammation than those who didn't, which could speed-up recovery.14

OTHER LOW-CARB DRINKS

• Club soda
• Sugar-free seltzer water
• Unsweetened hemp milk
• Herb tea

Info from: http://www.bodybuilding.com