Believe it or not, beverages can add up too! (Calorie-wise, I mean)

Most beveragesare not calorie-free, especially when it comes to coffees, juices, sportsdrinks, soda, or alcohol. If you don't make a valiant effort , you may find that you could drink an entire day'sworth of calories. The White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks, for example, stands at a whooping 400 calories, which could be anentire meal's worth of calories. Trim calories from liquids by choosing regularcoffee (if coffee is necessary), tea, carbonated or mineral water, natural juices or shakes and water (yes, I know I mentioned it twice).

But what about diet soda or even coke zero (with 'zero calories')? Keep in mind that although these products are marketed as 'diet', they are filled with unnatural substitutions that cause havoc to your system, e.g the addition of aspartame, in place of sugar, which can cause migraine headaches, shortness of breath and abdominal pain, just to name a few.
Sticking to more natural beverages will help you on your path to optimal health, and keep your daily calorie intake within range.

In most locations, we are already feeling the cold snap of winter and wishing for spring and summer. This means that warm or hot soup is becoming the item of choice on most menus. If you are purchasing a ready made soup from a restaurant, be sure to lean towards broths or tomato based soups that are stuffed with vegetables and beans. These soups will be low in calories and will help you feel full. Try to avoid cream base soups such as cream of broccoli, cream of mushroom or cream of potato. They may sound healthy since they have a vegetable in the title but are indeed high in fat.

 When eating out for lunch with a co-worker or dinner with the family, don't be afraid to ask what the gravy is made out of, how many eggs are on a salad or in an omelet, how many tablespoons or teaspoons of dressing was added to the salad or how many ounces in the steak. This information will allow you to decide whether to choose a different option, share this meal with someone else, have the meal altered  or ask for half of it now and the other half packaged to take home. Being aware of how the food is prepared will help you make the best decision for your meal and keep you on the right track.

The average family in the US and Canada is unaware of how much food they are consuming on a daily or weekly basis. For the majority of families this has becoming a silent hindrance to living a healthier life. CBC News did an experiment with an average Canadian family in order for them to be more aware of their intake, namely amount of salt, sugar, fats and so on. It is important to be aware of what you and your family is consuming. Take a step further and educate yourself about your body's nutrition demands and stick to it. Have a look at the video below.

Excerpt  site:  'When CBC News went into one Toronto family's home and kept a close watch on what was actually consumed, the discrepancy between what people believe to be healthy eating and the reality of what they consume became glaring.'
'Studies suggest that, compared with 30 years ago, Canadians are consuming an entire extra meal a day in calories. They also eat too much sugar and far too much salt. Still, they may not recognize where all that salt and sugar is coming from.'
http://news.sympatico.cbc.ca/consumernews/canadians_tackle_bad_eating_habits/02b9bf51