What To Drink

David Zinczenko, Editor-In-Chief of Men's Health Magazine, came out with his listing of America's Best & Worst 'Health' Drinks.

IMO Mr. Zinczenko is brilliant. In his 8+ years at Men's Health the magazine's circulation has grown by 30% and ad pages by 80%. Pretty darn impressive stats.

And while I conceptually agree with the premise of his Eat This, Not That mantra which is focused on finding healthier alternatives to the oodles of fast food and convenience options that are 'feeding' the obesity epidemic, I am not convinced that recommending a drink that contains 71 grams of sugar (the Very Berry Chiller) is necessarily the recommendation the general public needs to hear.

With that said, it's already heating up here in NYC with the thermometer teetering around 93 degrees today. Staying hydrated should be on everyone's mind as the heat and humidity begin to rise, so here are a few of my preferred 'health' drink options:

Water. I'm certain this surprised no one. Like David, my personal preference is SmartWater, but clearly there is an argument to be made for forgoing bottled water. We'll leave that discussion to another time and for now hopefully all agree that water consumption is a good thing! If you prefer a little flavor, feel free to add a slice or two of lemon or better yet -- free strawberries and grapes and use them as ice cubes!

Green Tea. Hot or iced, green tea is amongst the least processed of all teas and provides the most antioxidant polyphenols, notably a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to green tea.

Protein Supplementation. Anyone who has been reading CFB for a while knows that I prefer whole foods to protein supplementation, but if you need that extra protein boost, there's certainly nothing wrong with a post-workout shake. I personally use water as my base.

Susan's Protein Shake:

- 2 scoops Designer Whey Protein, chocolate flavored
- 8 oz water
- 1 shot black coffee

Combine all ingredients in a blender, refrigerate and enjoy!

Train hard; stay strong and stay hydrated!

Peace.

Susan