Your metabolism plays a major role in your ability to lose weight. Unfortunately, this is one of the reasons it can become increasingly difficult to slim down as you age; our metabolic rates tend to decline over the years due to hormonal changes. And while there’s nothing you can do to turn back the hands of time and reverse this part of aging, there are a few ways you can keep your metabolism as fast as possible, and that includes maintaining a healthy diet. As it turns out, consuming too many high-sugar foods and beverages can negatively impact your metabolic rate and even lead to chronic inflammation, which could also hold you back from your weight loss goals.
To discover some of the worst inflammatory beverages you should avoid at all costs if you want to lose weight over 40, we spoke to health experts Tania Long, nutritionist for Meal Fan and Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet. They told us that store-bought fruit juice and processed, sugary coffee drinks are two you should watch out for. Learn more below!
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Fruit juice
Many people see fruit juice as a healthy morning beverage. However, experts warn that the type of juice you find in the grocery store is typically highly processed and loaded with sugar. In fact, many varieties pack in even more sugar than many drinks we consider unhealthy. "While it may seem like you're making a good choice by selecting fruit juice over soda, the sugar level in fruit juice might be much higher than the sugar content of soda," Long warns. Take, for example, processed orange juice, which packs in about 31 grams of sugar per 12 ounce serving. Meanwhile, an average can of cola comes in around 22 grams. Yikes!
All of that sugar will take a serious toll on your health—especially when it comes to your weight loss goals. Sugar is highly inflammatory, and when consumed in excess, it can lead to health issues like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even heart attack over time.
What's more, drinking sugary fruit juice every day could slow your metabolism due to the fact that it offers virtually no nutritional value in exchange for the high sugar content. "Unlike a piece of fruit, fruit juice contains no fiber to limit the body's absorption of sugar, resulting in an insulin surge," Long says. These spikes in blood glucose can lead to a slower metabolism, and, in turn, weight gain.
Sugary coffee drinks
If fruit juice isn't your thing, you may opt for coffee in the morning instead. However, while coffee can be a fine beverage to sip on for your health (and can even offer up its fair share of health benefits), it's crucial to be careful about what ingredients you add to the mix. And if you're trying to lose weight, pre-bottled, sugary coffee beverages are off the table, Richards warns.
"Premade and processed coffee drinks are a convenient alternative to standing in line for a traditional sugar-laden coffee," she acknowledges. "Unfortunately, much the same as many other special order coffee drinks, they contain empty calories, fat, and added sugar." And, as we mentioned above, too much sugar can be detrimental to your weight loss goals for several reasons.
Because of this, it's best to only consume sugar-loaded coffee on rare occasions—which means you may want to switch up your go-to Starbucks order if you're trying to shed a few pounds. "If you insist on drinking these beverages it is best to look for options that are 100 calories or less, to limit the amount of empty calories you consume during the day," Richards suggests. "You should also look for no, or low added sugar, which is a contributor to metabolic disorders and raised triglycerides." Got it!
