5 drinks to help you lose weight

It’s no secret that drinking plenty of water is essential for good health — it restores fluids lost through breathing, exercising and metabolism and with zero kilojoules, you can guzzle away to your heart’s content. Water can also help you regulate how much you eat, with people often confusing hunger with thirst. When you start to feel hungry, drink some water instead and see if you still feel like eating afterwards. A 2015 study in the journal Obesity found participants who imbibed water before meals were more likely to lose weight than those who went straight to eating.

The two major points behind drinking vegetable juice are nutrition and taste.

Without a decent taste you’ll be grimacing at every gulp and by using the wrong vegetables, you won’t be getting the benefits you are seeking in an easily digestible format.

Try cucumber, carrot, capsicum, broccoli, sweet potato, cabbage, celery, kale, spinach and wheatgrass.

Green tea has been proven to help boost metabolism and speed up weight loss.

Try it hot or iced with a bit of honey for a low-sugar sweet drink.

Don’t forget black and oolong teas, too! Both are filled with antioxidants, which can help rid your body of toxins.

A morning cup of joe or an afternoon iced coffee can help spur your weight loss by providing a boost of caffeine that suppresses hunger.

Also, coffee has been shown to stimulate thermogenesis, which heats up the body and boosts metabolism.

Just be careful about what you add to your coffee – stick to skim milk and very little sugar.

Milk is an excellent source of lean protein, vitamin D, and calcium that can help build your muscles and keep your bones strong.

Opt for low-fat or skim milk for all of the vitamins without the added fat.

If you are feeling indulgent, add a little chocolate – low-fat chocolate milk is a great option for post-workout muscle recovery.