What the hell do I drink?!?

Simple rules:

1.  Water, not too much, your body weight in ounces if you are very active is perfectly good.  A bit less if you are not that active.  

{Edit: it should read "1/2 your body weight in ounces"}

Personally, I get most of my water from Sparkling Mineral bottles, which I sadly must purchase.

the best water out there:  Gerolsteiner.  Try it, you will be converted.

Mineral water in general is the way to go.  Most waters outside of america are left with their minerals intact.  We developed some kind of sideways logic that purified = good.  This may be the case in our polluted city water supplies across the country, but not from good sources.  Minerals should stay in.  They have a fancy name in modern health food jargon:  Electrolytes.

2.  Juices.  They are delicious, I love them, but they have a bit too much concentrated sugar in them, so they are best enjoyed lightly or very moderately.

3.  Sodas.  None.  Just say no!  The concentrated corn sugar is basically Adult onset Diabetes in a can.  Diet sodas are filled with aspartame or sorbitol-like substances - these collect in your capillary beds causing things like retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy - you don't want these things, and anyone with diabetes knows that they are at risk for them.  The magic part:  drink diet soda and you don't even need diabetes to go blind, lose nervous control, or have renal failure.

4.  Beer.  See #3 Sodas.  Beer is also loaded with concentrated sugars.  Makes you fat.

5.  Wine.  1-2 servings/day.  Red is better then white.

6.  Liquor.  1-2 servings/day, if not accompanied by wine.  

7.  Shakes/smoothies - don't bother, eat veggies and fruits.

8.  Tea/Coffee - fine if not accompanied by sugar.  Both should be moderately consumed.  Too much coffee is obviously problematic, as it drains your adrenal glands.  I wonder if anyone has looked into an association of heavy coffee consumption and Addison's Disease (hypoadrenal).

Be well.