@ your breakroom

Thrive 9 to 5: Avoid the Diet Destroyers in the Office

What beverages to serve your employees.
Know the facts about coffee, cola and water.

Workers are tuning into another motivational voice in their ears: the voice of their employers. Spurred by rising healthcare costs and the growing obesity epidemic, an ever-increasing number of America's employers are delivering a simple message to workers: eat right and get healthy, now.

Almost two-thirds of major U.S. companies-63 percent-say they plan to become more involved in the health of employees. From hiring wellness coaches in the office, to celebrating National Health and Fitness Day to initiating "Biggest Loser" office challenges, employers are making large investments to improve worker health and wellness.

And there is a burgeoning industry of workplace wellness counselors, coaches and consultants helping employers and their staffs on the journey to better health. Thrive 9 to 5 is a timely solution that will address the need to eat healthy in America's workplaces.

On the Today Show, nutritionist Joy Bauer lined up the favorite drinks that we consume during the day. Stacked in cubes next to the beverages was the relevant sugar content for each beverage. The average cola has almost 10 teaspoons of sugar. Her advice, watch the sugar content of your daily beverages.

Can you sip your way to skinny and more energy during the day?

Stick to water and you will satisfy your thirst without adding extra calories. Switching to water from sugary sodas or juice can help you cut calories. Drinking water benefits every cell in your body. It hydrates your skin and helps keep you alert.

Dr. Barbara Rolls, Ph.D. says, "It's recommended that women drink about 9 cups of fluids a day, including water and other beverages, 13 cups for men. But you need to be careful about your beverage choices. An estimated one-fifth of the daily calories consumed by Americans over the age of 2 come from beverages. Several studies point to calories from beverages as one of the causes of the nation's rising obesity and weight problems."

Water is certainly better than chugging high-calorie beverages such as soda or juices. Because sugar can affect the way the body absorbs fluid, sweetened beverages may not satisfy your thirst when consumed with a meal, so you may end up drinking even more of them, which adds to your overall calorie intake.

If plain water just doesn't do it for you, try these substitutes:

• Iced tea. Skip the canned stuff, which is loaded with sugar and calories. Make your own with a tea bag.
• Unsweetened herbal tea has zero calories.
• Fruit juice spritzers. Add seltzer to orange juice, grapefruit juice or other juices. A cup of seltzer and a 1/2 cup of orange juice is only 60 calories.
• Go for the hot stuff. Try hot black tea with lemon or peppermint tea for a pick-me-up.