This Drink Helps You Burn an Extra 490 Calories Per Week

You know that guzzling water can help take the edge off your hunger and nix the urge to snack in between meals. But guess what? That's not the only way that having plenty of water can help you reach your weight loss goals.

You shouldn't just be sipping the stuff when your stomach starts to rumble an hour before dinner. You should be drinking water all the time. (Okay, that's a little bit of an exaggeration. You don't literally need to gulp water 24/7. And your individual hydration depends on your size, activity level, and the climate where you live.)

But regardless: If you're trying to lose your spare tire, you probably should be sipping more often. Here are 3 surprising facts that'll make you reach for your reusable bottle.

Why You Bruise More Easily When You Drink Alcohol

A dry mouth, a pounding head, and an upset stomach: Those are just a few side effects you might expect after drinking alcohol the night before.

One you might not think of? Waking up with black and blue marks across your body.

That’s because boozing can make you more susceptible to bruising.

Alcohol is a vasodilator, meaning it causes your blood vessels to temporarily relax and expand.

A Better Way to Drink Tequila

The problem with tequila is that most people are drinking it wrong. They knock it back in a shot glass, and then wonder why they feel so terrible the next day. (Go here to find out The Truth about Tequila and Your Hangover.) But tequila is one of those alcohols which should sipped rather than slammed. Not just to avoid that post-shot grimace, but because sipping tequila might actually be good for you.

“A single tequila drink consumed slowly over an hour can have great benefits if consumed several times a week,” says Eric B. Rimm, a Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. “It benefits your good cholesterol as well as reducing your body’s insulin resistance and also the propensity for your blood to clot, which ultimately is what causes a heart attack and most strokes.”

Drink This, Sleep 90 More Minutes A Night

No, it's not whiskey. New research from Louisiana State University finds that drinking tart cherry juice twice a day can help you sleep nearly 90 more minutes a night.

Researchers had seven older adults with insomnia drink eight ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks, followed by two weeks of no juice, and then two more weeks of drinking a placebo beverage. Compared to the placebo, drinking the cherry juice resulted in an average of 84 more minutes of sleep time each night.

Cherry juice is a natural source of the sleep-wake cycle hormone melatonin and the amino acid tryptophan, says study coauthor Frank L. Greenway, director of the outpatient research clinic at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at LSU.

Is Coffee the New Sports Drink?

BY ESTHER CRAIN

Certain beverages have star reps as pre- and post-workout drinks, like flavored fitness water, regular H₂O, and even chocolate milk. Now add a cup of coffee to the list. A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE found that contrary to what nutritionists have long thought, coffee does not dehydrate you.

The great coffee debate: to drink or not to drink

"To drink or not to drink coffee" has been the focus of many researchers in the past. Up to now, scientists are still in conflict on whether coffee is good or bad for the body.

Caffeine, which is the main ingredient of coffee, causes increased heart rate and blood pressure. Naturally, people would assume that increased consumption of coffee would be bad for one's health.

This idea was supported by previous studies associating heavy coffee drinking and heart disease.

Hey Guys, Drink a Beer to Bone Health

Memo to all the guys out there (and the women who love you): Quit walking to the kitchen every time those bone-health commercials come on. (Sally Fields, we love you. Really, we do.) All the talk about osteoporosis is not for women only.

Twelve million men have bones that are getting thinner and more brittle each day. We've got some irresistible ways to keep yours safe, strong, and young.

How about a beer? Ah, now you're paying attention! The bone-saving secret in brewskis is silicon, a chemical that stimulates collagen production. What's collagen? A protein that makes your bones denser and your joints more flexible. Brews with the most hops and malted barley are the richest in silicon. (Here's another surprising drink for better bones.) Not big on beer? Bananas and brown rice also are silicon-packed.