We’ve all heard the advice: drink two to three liters of water a day—especially during the hot summer months. But until recently, I didn’t realize how easy it could be to visualize that amount. A 32-ounce Big Gulp or the reusable cup many of us carry? That’s about a liter. So two or three of those a day gets you to the hydration goal—as long as they’re not filled with soda or sugary drinks.
This week’s Wellness Wednesday offers a powerful visual reminder of what we’re really sipping on.
“Am I actually looking at what I think I am? Like—that’s how much sugar is in here?”
“Yeah,” said Langley Moser, a health promotions specialist at Select Health. “So, in a Mountain Dew, that’s 77 grams of sugar. Each sugar cube is 3.5 grams, so that is going to be 77 grams of sugar all measured out right there.”
It looks like a lot because it is a lot—but most of us aren’t familiar with how much sugar is considered too much.
“So, to give you a little perspective on just how much sugar, these are our serving amounts of sugar,” Moser said. “On this side we have 36 grams for men, and on this side we have 24 grams for kids and women. This is how much—keep holding that—this is how much sugar I should be getting for a whole day.”
And just one Mountain Dew contains more than double that daily amount.
According to Intermountain Health, here’s how some popular beverages stack up:
Mountain Dew (20 oz): 77g of sugar
- Coca-Cola: 65g
- Dr Pepper: 64g
- Gatorade: 34g
- Lemonade Vitamin Water: 27g
- Specialty 44-ounce soda shop drinks: 200–600 calories—mostly from sugar
So why does this matter?
“Type 2 diabetes becomes an issue, as well as dental health,” Moser said. “Long term, it can be chronic fatigue and inflammation, along with different heart diseases.”
And not all sugars are created equal. Moser pointed out the nutrition label on a container of coconut water as an example.
“So, there’s natural sugars out there, and those are good sugars to have—for sure,” she said. “But watch those added sugars. All of these—it’s added sugars rather than natural sugars.”
If the idea of drinking water all day sounds like a punishment, you’re not alone—and Moser understands.
“The number one option is obviously going to be water,” she said. “If you don’t like the taste of water, a good thing that you can do—add berries, add fruit, put a little squeeze of lemon, cucumber, things like that. Mint is really good.”
And for soda lovers?
“I think if you are someone that drinks a lot of Dr Pepper throughout your day—I’m one of those—just watch how much you’re drinking,” she said. “If you’re going to the gas station multiple times a day to get a drink or you’re going for the big 52-ounce ones, maybe start limiting that. Don’t go cold turkey and say, ‘I’m quitting soda.’”
So drink lots of water, experiment with fruit-infused alternatives, and be mindful about how much sugar you’re sipping. Small, steady changes can lead to big results.
