Healthy beverages are beverages with limited added sugars and saturated fat. At home, keep water chilled in your fridge or bring one in with you wherever you go; when purchasing beverages at the supermarket, be sure to read the Nutrition Facts label for details.
Some drinks should be limited or avoided altogether, including soda, fruit juice and energy drinks. Green tea, coffee, kombucha and kefir may provide healthier alternatives.
Water
Body water levels vary based on age, activity level and gender; replenishing these fluid levels throughout the day requires replenishing them with fluids of various kinds – water being the best choice as it provides essential hydration with no added calories; alternative healthy options could include low-fat or fat-free milk products, unsweetened tea/coffee beverages or 100% fruit/vegetable juice.
Reusable water bottles provide an easy and sustainable solution to keeping hydration at the forefront. Make plain water more enjoyable by adding slices of lemons, limes, oranges, cucumber or mint; for an added health boost add green tea kefir or coconut water as an addition. Not only can these beverages hydrate you, they may also contain essential nutrients such as calcium, potassium and vitamin D that may reduce your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. Incorporating several cups of these beverages daily into your routine could potentially lower risk factors like high blood pressure, cholesterol levels and heart disease. Stay away from drinks such as regular soda and energy drinks that contain high calorie counts such as artificial sweeteners such as Splenda(r). They may add unwanted pounds over time. Drinks labelled “diet” or “sugar-free” often still contain artificial sweeteners which may not provide long-term weight control solutions and could contain sodium which raises your blood pressure.
Orange Juice
Orange juice has long been known for its nutritional benefits, particularly in weight management when combined with a diet low in caloric intake. Not only that but its high concentration of vitamin C and source of calcium also make it a powerful tool in weight reduction efforts.
Orange juice provides over half your daily requirement of Vitamin C and potassium, both essential elements in helping lower high blood pressure. Available at most grocery stores, this beverage may be pasteurized and filtered before being evaporated under vacuum to produce concentrate, then often mixed with water and additional sugar before finally being sold to consumers as diluted product. Whenever possible it’s best to purchase fresh squeezed orange juice.
When creating your own orange juice, use a reamer to remove all of the flesh and pith from oranges. After this step is completed, either blend or extract only juice; depending on your personal preferences.
Recent research found that drinking small glasses of orange juice every day helped improve cardiovascular and metabolic health. Researchers discovered that after only 60 days of consuming 17 ounces of natural orange juice, genes related to inflammation and blood pressure were fine-tuned; additionally, its natural dietary fiber helped increase gut microbiome content while decreasing inflammation bowel disease symptoms.
Hard Seltzers
Hard seltzers have experienced massive popularity across the US over the past year – so much so, that some stores had to ration them during last summer! Offering low calorie and sugar content with gluten free benefits too – hard seltzers make an excellent addition for those on restricted diets or looking for gluten-free drinks.
Ingredients may differ by brand, but most spirits typically use natural fruit juices or natural flavouring, and typically have fewer calories than many other alcoholic beverages such as beer or cocktails. Therefore, they’re often better options for your health; just remember to consume in moderation!
What makes these new fizzy drinks so appealing is their similar taste and feel to beers, without the alcohol content. Furthermore, these beverages may provide relief from hangover symptoms for those looking for alternatives to drinking alcohol.
Don’t be misled by claims on the bottle – just because something says “low sugar” doesn’t make it healthier! Check labels carefully and seek out brands committed to sustainability and eco-friendly production processes – ideally opting for carbon neutral seltzer bottles is even better!
