Healthy drinks are beverages with low caloric intake that contain essential nutrients that provide great benefits to our bodies, such as decreasing inflammation, increasing metabolism and immunity and aiding healing.
Water, non-fat or skim milk, green and herbal tea, coconut water and 100% vegetable and fruit juices are excellent ways to both quench thirst and gain essential nutrition.
Water
Water is essential in staying hydrated, flushing out toxins from your system and providing your cells with essential nutrition. Furthermore, it contains no calories, sugars or artificial ingredients – making it the ultimate beverage choice!
Consume juice carefully as most contain an abundance of sugar; one cup of 100% fruit juice provides most of your daily vitamin C requirements, while whole milk provides calcium and A & D (if fortified).
Some beverages offer additional health benefits by including probiotics or other nutrients. Kefir and kombucha, fermented beverages containing live cultures that have been found to aid with digestive issues, mental wellbeing and disease prevention, respectively. Other functional drinks from Remedy Organics contain prebiotic plant fibers, adaptogenic herbs and superfoods such as hemp for even further benefits.
Green Tea
Green tea, like black and oolong varieties of Camellia sinensis tea, undergoes a less intensive withering process than black or oolong varieties to retain more of its antioxidant-rich leaves. Green tea is one of the healthiest beverages on the market because its consumption reduces risks of chronic illnesses.
Stomach Cancer: Laboratory research suggests that green tea polyphenols may inhibit tumor formation and decrease stomach acidity, and clinical studies reveal that frequent green tea drinkers are half as likely as nondrinkers to develop stomach cancer.
Moderation is key when it comes to green tea consumption; too much may result in caffeine-related side effects such as jitters, restlessness and headache. Also avoid taking green tea on an empty stomach as this could cause stomachache or nauseousness.
Wine
Wine may offer adults looking for healthier alternatives to soda and alcohol a way forward. According to various studies, wine contains antioxidants which may protect the body against heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure.
Kefir is another delicious drinkable yogurt option, boasting more probiotics than many fermented dairy products and providing ample calcium, vitamin D and magnesium benefits.
Green tea, packed with antioxidants that may help combat cancer and lower high blood pressure, makes an excellent healthy drink choice. Brew your own to avoid added sugars found in packaged drinks; similarly, homemade pomegranate juice offers many health benefits as does homemade green juice.
Cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice is packed with antioxidants and provides calcium, potassium, iron and vitamin A – as well as significantly less sugar than most fruit juices and soft drinks and thus offering less calories per cup.
Cherry juice may help lower C-reactive protein levels and thus the risk of high blood pressure, according to one small study. In particular, participants who consumed two weeks’ worth of tart cherry juice twice per day had lower C-reactive protein and inflammation than those taking a placebo pill.
Tart cherry juice has long been touted as an aid to sleep, though most studies regarding its benefits are small and anecdotal. One dietitian told CNBC Make It that she believes its sleep-inducing benefits stem from tryptophan and the hormone melatonin rather than directly from tart cherry juice itself.
Hot Chocolate
Chocolate can be both comforting and healthy, but its sugar-laden versions may have detrimental consequences on our health. Fancy coffee drinks contain up to 800 calories and 1/3 of our maximum recommended intake for saturated fat intake – both potentially unhealthy.
Avoid packaged drinks by creating your own healthier hot chocolate using just three ingredients at home. Combine low-fat milk (or soy or almond) with cocoa powder, sweeten it with maple syrup or honey and stir in a splash of vanilla extract before serving!
An added benefit: cocoa in hot chocolate can increase levels of the mood-enhancing chemical serotonin in your brain, so enjoy it with some festive toppings like whipped cream or marshmallows to create the ultimate festive drink. Play around with different flavors during different holidays such as peppermint for Christmas or chai for Thanksgiving for added fun!
