Drinks play an integral role in our diets. From water and tea, to coffee and healthy energy drinks, beverages provide us with much-needed hydration and wellness support.
Avoid sugary soda and flavored beverages by infusing your own drinks with slices of fruits, veggies and herbs. Also consider adding a bit of alcohol to water for flavor that packs less of a caloric punch than beer or mixed drinks.
Water
Water is an effective thirst quencher and provides essential hydration that supports organ health, nutrient absorption, and flushes out toxins from our bodies.
Most adults can meet their daily hydration requirements with plain or fluoridated water alone; however, others may require other beverages (for instance children aged 5-18 who do not like plain water may need other forms of fluids daily).
Water alternatives that are low in calories include unsweetened milk and tea. A popular choice among water alternatives that contain minimal calories is sparkling water, which provides hydration without adding excess sugar like soda soda can do. You can easily create healthy sparkling drinks at home using fruits or herbs combined with carbonated water; or consider purchasing bubbly waters that are fortified with vitamins or enhanced with electrolytes like potassium (but these should still be consumed carefully as they contain an excessive amount of sodium).
Tea
Black, green, white, oolong, herbal or rooibos tea is an hydrating drink with antioxidant properties that may help protect against disease. Due to its caffeine content however, those sensitive to or on medications that interact with caffeine should drink in moderation.
One study has discovered that people who drank two or more cups of tea per day had a 13% reduced risk of death over 10 years than those who did not drink any tea – similar to what was revealed by another research paper linking tea drinking with decreased rates of heart disease.
Simply make sure not to add too much milk when making tea, as this reduces the polyphenol content and thus can have negative implications on its effectiveness. For maximum benefit, enjoy it plain or with only minimal additions such as sugar, honey and vanilla flavorings.
Coffee
Peart notes that coffee, whether brewed, instant or bottled, provides B vitamins, potassium and riboflavin – essential building blocks of good health – while its phenolic compounds also promote wellbeing similar to those found in fruits and vegetables.
Daily consumption of coffee may help to protect against Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and liver disease as well as improving brain function and decreasing risks such as heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.
However, coffee can have adverse repercussions for your health if consumed with added sugar or excessive cream and whipped cream. These additions are caloric and may contain saturated fat and added sugars that are bad for you; additionally excessive caffeine may cause jitters or interfere with sleep for some people while in rare instances it can trigger life-threatening allergic reactions; in rarer instances someone might become allergic to an ingredient like caffeine or arabinol that occurs naturally in coffee beans.
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are beverages designed to replenish water and electrolytes lost through physical exertion and sweating, typically including carbohydrates (sugars) as well as sodium and other essential minerals like potassium and calcium. Furthermore, many contain additional ingredients like vitamins or caffeine for additional energy boost.
Studies demonstrate that sports drinks may enhance performance during high intensity, short-term exercise. However, these studies tend to involve highly trained athletes performing more intensive workouts than most regular, daily routines.
Most people do not require sports drinks during exercise; instead they should focus on drinking enough water to remain hydrated during physical activity. Consumption of too many sports drinks can increase sugar consumption and lead to obesity, weight gain, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay – which may particularly harm adolescents as their teeth continue to develop [27].
