Most of us know how important it is to reach for health drinks when we get thirsty. Sometimes when people get tired of drinking water, they often choose to drink sodas or other types of unhealthy drinks filled with overwhelming amounts of sugar. Although it’s completely normal to get sick of water from time to time, you should be more careful when you choose to use as a substitute for it.
However, you should be aware that no health drinks can replace water. It’s without a doubt the healthiest option and is needed by your body in order to function properly. Nevertheless, if you’re looking to add some variety and spice up your waterlogged palette, then you should consider adding these five healthy drinks to your diet.
Orange Juice
Drinking a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning is one of the best health drinks to start your day. Some people don’t want to put in the effort to prepare orange juice on a regular basis. If you don’t have enough motivation to do so, then at least try to make it when it will be most useful. For example, making it during allergy season is always a good idea, since this drink is known for soothing season allergies, thanks to its quercetin and vitamin C content.
It’s also worth mentioning that because this drink is an excellent source of vitamin C, it can strengthen your immune system and make you less vulnerable to different diseases. If you’re buying orange juice instead of making it yourself, make sure to buy the calcium-fortified version, as that will provide you with more health benefits, such as improved bone health.
Green Tea
The next time you feel like drinking a cup of coffee, try to prepare a cup of green tea. Not only will this provide you with the energy boost that you would seek in a cup of coffee, but it will also provide you with some great health benefits.
Green tea represents a great source of polyphenols and flavonoids, which are natural antioxidants that help protect your cells from various harmful substances. Due to its high antioxidant content, green tea can reduce the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease and cancer.
Due to the fact that green tea contains fluoride, it can have a positive impact on the health of your teeth. Additionally, the flavonoid content of this drink can improve your bone health. As far as health drinks go, green tea makes the top of the list.
Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate juice has become one of the most popular health drinks during the last several years. Not only is this drink very tasty and refreshing, but it also offers a lot of different health benefits. Some of the most notable health benefits of pomegranate juice include improved heart health, strengthened immune system, and lower risk of cancer.
Consuming this drink on a regular basis can also help you maintain normal blood sugar levels, as well as normal blood pressure levels. If you’re not making your own pomegranate juice, then you should be careful when buying it. Some manufacturers dilute the drink with other liquids or add excess sugar.
Low-Fat Milk (or alternatives)
Milk might be one of the least popular health drinks these days, as more and more milk alternatives become available. However as a child, you were encouraged to drink milk because of its vitamin D and calcium content. However, low-fat milk can be a great drink for grown-ups as well. The low-fat varieties of this drink will provide you with many essential micronutrients.
It will also provide you with all the macronutrients you need (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). Another great thing about low-fat milk is that it will help you feel full for an extended time period, which will surely prevent you from overeating.
Beet Juice
Beet juice is without a doubt one of the healthiest drinks you can consume. However, it often isn’t found in grocery stores, so you will have to make it at home. Some of the most notable health benefits of beet juice include increased stamina, lower blood pressure, and increased blood flow to the brain.
Fermented Soda
This is a fabulous find from the Chelsea Green blog! I am sharing it here, as this unique recipe is a favorite with my whole family.
On your way to the store for a soda? Stop right there! Your backyard has plenty of delicious ingredients to make an all-natural soda. Pick and choose your own herbs for a custom raw soda without all the unhealthy sugars and additives.
The following is an excerpt from Wildcrafted Fermentation by Pascal Baudar. It has been adapted for the web.
This is a very simple raw soda. You can replace my local herbs with all kinds of aromatic and tasty herbs of your choice, foraged or not, such as mint, anise hyssop, sages, or elderflowers.
I’ve made similar ferments with herbs such as mugwort, California sagebrush, various wild mints, yarrow, elderflowers, pinyon pine branches, white fir (Abies concolor), spruce tips, and others.
Ingredients for a 32-ounce swing-top bottle (1 L)
1 sprig black sage
1 sprig yerba santa
¾ ounce (21 g) fresh gingerroot
1 lemon
3¼ cups (769 ml) water
⅓ cup (79 ml) maple syrup
¼ cup (59 ml) Culture Starter
Procedure
- There’s not much to do here. Place the fresh herbs in your bottle or jar; I like to bruise them gently with my fingers, just enough to facilitate flavor extraction. My next steps are to dice the ginger such that the pieces can go through the opening and then juice my lemon.
- Pour the water into the bottle, add the ginger pieces, lemon juice, maple syrup, and culture starter. You want the contents to reach up to the bottom of the bottle’s neck but no higher. Close the top.
- Ferment for 2 to 4 days at room temperature and check the carbonation by opening the top slightly. Usually I get enough carbonation on day 3 or 4.
If I decide to drink the soda at this point, there is no need to strain the contents, but if I’d like to keep it in the fridge for a few more days, I first strain the liquid into a new bottle and leave it at room temperature for another day. This is usually enough to get some decent carbonation going again. Then I place the bottle in the fridge. Every couple of days, I still check the bottle and burp it if necessary.
If you’re looking to beat the summer heat while parenting your little ones, please see my post on how to keep your cool while parenting in the summer!
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