As popular as soft drinks, fruit juices and energy beverages may be, research has been consistent over the years in showing the damage that this excess sugar can do to a person’s health. Whether it is diabetes or obesity, the best way to avoid these unnecessary health conditions is by making smarter choices when it comes to your beverages, opting for healthier drink options.
Infused Water
Water is, without a doubt, the best beverage to be drinking, but there are often times when you need a sweeter touch during the day. Rather than turning to a fruit juice, try adding a few fruit slices into a glass or bottle of water, such as lemons or strawberries. These will infuse the water with their flavors, not only hydrating you, but also giving your body a boost of extra antioxidants.
Coconut Water
Another fantastic alternative to plain water, coconut water is absolutely packed with electrolytes, which is fantastic for the heart. However, if you cannot purchase fresh coconut water, be sure that the packet that you are purchasing is completely natural and unsweetened.
Diluted Fruit Juice
Even the unsweetened fruit juices out there are absolutely packed with sugar, and if temptation is proving too hard to resist, then the best option would be to dilute your chosen fruit juice with four parts water. By doing this regularly, you will be able to slowly wean yourself off of the taste of the undiluted fruit juice, while still satisfying your sugar cravings at the same time.
Vegetable Juice
Vegetable juices have become extremely popular in recent years, which is hardly a surprise considering the amount of nutrients they are filled with. Vegetable juices are a much healthier alternative to fruit juices and are extremely easy to make yourself at home. Plus, there are so many different combinations that you can try, that you can be sure that the drink will never bore you.
Kombucha
Made from black tea and sugar, kombucha is a fermented and probiotic beverage that provides the body with a whole host of benefits. From improving digestion to fighting against cancer and arthritis, kombucha dates back over 2000 years, and if you would rather try it for the first time already prepared before making your own, you will most likely be able to find the beverage sold at your local health food store. While kombucha does contain sugar, the levels are much lower than that of conventional beverages, and its benefits far outweigh the issues that this small amount of sugar could cause.
Green Tea
If you are someone that religiously turns to a cup of coffee for your daily pick-me-up, try swapping this with green tea instead. Green tea still contains enough caffeine to perk you up, but not to the extent where you will feel the crash later. Green tea contains a huge number of beneficial antioxidants and has been proven to not only be extremely beneficial to the body, but also to the skin.
The beverages that you drink throughout the day should have the main purpose of keeping your body hydrated, and they should definitely not be doing more harm than good. Unfortunately, many of the beverages available to us today can cause a number of different medical issues, making it important to be fully aware of exactly what you are putting into your body, and opting for healthier beverages whenever possible.
