I bet you’re familiar with some of the 5 healthy drinks to take—and 5 to skip, but certainly not all. For example, you may know how beneficial drinking water is due to its hoard of health uses and zero calories level. But did you know fancy coffee drinks are harmful? There we go.
5 Healthy Drinks To Take—and 5 To Skip
There are several healthy drinks to take (five of which we’ll discuss). Otherwise, certain sips are absolutely unnecessary, unsatisfying, and sometimes harmful. How do you know you’re drinking, right? And also, how do you know which drink to throw out of your diet? Chill. I’ll be your ultimate guide… keep reading.
Drink To Take: Green Tea
It’s nearly impossible not to have heard of the tons of benefits you can gain from drinking green tea. Well, you have to believe the hype, except someone’s saying green tea resurrects the dead. Green tea has rich levels of polyphenols and flavonoids, which are natural antioxidants that prevent the growth of tumors by neutralizing the spread of free radicals in the body as well as protect cells from carcinogenic substances.
Furthermore, green tea relaxes the blood vessels, thereby preventing clotting, which may trigger heart strokes or attacks. The teeth and bones also benefit from green tea. Flavonoids are proven to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in kids while fluoride, another prominent ingredient, strengthens the teeth.
Drink To Skip: Juice Drinks
A “juice cocktail” or “juice drink” tag on a sachet or bottle is often a pleasant disguise for colored sugar water. If you’re keen on juices, go for 100% fruit juice made from orange, pineapple, and others—nothing else.
Fat Milk Reduced By A Percent
Milk is an excellent source of nutrients to the body because it offers a balanced diet: carbohydrates, proteins—and some fat. As such, milk drinks are absorbed more slowly by the body and hence fill us more. You don’t have to worry about addictions or cravings because milk regulates blood sugar. Furthermore, milk is one of the richest sources of vitamin D, a nutrient that offers so much to the body as well as enables optimum calcium absorption. Calcium improves the teeth and may help to reduce fats by causing the body to burn fats instead of storing.
Fancy Coffee Drinks
Does this stun you? I mean, the combo of coffee, milk, and sugar should be anything but a drink to skip, but here’s why. When mixed with processed sugar and 2% milk, a large cup of fancy coffee can contain as much as one-third of the maximum daily recommendation of saturated fats and nearly 800 grams of calories. Lest I forget, a fancy coffee drink is so sweet because it contains at least 170 grams of processed sugar, and is therefore bound to cause you a sugar shock instead of a caffeine buzz. To complete the destruction, some proceed to add whipped cream.
Soymilk
You’ve most likely heard of soymilk from an expert dietician. Soymilk is a unique source of soy protein and a rich source of soluble fiber. These two nutrients are critical to preventing cardiovascular diseases by lowering bad cholesterol levels and triglycerides.
Soymilk is an excellent alternative to cow milk, although you should settle for a brand fortified with vitamins A & D and calcium. There’s a minor concern to soy, however. It contains phytoestrogens, which are linked to cancer. You may have to consult with a doctor before settling for soymilk.
Sports Drinks and Flavored Water
Recent research has reported the use of unhealthy artificial sweeteners and other hardly pronounceable additives in sports drinks. If your goal is to replenish energy, you should switch to zero-calories drinks.
Likewise, some brands add other ingredients apart from sweeteners to water. These ingredients are not necessarily healthy and may cause harm. When buying flavored water next time, make sure you choose a label stating just water and natural flavors.
Mint Tea
Mint tea is just as beneficial as green tea, and it may interest you to know there are several other healthy teas. Mint serves as an antispasmodic, thereby combating stiffness and aches in joints and related areas. If you’re having trouble digesting foods, mint tea is a recommended drink. It assists digestion by encouraging the movement of foods through the digestive tracts.
Soda
Whether regular or diet, soda has virtually no health benefit — instead, it prevents you from taking healthy drinks like water or tea when taken regularly. Soda is overloaded with sugar and never satisfies hunger or thirst. To be emphatic, soft drinks are the sole drinks directly linked to obesity. If you’re, however, unwilling to do fully away with soda, you should make a sip rare and occasional.
You may argue that soda has zero calories, but it has zero nutrition as well. It’s all processed sugar, sugar, and sugar!
Hot Chocolate
Ever wondered why you get an instant mood lift after guzzling down a cup of steaming chocolate? Well, here’s your answer: chocolate increases the secretion of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. Remember that research has linked depression to low levels of serotonin, so what are you waiting for? Also, cocoa, a major ingredient in chocolate, contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants that support heart health by promoting the levels of good cholesterols.
Fruits Smoothies
Impossible, isn’t it? I mean, these are combos of delicious and highly nutritious fruits, so what am I talking about? Well, I’m not gainsaying the benefits of fruit smoothies, but a typical 32-ounce smoothie contains just 2 grams of protein and as much as 700 calories, all thanks to its high sugar levels. That’s like eating a full cup of strawberries and blueberries and a whole mango and pineapple in a single sitting. But what’s the harm in that?
Well, calories, regardless of the source, are stored as fats in the cells whenever we consume more than our body can burn.
Thankfully, not every smoothie is unhealthy. A moderate blend of protein, vegetables, greens, and fruits is an excellent pack of nutrition.
Bottom Line on The 5 Healthy Drinks to Take—and 5 to Skip
This list of 5 healthy drinks to take—and 5 to skip is a fantastic guide to your drinking selections. If you want optimum health, increase consumption of the beverages earmarked healthy and skip the ones deemed unsafe above. Remember that drinks are as influential as foods to your health.
