Water is an essential beverage for your body. It has a tonne of health benefits that includes hydration which is great for your skin, it keeps your internal organs such as your heart, kidney and brain healthy, it aids in natural weight loss, it helps maximise your workout routine and has been known to heal and alleviate a variety of ailments such as stress and anxiety. Water is essential every day and highly recommended as the best beverage for your health. Besides water, what other healthier beverage choices can you enjoy that keep you hydrated and in good shape. We have compiled a list that will help you choose a suitable, delicious and healthy beverage for you to enjoy.
1. Green Tea
Green tea is a popular beverage with health enthusiasts, you will hear green tea as the top option for a healthy hot beverage any day. So why green tea? It is packed with antioxidants, polyphenols and just enough healthy caffeine (not the coffee kind), to keep you going throughout your day. The rich concentration of flavonoids, polyphenols and natural antioxidants have been known to protect the human body from free radicals that can cause cancer, reducing blood sugar whilst guarding against heart disease that may trigger heart attacks and strokes.
2. Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate is a fruit filled with antioxidants, and antioxidants are great to tackle free radicals in the human body. Pomegranate is best served as a rich fruit juice without any added additives or processed sugars. The antioxidants in this red juice help to prevent inflammation in the body (which can relieve some types of arthritis) and heart disease. This fruit has been known to be a great boost of Vitamin C that can fight off persistent colds and flu as well, improve your bone health, reduce blood pressure, hydrate your skin and improve your brain’s memory function.
3. Red Wine
It has been suggested that a single glass of red wine has great health benefits for your heart health. This is actually quite true. Healthy doses of red wine are not only relaxing and ease the tension from everyday life stressors but it has been known to significantly improve your brain health and heart’s health. Red wine has an antioxidant called resveratrol (found in the skin and seeds of grapes, included in the fermentation of red wine), which has health benefits that lower cholesterol and prevent blood clots. It is recommended to have a single glass of red wine every day to help improve your health.
4. Beetroot Juice
Beetroot as both a fruit and vegetable (beetroot leaves included), has been linked to a variety of health benefits in food salads, meals and as a beverage. Beetroot is packed with Vitamin C, magnesium, nitrates and iron that help improve blood flow around the human body specifically to the brain, which helps to slow down dementia in older adults and anaemia in young to middle-aged women. The benefits of beetroot also include lowering blood pressure (from the nitric oxide of the nitrates), boost your stamina throughout your workout and giving you an overall energy boost for your wellbeing.
5. Black Coffee
Coffee has a high concentration of caffeine which can give you a significant boost of energy that can be beneficial for a highly productive day. Black coffee is a healthy choice when consumed in moderation, as it helps to lower cholesterol and significantly improve heart health and brain function. Make sure to take your coffee black with no sugar or cream.
6. Orange Juice
Orange juice has been a highly sought after and most preferred healthy beverage for its high vitamin c content that has been known to deal with colds and flu. Orange juice is a potent antioxidant that may protect from cataracts (clouding of the eye’s lens). But one particular benefit that comes to mind when consuming orange juice is that the juice can prevent oxidative damage that can cause cells in your body to become cancerous. Orange juice also improves your immune system, helping your body fight off infections. 100% pure orange juice is also a great source of calcium for healthy, strong bones and teeth. The recommended orange juice is pure 100% squeezed juice from the orange fruit, without any additives or preservatives.
7. Milk
When was the last time you had a glass of milk? As toddlers and kids, we used to regularly have a healthy dose of milk either as full glass or in our cereal. Now we are adults, and milk is sometimes the last thing on our minds to consume as we have forgotten just how healthy and equally vital this beverage is, and no not in your cup of tea or coffee. Milk has the highest and natural concentration of calcium which is excellent for strong bones and teeth. Some of the bacteria contained in milk is actually quite healthy for you. As an adult, there are three healthy milk choices to choose from; fat-free milk, soy milk and almond milk. All three variants are packed with Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A and Protein.
8. Cranberry Juice
100% pure cranberry juice (not the cocktail version) has been linked to having antibacterial properties that prevent urinary tract infections (UTI). Pure cranberry juice has been linked to fighting off infections and bacteria within 8 hours of consumption. Besides promoting a healthy urinary tract, cranberry juice has been linked to improving your heart health by lowering cardiovascular disease, reduces blood sugar, reduces cholesterol, improves gut health and strengthens your immune system.
9. Hot Chocolate
A nice cup of hot chocolate is exactly what the doctor ordered! You may be thinking how is hot chocolate a healthy beverage with all the sugar that is linked to it? Well, did you know that cocoa in hot chocolate is actually a very healthy variant for you? Cocoa is packed with magnesium that is sufficient for good bone health, relieves stress and anxiety, helps with menstrual cramps and is an all-around bonus delicious beverage. Chocolate is also a great mood enhancer by increasing the production of serotonin in the body to help regulate and balance your mood. Cocoa is also rich in polyphenols, plant-derived antioxidants that may protect human cells against oxidative damage, which can lower HDL cholesterol levels that can possibly put you at a higher risk of a heart attack. So yes! Hot chocolate is a healthy beverage for you, the only challenge is to make your own homemade hot chocolate by purchasing raw cocoa from your nearest food outlet, instead of the bottled powdered version or find a natural and less sweetened version with fewer additives and preservatives.
10. Ginger Tea
Ginger is an excellent home remedy for colds and flu, tummy aches and a great antioxidant added with lemon and honey. Ginger has also been a great relief to motion sickness, nausea in pregnancy and promotes good digestion. Have a steaming hot cup of tea with raw ginger for effective results.
So what is our takeaway from the 10 healthy beverages listed above? They are all packed with antioxidants and vitamins that support a healthy lifestyle by either treating or improving areas in your health that support your overall well being. As you consume these different beverages on a daily basis, don’t forget to still drink 8 glasses of water every day!