Healthy beverages for healthy living.

All this week so far these Posts have concentrated on healthy eating, nutritional value, superfoods and such like. What about drinks - which have been covered before in this Blog, but here is another to close out the week. This also comes from 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/8773481) and is written by Adrian I .Paval (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_I_Paval) and is worth a read for some inspiration while keeping it good for you, and an insight to the benefits. You might be surprised.

It is important to drink healthy beverages for your overall health. Drinks like sodas are not good for you because they are filled with sugar and empty calories. There are a number of beverages that you can have that will satisfy your thirst so you won't have to drink the ones that aren't good for you.

Water is the most important drink for you. It cleanses your body of all toxins. Water also hydrates your body because most of us don't get enough water and are dehydrated. It is important to drink water every two hours to keep from dehydrating. Water is beneficial for your skin and kidneys. Water gives you clear skin and prevents wrinkles. It also flushes out your kidneys. Water also keeps you from developing blood clots that cause heart attacks.

If you don't want plain water, you can get flavoured water. This isn't the flavoured water that contains sugar. This water contains fruit. You can add lemon and lime to the water to give it flavor without the extra sugar or calories. It is also good for you. It has the same benefits as water except that you can drink water with a little flavor to it.

Another type of water you can get is coconut water. Coconut has a lot of health benefits. Coconut water lowers your blood pressure. In addition to lowering your blood pressure, it helps you lose weight. It also raises your metabolism. It aids in diabetes prevention. It helps prevent flu symptoms as well as other viruses. Coconut water has a lot of benefits for you so you can feel free to drink it.

Water isn't the only healthy drink you can have. If you have a taste for something else, you may have other healthy drinks. Coffee is a drink that is good for your overall health. It is good for lowering the risk of diseases. Coffee decreases your risk of developing Type II diabetes. Coffee's also a good way to lose fat. Ingredients for coffee help you lose weight so if you're a coffee drinker, continue to get your fix. To be on the safe side, drink black coffee. Don't add too many creams and sugars or it will not be good for you.

Smoothies are great drinks to have. With smoothies, you can have as many fruits and vegetables as you want. Smoothies are a great way to get the fruits and vegetables you need in your diet. If you don't like eating raw fruits and vegetables, you can turn them into smoothies. It has the same nutritional value as eating the fruits and vegetables. It has great health benefits and they are tasty.

Believe it or not, hot chocolate is good for you. Hot chocolate has the same health benefits as dark chocolate. The cocoa in hot chocolate has a lot of antioxidants in it. Cocoa helps lower your risk of high blood pressure as well as cardiovascular disease.

If you like to drink alcohol, you can actually have a glass of wine. Red wine is low in calories so you won't be getting too many calories by drinking a glass. Red wine lowers the risk of death as well as lowers your risk of getting some cancers. Needless to say, you need to drink it in moderation because it is alcohol.

Green tea has a lot of benefits. Green tea helps prevent diseases. It also reduces your risk of having a heart attack. Green tea is also powerful enough to prevent cancer and osteoporosis. Green tea is a diuretic so it can reduce swelling. It's also beneficial to your cholesterol. It can lower your cholesterol. It's also a great component for weight loss. Many people drink green tea to lose weight. It may also help with gas problems that you may have. Green tea is the best one to drink, but you can also drink other flavors of herbal tea because they have health benefits too.

Fruit and vegetable juices are great choices as long as they are made with 100% juice. They also need to be sugar free. Juice is a good way to get the fruits and vegetables that you need for the day. Make sure the juice you get doesn't contain a lot of calories. You need to consume these juices in moderation because even 100% juice can be high in calories.

Low fat milk is a great source of vitamin D and calcium. It's also beneficial for your teeth and bones. Since milk is high in protein, it's great for your muscles. Since milk has a lot of potassium, it can help lower your blood pressure. Drinking at least two cups a day is good to help you with weight loss.

If you don't like milk from a cow, you can drink soy milk. It's a great source of vitamins A, B, D, and E. It also doesn't have cholesterol. It's a great source of iron, zinc, and omega - 3 fatty acids that you need to survive. It's a great way to fight ageing. Soy milk aids in lowering cholesterol. It also helps with arthritis. It reduces your risk of heart disease. It also reduces your risk of getting breast and prostate cancer. There are a lot of health benefits to drinking soy milk.

WhyWeight, don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Healthy fruit drinks for you!

As the recent healthy eating & drinking Blog Posts garnered much interest, I thought I would continue with this theme and adda few more today. Here's one on healthy fruit drink alternatives that I sourced from my friends at 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/7979095) and written by Robert N. Perry (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_N._Perry)


Fruit makes up a very critical component of a human beings diet. This is because it is jam-packed with nutrients and minerals that are essential for health and vitality. Fruits contain antioxidants that are essential in fighting free radicals that damage cells, cause premature aging and diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.

Fruits also contain essential vitamins and minerals that may not be found in other food groups or from other sources. For instance, fruits contain Vitamin C (that prevents scurvy), Vitamin A (that is good for eyesight and prevents macular degeneration), potassium, folate and other minerals.

So, a healthy fruit drink is an excellent way of ensuring that you get the daily recommended amount of nutrients and minerals. This is particularly so for children who may not take time for eating the fruit itself. Having them drink a fruit drink is an easy way of getting them the nutrition that they need for their bodies to grow strong.

A major advantage of a healthy fruit drink is that they do not contain near as many calories as fruit drinks typically contain. They also will have no fat, though they have a little sugar that provides energy. Fruit also contain enzymes that aid in digestion so that the pancreas is not overworked.

There are numerous healthy fruit drinks that are easy to make and very delicious. The best fruit drinks can be categorized into fruit smoothies and fruit juices. Fruit smoothies are made of blended fruit that may be fresh or frozen (or both), yoghurt, milk or water, ice cubes and sometimes ice cream. Juice on the other hand is made by extracting the liquid from a fruit. Therefore, a fruit smoothie and a fruit juice are different because a smoothie is made using the whole fruit (even the skin if it is edible), but when juice is made, the fruit pulp is usually gotten rid off.

Between the two kinds of healthy fruit drinks, the general consensus is that the fruit smoothie is more nutritious than the fruit juice. By using the whole fruit, the smoothie contains the fiber and pulp that are necessary for healthy digestion. The fiber also ensures that the sugar found in the fruit is slowly released so that there are no sudden spikes in blood sugar levels which can cause diabetes.

Smoothies are also more versatile than fruit juices when it comes to the number of ingredients that can be added to them. You can add yogurt, spinach, protein powder and any other ingredient you choose. This is because the ingredients of your healthy fruit drink are blended together so that even the solid ingredients are well integrated into the mixture.

It is best to make your healthy fruit drink at home as you can control the ingredients. However, you can purchase them from health food stores and supermarkets. If you do buy them instead of making them yourself be sure and always pay attention to the label of the fruit drinks to know all the ingredients. You should choose a drink that has no additives and is not made from concentrate.

The best thing of course about a healthy fruit drink is that it taste so great. How many foods do you find in life that have a delicious taste but are still good for you?

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Drinks to help your weight loss goals.

The previous Post talked about snacking to help you loose weight, so in a similar vein, here we have a article on drinking to help you lose weight. There are a plethora of drinks out there on the market (and more being added every day it seems) to help with your weight loss goals, energy levels and calorie intake. Which one to choose is always the difficulty and it might be a lottery as our bodies all react different to the food (and beverages) we consume, so for you it may be a case of trial and error as you find out what you like best and what works best. This articles came from 'Articlesbase' too (http://www.articlesbase.com/low-calorie-articles/drinks-that-can-help-with-weight-loss-6953974.html) and is written by Wilbert Elsenrath.



Weight loss drinks have become a very popular way to help a person lose weight. As a society we have put on weight which causes some health issues. One of the major killers of the century obesity is known to trigger or precipitate an array of disease conditions which could well include the now familiar hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, low back ache, infertility and even gall stones. If stats are any index well over 10 million children and more than 65 million adults have been diagnosed with the condition globally. Thus it is not surprising that there has been a recent surge in the demand for weight loss options in general and weight loss drinks in particular.

There is more to weight loss than just controlling the number of calories consumed. To further elaborate juices and popular cold drinks are invariably loaded with carbohydrates and sugars which may slow down any weight loss strategy. Thus the need of the hour is to identify a mix of weight loss drinks that can help shed those pounds without adding to the calorie pool.
Some Options For Weight Loss Drinks

Although there are numerous options available when it comes to weight loss drinks, picking the right option can well be a challenging task. This could be attributed to the fact that what works for you may be ineffective for someone else. Some of the more popular options may well include one or more of these:

1. Water - Water continues to find acceptance in the developed and the developing countries alike. Studies continue to validate the fact that water consumed in abundance can shed pounds far more effectively than other weight loss drinks to date. Those who find consuming plain water a difficult task could well add a twist of lemon, lime, cucumber or even tomatoes so as to create a flavoured drink without adding on additional calories per serving.

2. Premium Tea - When it comes to acceptability there is no comparison to the familiar green tea freshly brewed and without sugar or milk. Those with an inclination for sugar may well add a touch of honey to their green tea without the risk of weight gain. The logic to green tea being a boon for weight watchers is that it helps boost the metabolism of the body and thus accelerates weight loss. On the contrary tea variants like oolong and black tea detox the body due to the presence of a diverse range of antioxidants.

3. Coffee And Weight Loss - Coffee like black tea is equally effective although it works differently. Black coffee is known to increase the general body temperature and like black tea may even enhance or boost the metabolic rate of the body and then trigger off weight loss.



4. Milk Type Options - While tea and coffee like water continue to be popular in fighting the bulge, it is no secret that milk finds acceptability both as a natural drink as well as a low calorie weight loss drink. This makes it evident that when the context is weight loss there are few options as viable or user friendly as the new age weight loss drinks. Many weight loss companies make powders that can be added to milk and mixed to make a weight loss drink. These come in all different flavors and some address other issues besides just weight.

5. Vitamin Mineral Drinks - There are many different vitamin mineral drinks on the market that help promote weight loss. The way they help with weight loss is by giving the body the vitamins and minerals that it needs. When the body is satisfied then a persons appetite is diminished and it needs less food. Now a days the fruits and vegetables we get from the store often do not have the vitamins and minerals in the concentration that the body needs because of over farming. Our farm lands have been depleted of minerals over the years and most people need some type of supplementation because they do not get it in the foods they eat daily.

This is only the tip of weight loss drinks but this shows you how wide this segment is. It continues to grow as newer and better working and tasting drinks are developed. There are high fibre drinks to give you that full feeling, high protein drinks to satisfy your bodies craving for food, this list can go on and on. If you are looking for weight loss drinks to help you lose weight, that are out there. The hard part is deciding which one works best for you.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-