THE SALES OF SODA IS GOING DOWN..... Hooray!!!! Triumph for those of us interested in our health and well being (and I feel like this little health toutn family doc is stickn it to the soda giants!) But, before I get too excited ask what beverage sales are going up?!? The sales of energy and sports drinks. These drinks just like soda and diet soda are laden with a BOAT LOAD of sugar and other toxic chemicals. Not to mention they also have a lot of another substance that is addictive: caffeine. These so called sports drinks are NOT good fueling choices for athletes and these drinks are certainly not a good choice to be drinking as a regular beverage. In addition: the diet version of these drinks often contain artificial sweeteners that were once touted to prevent diabetes and obesity BUT guess what?!? They are actually CAUSING them (see my previous research related post about how artificial sweeteners affect your gut flora and may actually cause metabolic dysregulation of your body). So how do we wean ourselves off of these nasty health compromising tasty little concoctions? Well, admittedly its not easy to boot an addiction to the curb, but if you put some good ol fashioned grit into your decision and surround yourself with positive people who will support you as you blog about your efforts (good days and bad days included) then you might find that youve got all the mojo needed to kick this crap to the curb. Here are some healthy drinking choices of beverages that are actually HEALTHY for you: 1. Water. Now I know it is the Queen Plain Jane of all beverages....but it is the healthy beverage our bodies need to sustain a healthy state. Heres the good news, if you dont like water you can dress it up in a lot of great healthy ways. 2. Water and crushed fruit. Like fruit flavored water but dont want the added garbage with chemicals and artificial sweeteners? Try taking a pitcher of refrigerated water and adding 1-2 cups of your favorite crushed/blended frozen fruit (blueberries, strawberries and watermelon work great) and add this to your pitcher. Organic frozen fruit is even better (no chemicals period!). You can also take fresh foods like slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, mango, orange, watermelon......you catch my drift and add them fresh to the pitcher as well. Remember, organic is always better to avoid the pesticide residue on the fruits. 3. Herbal Concoctions: try infusing a pitcher of water with things like basil, rosemary, vanilla beans, mint, lemon balm (mint and lemon balm grow wild here). It is awesome in the summer and very refreshing. Want a hint of sweet? Try adding stevia to your drink. It is a plant based sweetener without any carbohydrate impacts. My favorite stevia is Sweet Drops Vanilla which you can get in Whole Foods or cheap on amazon. 4. Some like it hot.....their water that is!!! Try getting into tea. Being that I gave up coffee a few years ago (caffeine addiction WAAAAAAY out of control) I have rekindled my love of a warm beverage with loose leaf tea. Now, some of you might think Im pretty foofy after reading this, but I often comment to my boyfriend that I am having an affair and its with Earl Gray. In my humble opinion there are few things as luxurious in life as sitting down and partaking in a great hot cup of loose leaf organic Cream Earl Gray tea. Dont like earl gray? There are literally hundreds of teas to choose from. My advice? Start simple: get a small metal tea infuser (around 10 bucks) and buy about 50 grams of a few different types of teas (try a black tea, an oolong, a white tea or a rooibos). Great places in Chattanooga to buy loose leaf tea include: English Rose Tea House, Teavana and online (if youre really into tea ask me...I have a couple of solid online sources I order from). Again, if you like sweet add a little bit of stevia drops and if you like decadence, add a couple of tablespoons of half and half (yummy!). I think some guys may be declaring their love affair with earl pretty soon! Other hot tea favorites: take a half a lemon (organic is best for this one) and squeeze juice into a 10 ounce mug then pour hot water into mug with the half lemon still in it. Let steep about 3-5 minutes then add 1/2 cup of apple juice and a 1/2 to 1 tsp of cayenne pepper. The pepper adds heat to the beverage and can really help clear sinuses during a nasty cold. Quick tips: -organic produce is healthier in these beverages as no pesticide residue gets incorporated into your beverage. -Dont be afraid to experiment! As you learn to figure out what your palate is after youve weaned off of fructose and other high potency sweeteners youll start to appreciate the real taste of sweetness in your food! -Want support? Join our support network at Team GOYA and submit a request to be added. Here you will find like minded people looking to lead healthy active lifestyles with plenty of bonus material on nutrition and community networking.... AND ITS FREE!!! Happy Healthy Beverage Consumption!!! Dr. GOYA Chattanooga Sports Institute and Center for Health
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 22:11:29 +0000
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