4 ways to beverage-up your Health

Digestive systems of all living species extract nutrition from food in fluid form for sending to various parts of the body through 4 channels spread all over the bodies. So, every diet must have enough of fluids in it and when it comes to fluids in the diet or diet in fluid form, beverages occupy the scenario in the mind. All beverages are not good for health for their contents like artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors, preservatives, etc, and most importantly, caffeine. To avoid contamination of your body with undesirable substances through beverages, be selective on them as you would like to be on your other food items. Here are some beverages considered to be the best from an individual’s health point of view.

National Academy of Science recommends 13 cups of water each day for an average man and 9 for a woman, with spacing in between for the whole day. But don't worry to stick to this recommendation as there are many other factors that determine a person's water needs. Take it as a general guideline.

Two special points need be followed regarding water intake and excretion – rehydrate your-self when you lose body fluid through sweating for any reason, and lose your excess body water through urine after each meal. The latter practice drains out unwanted chemical substances from the body.

Quality of water is of special importance for the fact that most of the disease viruses enter body through water contamination. The best water for human health is from a deep bore-well that contains most of the natural minerals needed by the body. Spring water too falls in this category. In case, fresh natural water is not accessible, filtered water is the ultimate choice.

I notice people carrying plastic bottles with water from a chosen source during their travel and out-of-home stays for long durations. This is a good practice provided the bottle plastic is of appropriate quality. Polycarbonate bottle plastics often have a problematic toxin – bisphenol (BPA). Beware of it and make sure your bottle plastic does not contain this toxin.

Fresh fruit juices are thought of highly as health drinks with no doubt about this, but for a healthy person only. So a few warnings won't be out of place about this beverage – pure fruit juices are often rich in sugar and calories, so, if you have concerns of obesity and blood sugar, limit your consumption of fruit juices, unless some are recommended by your physician. Make sure that the juice you are drinking is freshly drawn from a fruit and is pure. Avoid opting for having ready-made juices from the market.

Many herbs, like chamomile, hibiscus flower, lemon grass, orange peel, rose hips, strawberry leaves, etc, used for making tea are rich in anti-oxidants. The herbal tea could be taken hot or cold depending of personal liking and weather conditions. For adding pleasant flavors to tea, adding cinnamon during boiling may be tried. After the boil, adding some mint or few drops of fresh lemon juice are good. Cold tea tastes better with peppermint. The boiling duration for a hot tea is shorter than that for a cold tea. Adding milk to tea as practiced in India is detrimental to health effects of tea.

Green tea leaves have been identified to have many health-promoting properties for their having catechin phyto-nutrients, such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Catechins are rich in antioxidants and have heart-supportive and anti-cancer properties.

A cup of green leaf tea with a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice is very delicious, refreshing and good to health. It could be enjoyed hot or cold depending on the weather and individual's taste.