5 drinks you can take instead of soda
Sodas are the sources of refined sugars, additives, extra calories and everything our doctors warn us to stay away from. Yet for some reason, soda us still the go-to drink for most people. We have listed 5 drinks you can take instead of soda, that are good for both your satiety and health.
Natural fruit juice
There’s hardly a fruit you cannot juice. There are so many kinds of fruit to choose from. So you can go crazy with flavour combos. Invest in a juicer and water bottle to make them at home cheaply. Use honey to sweeten the juice or better yet, a sweeter fruit instead of sugar. Truly natural store bought fruit juices do not have a long shelf life. Do keep that in mind when buying them.
Healthy teas
Ginger, chamomile, lemon grass, peppermint, hibiscus are just a few teas you can try. These all conveniently come in tea bags you can get instead of soda at the supermarket. Green tea has numerous health benefits so definitely add it to your selection. It is high in antioxidants and keeps cancer, heart disease, obesity and cavities at bay. Kombucha is a type of fermented tea that you should also consider. Fermented products are good for your gut. To make sure you get all the nutrients from these teas, go easy on the sugar or omit it completely.
Plant-based water
These are your coconut, aloe vera, cactus and any other waters extracted from plants. The advantage of these is they are laden with good vitamins and nutrients. They also expose you to new tastes you might begin to like. Aloe vera water is said to be really good for your skin, effective in reducing and preventing further spread of acne. When buying these go for those that do not contain additives or harmful preservatives.
Also read: Aloe vera juice recipes
Infused or flavoured water
A lot of people who don’t drink enough water say it’s because of its bland taste. If you are in that group but still want to up your water intake, flavour your water. There’s a bunch of natural ingredients available locally you can use. We’ve got mint, lemon wedges, ginger, oranges and even cucumbers. Flavoured water is available commercially but watch out for harmful chemicals.
Vegetable juices
You can make yummy juices from veggies, besides fruits. Carrots and cucumbers have a high water content which allows that. The keratin found in carrots is good for your hair, nails, eye sight and complexion. If you’re feeling adventurous you can use tomatoes with a celery twig for crunch. There aren’t any rules to the different veggie mixes you can use. If your kids don’t enjoy the texture of cooked vegetables, juice them. They won’t be able to resist the bright colours.
