One of the first steps to make positive changes to your health is to start drinking more water. However, if you’re not a big water drinker, you can quickly become bored with trying to get your recommended daily eight glasses.
If you’re looking for healthy alternatives to replace a few of those boring glasses of water, then this article is for you! The good news is some of the delicious options you can try include everything from coconut water to gluten free beer. Keep reading as we take a closer look at a few healthy water alternatives.
Drinking Healthy Doesn’t Have to End with Water!
Many popular drinks either have empty calories or too many calories. If you’re familiar with healthy drinks, it can be challenging to find a few tasty options that provide you with the right number of vitamins and minerals. Let’s delve into a few new favourites.
1. Green Tea
You don’t have to be an avid tea drinker to enjoy a tasty and healthy cup of green tea. It’s a drink in its own category!
Green tea has the following health benefits:
- Aids weight management if taken with the recommended amount of sugar
- Contains prominent levels of polyphenols which help prevent several types of cancer
- Reduces sharp fluctuations in blood sugar before and after meals
Another plus is that you can drink green tea as a hot breakfast drink or iced as an afternoon spritzer.
2. Beet Juice
If you’re looking for a powerful juice to drink before your next workout, beet juice might be what you’re looking for! Experts suggest that it can increase stamina and help reduce blood pressure. Additionally, beet juice is a strong source of magnesium, folic acid and nitrates.
3. Coconut Water
If you’re going to feel guilty about swapping your recommended water for tasty alternatives, an option to consider is flavoured water. One of the more popular options is coconut water. While it’s true that this tropical delight isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying it’s a super healthy drink that’s packed with potassium.
Aside from regulating blood pressure, and maintaining a healthy heartbeat, potassium is an all-round energy booster!
A tasty variant that also boosts your electrolyte intake is watermelon flavoured coconut water. To avoid the blandness of still water, you’ll be delighted to know that coconut water is carbonated! So, you won’t feel like you’re drinking water!
4. Cranberry Juice
If you’re looking for a general all-rounder that provides you with tons of nutrients and antioxidants then you’d do well to add cranberry juice to your shopping cart. Its antioxidants help prevent cardiovascular disease and promote a healthy urinary tract.
If this delicious juice is a bit tart for you, then look for the cranberry combinations such as cranberry-apple.
5. Gluten-free Beer
Surprised that there’s a beer on the list of healthy drinks? Well, while many experts are quick to promote beer as a “healthy” drink with a few benefits, it all comes down to your actual intake. Beer is one of those drinks that can easily push you over your required calorie intake.
So, why not try gluten-free beer? If you’re trying to eliminate or lessen gluten from your diet, then this is an option to consider. Drinking gluten-free beer allows people with gluten intolerance to enjoy an icy beer with dinner. It’s also helpful for people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
6. Fruit Smoothies
Aside from being super-delicious, smoothies are a fantastic way to combine your daily fruit intake with your water or juice requirement. There are thousands of combinations that you can try to find your next favourite drink!
Smoothies can be drunk any time of the day and you can mix and match any fruit, juice and vegetable combination to create a unique drink. Depending on the ingredients that you add, some smoothies might be better as pre or post-workout drinks. Since they’re so nutritious, some people prefer to have a tasty smoothie rather than a plate of food at breakfast.
7. Hot Chocolate
One of the first things to go when you jump on the health wagon is usually chocolate in all its forms. However, cacao has unchallenged health benefits. Being rich in antioxidants make it a winner. Still, that doesn’t mean you should spend hours indulging in your favourite chocolate bars!
So, what’s ‘enough’?
A cup of hot chocolate is a great substitute for your evening tea. Aside from a tasty boost of chocolate, the antioxidants in hot chocolate are also known for aiding in a good night’s sleep. The trick here is to limit the sugar and opt for a brand that’s already low in sugar. And you’ll have to pass on the small marshmallows!
Final Thought
Sticking to the healthy changes you want to make in your diet is a lot easier when those changes are tasty! It’s important to still have water but it’s great to know there are a few alternatives to make the menu more attractive.
Try a few of the drinks on our list and reap the health benefits. Your body will thank you!
