Beverage Diva

Every single one of these beverages were open on my desk the other day and I felt compelled to proclaim myself a beverage diva. I hate water and how much of it you have to drink, but I know it is vital for your health. I try to find other beverages to fill that void as much as possible, i.e tea, coffee, low cal/sugar/carb drinks, sparkling water, etc. I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself high maintenance but…. if the shoe fits, right? 😉

In all seriousness I have struggled with this for many years. I am constantly dehydrated which affects my digestive system, my skin, hair and nails, my energy level, everything! I try to justify other drinks for their healthful benefits but the results of my “study” show that nothing is better than plain water. Here is the low down on my beverages.

Sparkling water – This is about as close as you can get to regular water except the “sparkling” part means there is carbonation. Carbonation means air which means bloat-city! Bad news for those skinny jeans. Sparkling water also has more sodium than regular water which increases dehydration.

Ice Water – In theory, ice cold water has to use up energy in the stomach to heat up to body temperature (energy means burning calories). I have also heard that cold water rehydrates the body faster than room temperature water.

Coffee – A morning favorite to many, this drink actually has some great health benefits. According to a Harvard health study, coffee may decrease blood pressure over time, and possibly lower the risk of cancer, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. The caffeine is said to increase metabolism and is a great source for antioxidants.

Vegetable Juice – What better way to pack more veggies into your day than drinking them? I love having a V8 veggie juice handy for a mid-afternoon snack, especially on those days I’m feeling extra sluggish. It peps me right up! (And bonus, no crash like you get with caffeine!)

Green Tea – I’ll be honest, this was not a love at first taste kind of thing. It has taken me quite some time to enjoy the taste of tea but I have found a few flavors I really enjoy and it really hits the spot come 4pm either to wind down at the end of my day with a chamomile relaxing tea or a spiced chai to power me through the last few hours.

Sport drink – I am very picky with these. I always look at the nutrition facts for sneeky calories, sugar or carbs hiding under that “healthy” label. This one is great though and it passes all of my nutrition checks, low on calories, sugar and carbs, not too much sodium and a great taste. When I just can’t stomach more more glass of agonizingly boring water, I will gulp this down instead.

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Does anyone else not like the taste (or lack there of) of water?

What are some of your favorite beverages?