It is important to have a variety of healthy beverages in your diet. Today, there are too many people subsisting on diet sodas, regular sodas, and energy drinks. These consist mostly of artificial sweeteners, artificial flavoring, and caffeine. The body will not perform to peak performance with a steady intake of these types of beverages.
My favorite beverage to have as a substitute for a soda is orange juice. It tastes good, it is natural, and is readily available. Orange juice provides a good dose of vitamin C. An 8 ounce glass contains as much potassium as a banana. It has a remarkable variety of phytonutrients. Beyond the great vitamin and nutrient content, a study has shown that orange juice can lower your blood pressure.
Another great beverage is apple juice. Fresh apple juice carries a significant amount of vitamins A and C. The old-time saying that an apple a day can keep the doctor away is true. Recent studies have shown that drinking apple juice can help slow down the process that leads to heart disease.
Cranberry juice is another powerful drink that should be added to your diet. Medicinal properties of the cranberry have been recognized for centuries. It provides powerful antioxidant qualities. A common treatment for urinary tract infections is to drink cranberry juice. It is thought that the strong acidic content of the juice provides an inhospitable environment for bacteria.
Beyond the standard juices, you can get a bit more exotic. Mango, pineapple, carrot, wheatgrass, and tomato are all great juices that provide wonderful health benefits. Many companies are now offering smoothies and other freshly made juices. As people become more health-conscious, this will become the future of the beverage industry.
I hope you will see that there are many options for sodas. You will feel a great impact on your health once you have given them up and integrated the more healthy juices into your diet. At first, it will take willpower, but as time goes on, you will find that you will completely lose your taste for those sugary sodas.
