I love the government initiative of "Swap it Don't Stop it" and so I have made this post about swapping the drinks that are keeping your body clock backwards to drinks that will have your body singing morning, noon and night. Just like with anything in life, neglect those things that dont serve you, and swap them for those things which will only enhance your life and lead you to your desired goals. Healthful alternatives are here! & Don't forget that water is your best beverage in any case.
If you currently drink any of the following on a regular basis or have a slight addiction to it say "I":
COFFEE
RED BULL
SOFT DRINK (including diet)
BOTTLED FRUIT JUICE FROM THE SUPERMARKET
COW'S MILK
ALCOHOL
If you said "I" to more than 2 (you might even have said yes to all of them) read on as to what these drinks are actually doing to you:
COFFEE
Ahh that glorious mug of AM "pick me up" goodness. Wakes up your brain, has you feeling alive - and ready to take on the world! However, that same "buzz" you get is the warning sign that your nervous system is being overstimulated. Overconsumption leads to dehydration (showing in your skin), inability to relax, meditate and sleep. If your stress levels are through the roof and you don't know how to cope, the first best thing you can do is wean yourself off the caffeine. The response to the overstimulation caffeine provides also means an excessive jump in your cortisol levels, cortisol being the body's stress reducing hormone. You body needs cortisol in during long periods of stress but too much cortisol and you are left with an increased appetite, excessive fat storage and poor blood sugar control. If you HAVE to have a coffee, keep it to 1 a day, in the AM. I personally get very buzzy off caffeine and so normally enjoy the pick me up it gives when I rock up to work, but caffeine also gets me very stressed out as I have a very sensitive nervous system. The days I wean off caffeine I find myself in the flow of life a lot better and approach my work with more ease and clear thinking. Practices such as yoga and meditation are performed much better with a calm internal system also.
"PICK ME UP" ALTERNATIVES:
Green tea infused with fresh lemon & ginger - Green tea still has caffeine but it has a gentler stimulating effect than coffee. Green tea is also full of antioxidents and promotes fat loss. Benefits of green tea link. I like to infuse mine with a squeeze of fresh lemon and some fresh ginger grated into there. The lemon is alkalising and ginger has a range of benefits including assisting with circulation, digestion and inflammation. Maya Fiennes, Kundalini yoga teacher and ambassador, refers to a ginger and lemon tea even on its own to be a soul brightening tonic. Try it and see.
Cacao & Maca powder tea - This is a tablespoon of raw cacao powder mixed with half a teaspoon of Maca powder with boiling water. Awesome healthy alternative to both coffee and hot chocolate. Cacao is mood boosting and has great antioxident power, not to mention a rich chocolate taste. Maca powder is an energy boosting superfood root from Peru. It has a nutty flavour and assists in balancing your hormones. I really love Maca powder and use it in all my smoothies.Herbals - Green tea, White tea and Yerba mate - It's always nice just to have a box of teabags handy for when you want a coffee replacement. Try any of these for a gentle pick me up otherwise try natural caffeine free teas like Roiboos, Peppermint or Dandelion tea for the great health benefits that these teas can provide. I personally love Dandelion (can be bought as in instant granule form) as it aids digestion and detoxifies the blood and kidneys. Roiboos has a lovely sweet woody flavour and is a rich source in antioxidents and really good for your skin. Never sweeten with sugar, try Stevia (natural sweetener, not artificial) instead.
SOFT DRINK - Diet and non Diet varieties
I have been the culprit of being a Pepsi Max monster! It always seems like a nice treat when you put yourself on a strict diet. But no, after investigation I've been faced with some hard facts. If you're trying to be good and not go the sugar laden, acidic and artificially coloured average soft drink and going for the "diet" range, I have some bad news! Artificial sweeteners and caffeine used in diet drinks are your #1 problem. The artificial sweetener Aspartame is a chemical which if consumed in excess can put you at risk of diabetes as it increases the glucose levels in the blood and reduces insulin. The chemical Bromine which is used in some sodas solidifies fat too. The effects of excess caffeine I have mentioned is above. The only way is natural guys! Stay away from chemical produced anything - your body will thank you for it. Red Bull falls into both the excess Caffeine and Soft drink category.
GOT ANY SOFT DRINK ALTERNATIVES NAT?
Well yes I do. Try Dr Red's Ginger Punch. It has a similar flavour to ginger beer but is full of antioxidents, vitamins and minerals. You can also make a "lemonade" out of Agave/Maple syrup, freshly squeezed lemon and a bit of cayenne pepper (if you'd like a metabolism boost and kick) in filtered water.
FRUIT JUICE FROM THE SUPERMARKET
Good on you for wanting to do the right thing. You've chosen fruit over soft drink! Unfortunately the juice you buy in a plastic bottle from the supermarket may very well be as bad as other sugar laden beverages. When juices are bottled they go through a heating process which essentially kills the nutrients and enzymes that the fruit it supposed to give you, and you are left with sugar and acid. The heating causes fruits acidity levels to increase, and this acid will wear the enamel on your teeth and be harsh on your insides. By drinking bottled juice you are also at risk of consuming additional preservatives, salt & sugar.
WONDER JUICE - THE GOOD STUFF:
Fresh green juice - The benefits of a fresh juice range far and wide. Beating the supermarket juice by far - here you have a glass of nutrient rich goodness which is easily assimilated and absorbed by the body! The aim when making your juice is to keep as much nutritional content in tact as possible so you reap the full benefits of your juice. You do this by using juicers that will not heat up the fruit/juice (cold press juicers are good for this), by not leaving it too long before you drink your juice (otherwise store in airtight dark glass jars/stainless steel cannisters) and by putting in the good stuff. You dont want to use too much fruit as its a pretty high sugar content when you do. A great alkalising and highly nutritious juice recipe to have every day which tastes great is:
1 bunch kale
1 piece ginger
1/2 cucumber
1 lemon
1 apple
1 piece celery
Check which fruits and veg do and dont mix well together before making a concoction as well. Apples, lemons and limes are generally the only fruits you can really mix with vegetables as to not ruin the veggie enzymes unlike other fruits which can cause bad digestion.
MILK ALTERNATIVES - THE GREAT COW'S MILK DEBATE
We've nearly all grown up drinking our beloved cow's milk, drinking it through Tim Tam's or having it as the great accompaniment to Weetbix, coffee, tea etc. So what I'm about to say might offend some people, to the point I was going to leave the milk section out. FYI anyway. Cow's are milked by machines over and over, swollen udders and tight pulling by the machines means some blood and pus goes into the milk. To get rid of this, the milk is pasteurised. Pasteurisation is another heating process which rids the milk of bacteria but also enzymes. I'm not sure where we got the scientific evidence that milk is full of calcium needed for bones, because in a society of big milk drinkers we still have high cases of osteoperosis. Digesting animal protein causes an acidic environment in the body which actually decreases the amount of calcium we absorb. Cow's milk is also highly phospherous which doesnt mix too well with calcium and even more so we lose out on the main benefit we are sold to drink it on. We have a lot of trouble digesting it. When you think about the rising numbers with lactose intolerance it only makes sense to think that perhaps we just weren't meant to have it as humans in the first place. If you find you get stomach upsets, or even sinus issues, try cutting milk out of your diet and see how you feel.
THE DEAL WITH SOY MILK
I personally don't drink soy milk for one major reason - it increases oestrogen production. Anything that messes with my hormones I'm not willing to ingest. Excess oestrogen can result in weight gain and mood swings & is the number one contributer to cellulite.
THE DAIRY ALTERNATIVES
Rice milk & almond milk - These are nice alternatives to Cow's milk which are gluten free and non harmful. If you are looking for ways to get your calcium then you can increase consumption of the following:
-cabbage
-dark, leafy green vegetables
-almonds
-sesame seeds
-tahini (hulled or unhulled paste)
-figs (dried or fresh)
-small fish with bones intact (ie anchovies and sardines)
ALCOHOL
I hear ya, your saying what the hey, how do you have an alternative for my weekend bender brew. You can thank Organic One wines. They are dedicated to producing wines chemical free, preservative free, artificial anything free. Their wines are actually good for you! I say we celebrate now by buying a few cases http://organic-1.com/
If you have an addiction to anything that is not good for you, a juice detox can definately assist with that. & for anyone following my progress on the juice feast - my cold press juicer is only being exchanged via shipping now, so in a few more weeks I will be able to give you the run down. Headaches, cravings, thoughts and all. I am looking forward to it!
If you have any other natural beverages you drink that adds to your life's wellness, please share in the comments section below!
No comments:
Post a Comment