Healthy Live Everyday

Protein drinks are drinks with high protein content. They are made by adding a protein source to fluids. There are also protein powders available in drug stores and groceries. They are considered food and nutrient supplements. With the popularity of protein drinks and powders, are these drinks beneficial or detrimental to our health.

Proteins are indeed necessary for our body. Protein helps in building muscles, skins, hairs, nails and internal organs. There are twenty amino acids needed for the human body to grow. Eight amino acids are produced by our body. They are necessary and should be present in the food we eat. While, the other twelve amino acids are manufactured within the body.

Manufactures and some study showed that after a protein drinks are necessary to drink after intense exercise or training where muscle tissues are damaged. Protein is needed and necessary to repair muscles after physical exertion. Therefore, it is imperative that a person who is exercising intensely should consume more protein.

But there are contrasting beliefs. There are some studies that agree that resistance and endurance training can really break down muscle protein and increase the need for protein consumption. But even so, there is no need to consume protein drinks. Why?

During intense exercise, there is an increased need for calories which is proportional to increase need of protein. So, when the amount of food that you eat increases, so does your calorie intake and your protein intake increases proportionally. Eating plant foods like vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts can get you the protein amount you need without drinking protein shakes and powders.

There are some studies concerning protein shakes and powders. These studies showed that when whey protein is added to rat diet, there is a relative increase of tumors and cancers. That is why most researchers and health care professionals, show concern on the high consumption of protein supplements.

But both sides agree that protein drinks should never be the only source of protein. As mentioned, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and whole grains can amount into about 50 grams of protein per 1000 calories. Consuming green vegetables would give you the needed protein without heart and cancer risks. Also, animal products are good sources of protein.

Aside from the protein that you will get from these vegetables, you also get natural antioxidants that can protect you against other risks of heart diseases, hypertension and cancer.

Too much is never too wise. In a survey, the East German Olympic team of 1964, which are composed of 600 athletes, there are less than 10 people alive today. Muscular growth and increased body mass with the aid of supplements and steroids increased the factors for heart attacks and other diseases in the long run. This served as a reminder for us, we need to consider the long tern effects of what we are consuming, eating or drinking right now.

Protein drinks and other kinds of supplements can definitely have an impact on out health. It could be bad or good. We should always consider the long term effects and not only the short term impact of what we eat and drink. But good health can never be measured with how big our biceps and laterals are.

Our physical size can never be the basis of good health. It can be judged by our strength, resistance to illnesses, longevity, and our youthful vigor as we grow old.

There are a lot of commercial health drinks out there in the market nowadays. They claim that they provide cure for illnesses, even citing studies of their drastic impact on cancer. But amidst these countless choices, we may e forgetting about nature’s most important “cocktail” – water.

Some health professionals say that most of the people nowadays are dehydrated and they are not aware of it. People are more interested in drinking coffee, tea and sodas which also contains caffeine. About 83 percent of our blood is made of water. Muscles are made of 75 percent water, while bone is 22 percent composed of water. Actually, an average person who weighs around 150 lbs., contains 40 to 50 quarts of water. That makes 2/3 of our body weight are from water.

Drinking water also retains the fluids necessary for the body to function. When the body gets less water, it begins to hold on to each drop of fluid and water it has. Water is stored outside the cells making feet, legs and hands to swell. To overcome this problem, the best thing to do is to drink plenty of water. The stored water outside the cells will be released.

Aside from being completely necessary for biological processes, drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day will definitely give you significant health improvements. It would improve your energy, increase mental and physical performance, remove toxins and other waste products from the body.

Water also helps you to get glowing and healthy-looking skin. Water acts as a natural body purifier, this disposes the toxins out of your body. There are even studies citing water intake as an important factor in weight loss. When a body does not have enough water, the fat cells cannot be easily metabolized. This “rubber-like” fat cell is harder to lose. Water can also suppress your hunger.

Not drinking enough water is also the number one reason of fatigue. There are also studies that showed that drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day relieves most patients from back and joint pain. It even has effects on our memory and ability to concentrate. If you lack water intake, you can have short-term memory, trouble with your basic math and focusing on what you have in front of you, either a computer screen or a page you are handling.

Aside from regular tap water, you can see a lot mineral water and even alkaline water in the stands. Compared to ordinary tap water, alkaline water has higher pH level. Alkaline water is said to have help in neutralizing acids and remove toxins from the body. Alkaline water drinkers and proponents believed that most of what we eat and drink produces acid waste. Aside from this, they also say that alkaline water gives electrochemical activity to the cell.

To keep the body hydrated, you do not have to drink from your water bottle every time. Food is also source of your 20 percent total water intake. The remaining 80 percent comes from other beverages. Fruits and vegetables also contain a lot of water. Oranges would have 87 percent of composed of water.

Even if there are people promoting alkaline water, there are still other health care professionals who thinks that we should just stick to regular, plain water. Whether it is alkaline water or normal water, we could not deny that it is one of the wonders of Mother Nature. Over centuries, water has been the natural health drink for us.

Tea is a Health Drink

When you travel, the stewardess will go around the plane serving food, snacks and drinks. When he or she asks what you want to drink, try asking for tea instead since it is considered to be a health drink.

Tea has been served for thousands of years. They come from leaves and when heated, provide us with a lot of health benefits.

For one, tea contains antioxidants which prevent or slow down the oxidative damage to our body. This simply means lowering the risk of suffering from various diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Tea also happens to be much healthier than coffee because in terms of caffeine content, you only get about 30 to 40mg per cup compared to coffee which has about 135 mg. of caffeine.

Another benefit of drinking tea is its ability to strengthen your immune system. For instance, no one knows yet the cause of the common cold but it still happens. If you drink tea regularly, your immune system will be strong enough to prevent you from getting this contagious infection.

Although water is the best thing to drink whenever you feel dehydrated, studies have shown that tea can provide the same thing as well. This is because tea is a diuretic making you urinate regularly so there is a balance between what goes in and out of your body.

Tea does not have any calories unlike those found in energy drinks. This is because it does not contain any sugar. The only time that you will be ingesting calories is when you decide to add sweetener or milk with this drink

Overweight people can benefit from drinking tea because drinking tea regularly increases your metabolism. In short, you burn faster what you eat making it possible for you to burn at least 70 to 80 calories per day. At that rate, you can lose almost 8 pounds after one year.

But what kind of tea should you drink? Well there are too many to mention so let’s just stick with two namely black and green tea. Both come from the same plant but what sets these two apart is how these are processed. The leaves for making green tea are dried for a shorter period of time compared to the other one. Black tea also goes through a fermenting process before this is packed and sold in the market.

The best part about making this your regular health drink is that you can serve this hot or cold. This allows you to have it any time of the day or night so all you need is some water, a cup or a tall glass.

You can buy tea in the grocery and in some specialty stores. Remember, all teas contain the same amount of flavonoids. What tea will be your favorite depends from what tree it comes from and which of these is suitable to your taste. You could say that this depends on the person similar to what choice of coffee you order when you decide to go to Starbucks.

Tea has been around for many years and its success all this time is because it is a health drink. You should try one today and then see if you like it. Who knows? You might even be addicted to it and never again coffee.

Who needs commercial health drinks when water alone can help a person to be healthy? Many people don’t realize it but by drinking clean water can keep them from developing various diseases caused by the unhealthy environment.

If you are into consuming commercial health drinks that cost too much money, now is the time to consider water as your very own health drink. Aside from being pure, you can save more money since it is the most abundant health drink available.

Why drink water?

Studies say that an average individual’s blood contains 83 percent of water. A person’s muscles have 75 percent. The brain has 74 percent. The bone is 22 has percent. If you sum it up, almost 80 percent of the person’s body are made up of water. Experts say that there are several factors that affect the requirement of water to people. These factors include:

1. Exercise. This is because there is greater need for water since the body loses so much when there are rigorous muscular activities on a regular basis.

2. Climate change. Since hotness and humidity in certain areas can affect the water requirement of the person in that specific place.

3. Health conditions. When a person has diarrhea, experience vomiting, and fever, they need more replenishment of water since the body loses a great amount of it during these times.

4. Pregnancy. This condition requires additional water to keep the body well-hydrated at all times.

Health benefits of water

Experts say that people need adequate supply of healthy water because it gives energy. Aside from that, it also helps avoid dehydration, and it gets people moving. It also helps relieve constipation, and beats stress. Other health benefits of drinking healthy water include:

- keeping the skin soft, supple healthy and glowing;

- improving the blood circulation in the body;

- helping kidneys and liver to remove toxins from the system;

- preventing memory loss;

- eliminating instances of frequent headaches and dizziness;

- increasing mental and physical performance;

- removing toxins and other waste products from the body;

- aiding weight loss, and

- allowing proper digestion

Safe water as a health drink

Experts say that to remain healthy, one of the most important things a person should consider is taking in lots of healthy water. And what better way to do this but to use it as a health drink?

However, the quality of tap water is no longer reliable for health purposes these days. If you want to use your own water as health drink, it is a must to ensure that it is safe and clean. One of the ways to do this is by using a water filter. Experts believe that through the use of water filter, one can ensure that he or she is drinking healthy water for himself or herself and for his or her family.

Today, there are many brands of water filters available in the market. Majority of these comes in various shapes and sizes. But, before buying a water filter, you must know what is the most suitable type for your water source. Once you have safe and clean water through the use water filter, rest assured that you can come up with you very own health drink at the comforts of your home or office.

Drink to Your Health!

In a very fast-paced and high-pressure world we seem to forget to eat healthy. And to make things quicker, it seems to be easier to put everything, vitamins and minerals in one gulp. Health drinks are proliferating in the market. But what is more economically efficient than making your own health drink?

If you are a person who finds it difficult to insert vegetables and fruits into your diet, then think of drinking fresh juices and vegetable juices. Freshly made juices are a great source vitamins, minerals, enzymes and co-enzymes. Enzymes serve as catalyst for the processes and chemical reactions that happen throughout your body. Enzymes are much needed when you digest, convert and absorb food into body tissue.

There are fruits and vegetables whose nutrients and vitamins are trapped in the fibers. These nutrients and vitamins get released after blending them. This make blended fruit and vegetable juices more nutritious compared to eating them whole. Also, drinking fruits and vegetables make it easier for the fibers and nutrients to get quickly into the bloodstream and system.

There are studies showing that drinking fruit and vegetable juices are best done every morning and evening. The juices drank in the morning and evening will get into the bloodstream within ten minutes after drinking it.

If you are interested in creating your own vegetable and fruit juice, here are some steps that can get you started in your healthy habit:

• Purchase a juice machine.

• Remember to juice vegetables and fruits when they are raw.

• Fruits that have small seeds like watermelon and pears can be juiced with their seeds. But papaya and apple seed need to be taken out before being juiced. Orange and grapefruit seeds can leave a bitter taste to the mouth, so you can take it out also.

• Fruits and vegetables which are not organically grown should be peeled. There may be chemical residues left on the skins of the fruits. While pineapple, kiwis, oranges, grapefruit and papaya skins should be removed even if they are organically grown.

• When choosing fruits and vegetables, make sure to pick out the fresh and ripe ones. Wilted, under-ripe, bruised fruits and vegetables are not good for you and does not taste good too.

• Follow the instructions in your juice machine. Make sure to cut the fruits and vegetables in pieces suitable for the juice machine. After juicing, remove the pulp right away. If you leave it, it would have sour smell and would have fruit flies within 8 to 10 hours after juicing.

• Drink your juices immediately. It is better to drink freshly made juice.

Do not be afraid to try out combinations. You can use different fruits in season to create a great tasting health drink, you can use bananas, mangoes and pineapple. Their tart and sweet flavor can be balanced with fruits like strawberries, kiwi fruit and oranges. When using vegetables, it is best to use dark leafy vegetables like spinach or beet tops. For added flavor, you can even add yoghurt and ice cubes for the chill. You can even add ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla extract to complete your healthy concoction.

Health juices as health drinks are not new. As early as 16th century, limejuice was used to save sailors against scurvy. But it seems like for a while, health benefits of fruits and vegetables have been forgotten and currently we are on the way to rediscover it.