Nutrients In Your Favorite Drinks And What They Do For You
You're always told you should drink beverages that are full of vitamins and nutrients, but what vitamins are in which drinks, and why do you need them, anyway? We took a look at some of the healthy drink alternatives you may be familiar with, and broke down the vitamin content for you so that you know exactly what you are getting and what these vitamins are doing for you. Consider these drinks as über-healthy substitutes for beverages such as soda, coffee, flavored water, sports drinks, and juices... all of which do the body more harm than good.
Nutrients in Your Favorite Drinks and What They Do For You (Slideshow)
Almond milk, which appears on our list, contains more vitamins and minerals than soy or rice milks. Soy milk does have a lot of protein, but rice milk really has no nutritional value. Almond milk is low in calories and is great for people who are lactose intolerant. Almond milk is not only rich in calcium and vitamin D, but vitamin E, selenium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, phosphorous, and fiber.
Teas contain a plethora of anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It is loaded with carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), pantothenate, vitamin C, folic acid, manganese and potassium.
Coconut water really is Mother Nature's sports drink. Ditch the toxic Gatorade and Powerade: when you learn how detrimental they are for the body, you won't look back because coconut water will have won your heart. Coconut water is chock full of all the best nature has to offer the body for ultimate health, detox, and hydration. It contains about 1/5 of the sugar found in juices and is low in both fat and calories. There are an abundance of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, from all the B vitamins to zinc, selenium, iodine, manganese, magnesium and potassium. Coconut water is alkaline, which corrects the over-acidity that is normally found in our body due to poor diet. Stay tuned for an article about alkaline drinks and foods for the body.
All these fruits and vegetables are packed with phytonutrients and cytokinins, found only in plant protein, while also offering a wide array of health benefits: they regulate cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, improve vision, decrease cognitive deficits, improve joint mobility, aid in weight loss, enhance the appearance of skin/hair/nails, and are anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral: the list can go on and on.
Cantaloupe-Lime Smoothie
Cantaloupes pack a ton of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role in bone growth, immunity, healthy vision, and both skin and mucous membranes.
Click here for our Cantaloupe-Lime Smoothie Recipe.
Lemonade
Lemons are rich in B vitamins, which are a group of eight vitamins that are water-soluble and are essential for the breakdown of carbs into energy, which also help keep nerves and cells healthy. Lemonade also has a lot of vitamins A, C, folate, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.
Click here for our Victorian Lemonade Recipe.
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