Since people are more conscious about the overall health than before, more and more products have emerged in the market. Aside from healthy food alternatives, one of the most consumed products that are believed to aid wellness are health drinks.
Experts say that a person’s body is required to consume at least 60 ounces of liquid every day. This amount is ideal for the body—as well as its organs—to function at their best.
Although commercial health drinks are specially made to provide the vitamins and minerals that the body needs, drinking these regularly can be hard to achieve since these are expensive.
In the market today, a bottle of a commercial health drink can cost you around $10 to $20 depending on the brand and the nutrients it contains.
For those who want to stay healthy by drinking healthy fluids, they don’t need to spend so much on commercial health drinks. The following are just some commercial health drink alternatives that are budget-friendly.
1. Coconut water
In tropical countries, coconut water is the most abundant drink. But if you are living elsewhere, this can be available in plastic bottles or specially made cartons. Coconut water is one of the cheapest alternatives to commercial health drinks because it contains pure properties that can help prevent certain diseases, can help lose weight, can rejuvenate the body’s cells while easily replacing lost nutrients when a person sweats.
2. Filtered water
Instead of drinking tap water that may contain harmful contaminants or drinking water from plastic bottles which are proven to contain “Bisphenol-A” or BPA and “polychlorinated biphenyls” or PCBs that are equally harmful to the body, you can buy a good quality carbon-based filter which you can use at home or in your office. Filtered water is proven to be healthy because it contains minerals that the body needs to function well.
For those who are not used to drinking plain filtered water, they can enhance the flavor of the water using crushed herbs such as basil or mint with honey or give it a citrus punch using ripened peels of oranges and lemons which are packed with healthy compounds that do not only detoxify the liver but also lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well.
3. Switch to tea
Next to water, tea is known to be the most common beverage that is consumed by people in all places. This is because tea—which can either be black, oolong, white or green—is rich in anti-oxidants that can bring many health benefits to people. Compared to coffee, which is more expensive, tea is cheaper and has lesser caffeine content.
Herbal teas—which are the result of the infusion of certain herbs to teas—can also be good alternatives to sodas, which contain excessive amounts of unhealthy sugar. Experts say that teas are a good alternative to health drinks that have bubbles because unlike these, teas do not contain phosphoric acid that is the major cause why bone mass diminishes, leading to greater risk in having osteoporosis.
4. Vegetable extracts and fresh fruit juices
There is no denying the effectiveness of vegetables and fruits in boosting a person’s overall health. For those who cannot spend so much money on commercial health drinks, the best alternative would be fresh vegetable and fruit juices. Using a blender, one can create an instant health drink from a wide source of cheap vegetables and fruits available.
