Healthy Nutrition |
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About Healthy Nutrition
Healthy Drinking
What we drink is just as important as what we choose to eat. Good drinking habits will enhance a healthy diet and help to make up for a poor one.
Water
Water is essential to life. Without water we can not survive for more than a few days.
Fresh clean water plays an important role in our bodies. It is crucial to the digestion and the absorption of nutrients. If you
don't drink enough between meals, your mouth becomes slow to produce saliva and digestion suffers. Water also eliminates wastes from the body.
It is recommended to drink at least 8-10 glasses of fresh pure water each day to cleanse our bodies and provide it with the raw material it needs to survive.
When it is very hot, while working, sweating or suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting or fever, a person needs to drink even more to
replace the water that has been lost. If drinking-water is collected from a protected well or borehole it is important to store it
in a clean container. If drinking-water is from an unprotected well or river the water should be boiled for at least ten minutes and stored in a clean container.
Drinking-water should be stored in a covered container that is cleaned at least once a week. The best container is one with a tap.
Do not dip hands or cups into the container.
Coffee
Both tea and coffee reduce the absorption of iron and zinc. It is important to avoid drinking coffee or tea with meals or with any
vitamin and mineral supplements you are taking.
Caffeine in coffee gives a burst of energy when you drink it followed by a slump. That is why so many people go back for another cup. Caffeine stimulates the flow of urine.
If you drink coffee, make sure you drink plenty of fresh safe water to help cleanse your system.
Herbal tease and tisanes
Tea should only have 60% of the caffeine that is in coffee.
Green tea is believed to promote the metabolism and have fat burning properties. Tulsi tea is one of the most effective adaptogens
(anti-stress) known. Tulsi and green tea contain strong antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-viral and immune-enhancing properties
that support the body's defense against stress and diseases.
Caffeine-free herbal teas and tisanes cleanse and strengthen the body and have a wide range of therapeutic benefits.
Fresh fruit and vegetables juices
A glass of fresh juice is considered to be the equivalent of one serving of fresh fruit and will contain at least the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C.
The concentrated vitamins, minerals, sugars and proteins contained in raw juices are absorbed into the bloodstream almost as soon as
they reach the stomach and small intestine placing minimum strain on the digestive system.
They are also high in fibre and may need to be diluted for children to avoid runny bowel movements.
Unhealthy Drinks
Fizzy drinks
The majority contain no nutrients but are generally filled with artificial sweeteners, sugar, caffeine, water and flavours.
The "fizz" contains an acid which can rot teeth. Sugar-free brands are not any better as they may contain unhealthy artificial sweeteners like saccharin and aspartame which are
responsible for a wide range of health problems.
Highly sweetened drinks actually increase the body's need for water, so they are not the best option for quenching thirst.
Alcohol
The effects of alcohol on the human body depend on the amount of alcohol in the blood. This varies according to the amount you
drink, the rate at which your system absorbs and metabolizes alcohol and your body weight.
People with alcohol addiction will be at risk from liver damage and nutritional deficiencies as the alcohol robs the body of all B vitamins. Brain shrinkage, digestive problems
and impaired memory are common conditions. Fertility is also affected by drinking.
02 January, 2009
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