Health Drink Informtion Site

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.

By Umar Zen

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.

By Umar Zen

Effective Health Drink

Today, more and more experts agree that taking vitamins and mineral supplements in liquid form can be quite effective in achieving optimum health. This is because in this form, the body can absorb the nutrients it needs easily. For this reason alone why may companies decided to come with health drinks in liquid form such as those in juices while others come up with powder form which should be consumed along with liquid.

In the market nowadays, majority of the health drinks are available in pre-mixed form—usually in a bottle or tetra packs that are ready for drinking. However, there are also those that come in powder form that can be mixed with water to come up with your very own health drink.

Experts agree that people, these days, are very lucky because there is a continuous research and science experiment that aim to provide healthier and better tasting health drinks. In fact, health drinks come with variations of fruits, vegetables, enzyme grains, nuts, seeds, and other herbs to make them more appetizing.

Benefits of health drinks

These days, health drinks are reported to react differently to people who are using them. These also react depending on the purpose of the person using it. Experts say that the health drinks available in the market today can be categorized depending on the need of the consumers. There are those that are made to just deliver essential mineral and vitamins in the body. And, there are also those that are aimed towards increasing energy levels or increasing the muscle reaction to certain activities.

No matter which one you choose, rest assured that you can benefit from it once used in moderation. Aside from delivering essential vitamins and minerals and increasing energy, the following are other benefits of health drinks:

1. Satisfies the hunger and gives a sense of fullness. In a fast-paced, busy environment people are living in today, it is a must to have a source of energy at all times. One of the reasons why more and more people are into health drinks is to make up for the lost vitamins and minerals when they need to skip meal due to busy schedule.

2. Improves overall health. Since most health drinks are packed with vitamins and minerals, it can help you fight off common diseases by consuming it regularly.

3. Helps enhance mental stability. The nutrients in most health drinks are aimed to produce oxygen that keeps the blood vessels clear. Once a person takes in these nutrients regularly, it can help them have greater focus in the things that they do either at work or at home.

Tips in buying health drinks

Although many health drinks are available in the market today, not all of these can give you the nutrients that you need. Before you buy or consume a health drink, try to ask your doctor first which are the ones he or she can recommend that would best suit your needs.

If you prefer to buy on your own, make sure that these do not contain ingredients that can be harmful to you such as phosphoric acid, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and sweeteners, artificial dyes and coloring, processed vitamins, and modified food starches.

Also, make sure that the health drink that you are about to consume is not liquefied or pasteurized, have live enzymes from chlorophyll to aid better absorption, has natural antioxidants that can help combat free radicals and are made whole food ingredients to be safe.

By Umar Zen

nothealthy

More than ever, the trend of healthy living is so popular right now. These are advertised in the basic products that people consume such as foods, drinks, and even in toiletries. But, among these, the piece that takes the cake is the healthy drinks, which can be bought almost everywhere.

But, with all the competitions and emergence of so many companies that produce the so-called “healthy drinks,” not all drinks that are labeled as such are good for you. If you are one of those who are into healthy drinks, now is the time to be smart about these.

By now, you should know that not all that are advertised as “healthy drinks” are healthy. And by now, you should know how to determine which are the ones that can really help you achieve optimum health and the ones that don’t.

Labels to behold

The best way to ensure that you are taking in healthy stuff into your body is by taking time to choose the ones that you consume. This can be done by shopping your foods by yourself. Aside from having the time to choose what you want to eat, you can also check the labels of these foods—especially your favorite health drink—by yourself. When shopping for health drinks, make sure that you avoid those who have the following ingredients in them:

- phosphoric acid. This acid is the clear, colorless liquid that is usually used in detergents, fertilizers, food flavoring and other pharmaceuticals products. This should be avoided because it can lead to the irritation of the skin as well as the eyes once ingested.

- high fructose corn syrup. This is a concentrated sugar, which is the major cause of weight gain in many people especially to women. Aside from being among those that leads to obesity, high fructose corn syrup in some health drinks can also lead to abnormal blood sugar levels that may lead to chronic illnesses such diabetes.

- artificial flavors and sweeteners. More commonly called as “excito-toxins,” artificial flavorings are so common in most health drinks that are flavored-based. These artificial flavors are the same ones that you may find in sweet juices, colas and candy bars. Health drinks that have these in them should be avoided to avoid pH imbalances in the blood.

- processed vitamins. Many people don’t realize it but not all vitamins can be healthy especially if these are liquefied, isolated, and heated. This is because these vitamins and minerals are proven to break down before the body can benefit from them.

Other things to look for include glycerol ester of wood rosin because these are acid forming, the modified food starch, and the yellow 6, yellow 5 and red 40 because these are all artificial coloring or dyes.

Looking for the healthy health drink

Although looking for a healthy drink can take some of your precious time, this will be worth it because you can ensure that you are taking in healthy elements that your body needs.