Health drinks to cure what ails you

We all know about the 5 a day right? Five different servings of fruit and vegetables is a recommended quantity to make sure you get a good supply of vitamins and nutrients. We eat certain foods  to keep our  body healthy and hopefully less prone to diseases. We put a lot of thought into choosing what to eat and in the preparation of that food, yet we don’t spend too long on the important decision of what to drink.

Most of our body is made up of fluid, around 60 percent, so it makes sense to put as much effort into what fluids we consume as we do into what we eat. Drinking also has a much faster effect on our bodies than eating and digesting. Fluids will be absorbed into the body extremely quickly; hydrating , energising, nourishing and helping your body to recover.

Here are some great healthy drink cures to common ailments…

What ails you? ANXIETY

Cure: Go on, down swift half. Beer has hops that will calm you down , but better make it a non-alcoholic pint.

What ails you? INDIGESTION

Cure: Take a bottle of peppermint oil and add a couple of drops with 2 teaspoons of sugar to a glass and mix together. Pour in water to dissolve the mixture and stir. Drinking this will lessen the spasms in your intestinal tract.

What ails you? INSOMNIA

Cure: Try warm milk, it’s easy to warm up in a pan and quicker in the microwave. Milk contains L·tryptophan, the same type of protein that turkey has, but not so filling. You may be tempted to add something a little stronger to your nice warm mug, but alcohol may knock you out but you’ll have a poor sleep, may need the loo in the night and you won’t feel fresh in the morning.

What ails you? CONSTIPATION

Cure: In this case you need a mixture of liquid and fibre to help things along. Stir up a smoothie with all your favourite fruits, berries, orange juice and a handful of bran flakes in the blender first thing in the morning.

What ails you? OVERHEATING

Cure: Drinking lots water straight after exercise or when you are thirsty encourages your kidneys to expel the fluid faster. The solution is to drink a sports drink that contains sodium and electrolytes. This will help move the much needed water to the parts of your body where its needed most.

What ails you? Being PECKISH before lunch

Cure: Drink a glass of semi-skimmed milk. It contain fat and protein that are the best nutrients to satisfy those temporary hunger pangs without filling you up before a main meal. Much better than ruining dinner with solid food snacks.

What ails you? ILL WITH INFECTION

Cure: Brew up a health drink with some green or black tea. Tea helps fights infection, even those caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Studies have shown that the horrible superbug  Staphylococcus Aureus became vulnerable to being killed off.

What ails you? PREVENTING CANCER

Cure: You’re going to need antioxidants. Green tea and fruit have them, but chocoholics will be pleased to know that cocoa powder has more antioxidants nearly everything. Hot chocolate drink is perfect for warming you up on a cold day too.

What ails you? HEADACHE

Cure: Two things you can try here. Number one, drink a good litre of water. Your brain is three-quarters water, so dehydration is a very common cause. If it’s more a stress headache or the water consumption is not helping try strong cup of coffee. The caffeine in the coffee constricts arteries a little in the head that can have a relieving effect from the pain.

What ails you? DIARRHOEA

Cure: Not a cure as such but you really need to keep your fluids topped up with diarrhoea. A sports energy drink will help. Drink the ones with essential electrolytes to help hydration and keep your system balanced.

What ails you? TIREDNESS

Cure: Don’t start on the coffee for a caffeine fix, try having a fizzy water drink instead and add a zesty lime or lemon to it for the aroma to energise you and refresh with the carbonation.

What ails you? HANGOVER

Cure: Time to open the tomato juice or have a virgin Bloody Mary. The damage caused by the alcohol will be reversed by the tomatoes high levels of antioxidants.

What ails you? SORE THROAT

Cure: Orange Juice would be an ideal choice with its high levels of vitamin C but the acidic content may agitate the throats soreness. As a less harsh alternative, brew a tea and squeeze in some lemon juice to get the vit c kick and the warmth from the tea will soothe the soreness.

What ails you? DRY SKIN

Cure: Drink plenty of water is the first must do but as a regular addition try flaxseed. Blend the seeds with a health drink and the oil from the grain will help take away the dry skin.

As always, seek medical attention if any of these conditions persist of worsen.