Drink to Your Health

Introduction Liquid is vital to life, whether it is drunk in the form of plain, unadulterated water, or exotic concoctions on festive occasions, and drinks fulfil a whole range of functions in our lives. Certainly they may satisfy our immediate needs by quenching our thirst, but they can also cool and refresh us on a hot day or warm us on a cold winter's day. Drinks can be packed with nutrients that nourish and strengthen us, providing the raw materials and energy to heal us in mind and body when we are unwell. They have the ability to increase our vitality and even our longevity, as well as to console and calm us in times of stress or trauma.For centuries drinking has formed part of both social and religious ceremonies all over the world, and it still plays a symbolic role in our lives today. On social and business occasions we often drink together almost as a ritual to ease communication. With a drink we toast the health of a friend, the happiness of a bridal couple and the birth of a new baby, or celebrate a wedding anniversary, a birthday, or Christmas. Or we may simply enjoy a good chat over a drink.The importance of waterWhen we consider that the body is made up of seventy-five percent water, it is hardly surprising that we need to drink regularly to keep our bodies functioning well. Adults lose about 3 quarts of water every day (more if you do a lot of physical exercise): 2 1/2 cups in perspiration, 5 cups in breathing out and almost 1 quart in urine. This liquid must all be replaced. In fact, our bodies can survive longer without food than they can without water. The right balance of water is essential for the function of every cell in the body.Sufficient water drunk in one form or another is necessary to bulk out waste products in the bowel to prevent constipation and subsequent bowel problems. It is also needed to flush wastes and toxins out through the skin in the form of sweat and via the bladder as urine to prevent irritation to the kidneys or bladder. During a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, it is vital to drink plenty of liquid to prevent dehydration. After a night on the town, drinking copious amounts of water or fruit juice will flush out the kidneys and reduce the likelihood of a hangover.Many of us tend not to drink as much as we need to keep ourselves in tiptop condition. If plain water does not seem inviting enough, there are numerous more flavorsome ways to take water into the body. The recipes in this book -- for fruit juices, smoothies, vegetable juices, cocktails of vegetables or fruits, soups, and teas -- will entice even reluctant drinkers to imbibe a little more.TeaWhether it is Chinese, Indian, or herbal, tea is a perfectly natural drink without any artificial additives, and has been part of our lives for thousands of years. Apart from water, some of us drink more tea than any other drink and we can make good use of this medium by finding a repertoire of health-promoting teas that appeal to our taste buds. Each herbal tea not only has its own unique flavor, but also a range of medicinal benefits well known to those in the world of herbal medicine. The herbal teas in this book have been chosen for their therapeutic effects as well as their light aromatic flavors, and make a delightful change from your normal brew.Because "normal" tea contains caffeine it has had a bad press during the last few years, particularly since stress plays a significant part in the development of health problems and caffeine exacerbates the effects of stress. More recently, however, tea (Chinese, Indian, or Japanese) has been found to contain antioxidants in the form of flavonoids. These help to protect the body against free radicals, which contribute to chronic illness such as heart disease and cancer. One of the flavonoids, catechin, is also found in apple and grape skins. One drawback concerning tea consumption is that it contains polyphenols, which can iMcIntyre, Anne is the author of 'Drink to Your Health' with ISBN 9780684869469 and ISBN 0684869462.