6 Healthy Easy-to-Make Beverages At Home

In our ever busy days, eating and drinking something nutritious may not be on our top priority. Constraint of time and energy is probably one of the top reasons why we eat so much fast food and processed/frozen food and drinks. Even an extra step of transferring food onto a plate or washing the dishes become a painful chore, let alone cooking from scratch. The food industry has caught on to this and now they offer healthier versions of packaged foods and drinks, boasting that they are healthy with labels like "zero calorie," "low fat," "no MSG," etc. Just remember that as much as you think they are healthy, they can't be as healthy as they are fresh.

If cooking food is too much hassle, try making homemade beverages. It's much simpler, requires minimal cleaning, and a step further towards healthy living. Homemade food and drinks are best because we know exactly when we make it (freshness), how they are made (think about cross contamination), and what we put in it (no funny and harmful ingredients). So let's try one of these to start with:

1. Wheatgrass Juice

Early in the morning, increase our well being and boost our immune system by getting rid of toxins from our body with fresh Wheatgrass Juice. It's rich in chlorophyll, a pigment that helps to detoxify our body, treats bad breath, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help fight infections.

2. Coconut-Chia Energy Drink

To boost energy and keep you hydrated, try this Coconut-Chia Energy Drink that is packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, and electrolytes.

3. Almond Milk

For those who are on gluten-free diet and allergic to cow's milk but needs an extra dose of calcium, vitamin E, and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron, try making homemade Almond Milk. This can keep in the fridge for up to five days, so you can make it ahead of time on your less busy days.

4. Water Kefir and Milk Kefir

A healthy gut is one of the cornerstones for a healthy body. Our body needs more probiotics (good bacteria) more than ever before because of all the processed food and drinks we consume and the overuse of antibiotics. This easy to make Water Kefir and Milk Kefir are natural probiotic beverages that can help you balance your gut flora and improve your digestion. It takes only a few minutes to put together, let them ferment for a day or two, and you can enjoy this probiotic-rich drinks anytime at home. Make one big batch and you are set for the week.

5. Fruits and Herbs-Infused Flavored Water

Throughout the day, keep a big bottle of Fruits and Herbs-Infused Flavored Water to keep you motivated to drink and your body hydrated, while reaping the benefits of the vitamins and minerals that are infused into your water from the fresh fruits and herbs.

6. Lemon, Garlic, Ginger, and Honey Tea

When you don't feel well or down with a flu, warm your body with homemade Lemon, Garlic, Ginger, and Honey Tea. Each ingredient provides unique power to fight off infections, balances the body's pH and, speeds up circulation, and boosts our immune system.

[via Pasture Living]

Cucumber Tips & Tricks You Don't Want To Miss!

 

• Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

• For a pick me up in the afternoon... Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. Slice some and put in your water bottle.

• If you rub a cucumber slice along your bathroom mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance. 

• Place a few slices of cucumber in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

• Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

• Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!

• Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries by European trappers, traders and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

• Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

• Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
  
• Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

• Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

• Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

[via Conscious Life News]