One of the first
things we do when we wake up is reach for our morning drinks. We usually wake up thirsty as
we all slowly dehydrate overnight while we sleep. Even if we don’t feel it, we
will lose fluid through perspiration and even through just breathing (our
breath contains water vapour). So, what are the best morning drinks? In this article we’ll
explore all the top healthy
breakfast drinks that could help kick your day off as you mean to go
on.
Why are breakfast
drinks important?
The body is in sleep mode for around seven to eight hours a
night. This means that by the time you wake up, your body is likely to be
dehydrated. Having a glass of refreshing water will give you the boost you need
to start the day energised.
Though water
may be the most obvious choice to rehydrate, there are other morning drinks you
can try as well.
What are the best
morning drinks?
1. Water
You just can’t beat a fresh glass of pure water first thing in the morning to
quench your thirst and immediately rehydrate you. It really is one of the best morning drinks
you could have. Our bodies are mostly made up of water so when we lose some,
it’s common sense that we should replace like for like. It’s just what our
bodies need. If you wake up feeling groggy, you have a dry mouth and the tinges
of a headache - these are all signs of dehydration so you may not need any
medicine or other miracle potion than good old water.
Lots of us sleep with a glass of water by the side of the bed. This is a great
way to ensure we never suffer thirst too long without having to drag ourselves
out of bed. It’s a great habit to help keep us hydrated, especially through the
night if we wake up, need to pee and lose more water. The only downside is that
water poured the night before might taste a little stale or have collected
dust. The best way to combat this is to keep it in a sealed glass bottle, or
even a stainless-steel flask which will help keep it chilled.
Discover
all the ways our bodies lose water
2. Water and lemon
If you want to add a shot of flavour to your pure water in the
morning, then squeeze a couple of chunks of lemon into it and let them float
there and turn it cloudy. This will provide a healthy dose of immune-boosting
vitamin C. If you crave a soothing hot drink first thing, simply go for the
good old hot water and lemon. You can’t go wrong. If this is a tad too bitter
for your taste buds, try a small drop of honey to sweeten it.
3. Water and apple cider vinegar
This may sound odd for a healthy morning drink, but it could be worth a shot. Adding a
tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water could help
boost your metabolismand lower your
blood sugar
. It may even help kill
illness-inducing pathogens
. Try spicing it up with a dash of cinnamon, a
pinch of cayenne pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and a drop of honey.
Find out
how long you can leave a glass of water to stand
4. Coconut water
This is a great healthy
morning drink, to start your day off the right way. Coconut water is
packed with plenty of essential nutrients, minerals such as potassium,
magnesium, calcium, sodium and phosphorus, as well as free-radical fighting antioxidants. Just watch
out for the sugar levels if you’re not burning it off with any exercise.
5. Tea
While lots of us feel that an old-fashioned cup of tea in the morning can’t be
beaten, you could give green tea a whirl for that extra health boost with this healthy morning drink
at breakfast time. Green tea is great for antioxidants and has less caffeine than black
tea.
Tulsi is a revered
ayurvedic herbal tea that’s also
full of antioxidants and also has anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also said
to help with physical and mental stress.
6. Fruit juice
Lots of us turn to a fresh fruit juice first
thing in the morning. We should just be aware of the natural sugar levels.
The UK
government’s Eatwell Guide
suggests just one small glass of 100%
fruit juice a day should be our limit. And stay clear of the stuff made from
concentrate as that doesn’t offer all the healthy positives of the real stuff.
If you’re suffering a little from a big night before, research suggests that tomato
juice fortified with alanine
(an amino acid) might help relieve the
adverse effects of alcohol. But existing test results were from only twenty men
who consumed 5g of alanine, whereas a regular glass of tomato juice might only
contain 0.1g - so more research (and commercially available alanine fortified
juice) is needed. It might be simpler to stick to orange juice which will give
you a vitamin C boost, as well as replace some of the
magnesium which alcohol flushes out of you.
7. Aloe vera juice
Aloe vera juice has anti-inflammatory powers and has shown to
help relieve
symptoms of IBS
. A popular ayurvedic drink is aloe vera amla juice, a
blend of aloe vera and Indian gooseberry. This morning drink concoction is said to increase
your capacity to burn fat by preventing the build-up of toxins.
8. Ginger tea
Simply hot water with a few tablespoons of grated ginger, this
solution has proven to work wonders for our digestive systems. It can help to
treat nausea,
vomiting and diarrhoea
. It’s also used by some to help relieve arthritis,
rheumatism and muscle injuries.
9. Turmeric and pepper
We’ve all heard of the magical powers of turmeric (a close relation of the
equally super powered ginger), but have you heard of adding dashes of turmeric
and pepper to warm water? Another healthy gem from India, this healthy morning drink
is said to have anti-inflammatory properties and help with digestion. While
more research is needed to prove some of the potential benefits of dissolving
dried turmeric in water, it can certainly lay claim to being
rich in
nutrients
such as manganese and iron.
What morning energy drinks are the best?
Coffee
Who would dare deny us our daily shot of caffeine? That perky
pick-me-up that a good quality ground coffee (not the instant stuff) offers is
a hard one to kick if we’re on a health tip. Everything in moderation though.
Caffeine can affect people in different ways. Some might find that caffeine is
a diuretic so it can be dehydrating, for some it gives the jitters. But for
most people, just one shot of coffee in the morning gives them the start they
need - especially if it gets their guts moving first thing. Coffee can provide
a good morning clear out! Discover more surprising
caffeine
facts
with our handy article.
Goji juice
If you’re feeling flush and want to avoid
caffeine, goji juice might be the morning energy drink you’re looking for.
Research has shownthat
goji berries might help increase energy levels, decrease stress and fatigue and
improve mental performance. These magic berries certainly pack a powerful punch
of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And that means your wallet might take a
hit as well.
We’ve highlighted all the
best morning drinks
you could try to start your day in a positively healthy way. Naturally we’re
biased, but with good reason - more often than not your body simply craves
water first thing in the morning to rehydrate. Lots of these alternatives to
plain water here offer a flavoursome spin on your basic essential ingredient of
water.
Lots of Virgin Pure customers say they drink far more water since they had
their
Home
Water System
installed, because it dispenses great-tasting
triple-filtered water at whatever temperature suits them best, from super
chilled to boiling. While we filter out all the nasty stuff you don’t want in
your drink, such as chlorine and limescale, we leave in all the essential
nutrients you need so it’s just like having mineral water on tap.
Is it best
to drink hot, cold or warm water? We find out…
