When Health Drinks are not Always Healthy

When Health Drinks are not Always Healthy
When Health Drinks are not Always Healthy

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.

Yoga How to recover our wellness

Wellness
In yoga, breath awareness forms the key of good practice. Breathing exercises, known as pranayama, are used to cleanse and strengthen the body. The breath, known as prana or life-force is the link between the mind and the body.
As you practice your breathing exercises, you will notice your mind feels calmer, steadier and you are more able to focus.
If you are new to yoga, it is essential you learn how to breathe correctly. To help you gain a better understanding of your breath, try the following breathing exercises.
Four Essential Yoga Breathing Exercises
1. Abdominal Breathing Lie flat on your back with your arms and legs apart. Close your eyes. Have your feet about 2 feet apart, ankles falling to the side, have your arms about 6 - 12 inches from the body, palms facing upwards, keep your lower back flat on the floor, tuck the chin in slightly, so your neck is nice and long, relax the jaw. Become aware of your breath, allow your breath to be slow and steady. As you inhale, feel the abdomen rise slowly. As you exhale, feel the abdomen sink down.
2. Full Yogic Breathing To check you are breathing correctly, sit in a cross-legged position. Place your right hand on your upper chest and your left hand on your abdomen. Inhale deep into your abdomen, feel your left hand rise up. Keep breathing in into your lower chest and then upper chest, feeling your right hand rise as he ribs expand. Reverse the process as you breathe out, releasing air from the upper chest first, then the lower chest, then the abdomen. Repeat this cycle for 3- 5 rounds.
3. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Anuloma Viloma)
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position, spine straight, body relaxed. Turn your attention to your right hand, bend the index and middle finger into the palm. The thumb, ring and little finger are up (this position is known as Vishnu Mudra. The thumb is used to close the right nostril, the ring and little finger the left nostril. Close the right nostril with your thumb, and inhale through the left nostril to a count of four. Close both nostrils and hold the breathe to a count of 16. Release your thumb and exhale through the right nostril to a count of eight Inhale through the right nostril to a count of four.
Close both nostrils and hold breath to a count of 16. Release your fingers and exhale through the left nostril to a count of eight. Repeat this cycle 5 - 10 rounds daily.
4. Yogic Cleansing Breath
Sitting comfortable, spine straight. Gently close your eyes. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of three. Slowly breathe out, through your nose for a count of 6 Repeat this pattern for 3 - 7 more times. Relax
Once you have experienced the therapeutic benefits of doing these breathing exercises, you will feel so much clearer and fitter. Try and make them a regular part of your daily yoga practice to help you cleanse and strengthen your body.
Ntathu Allen, Yoga and Meditation Teacher works with women who want a richer, more fulfilling life for themselves and their families. She teaches you easy yoga postures, meditation practices and relaxation techniques to help you live a healthier, wealthier and happier stress-free life. To find out more go to:> http://www.yogainspires.co.uk and sign up for your copy of Ntathu's free monthly yoga Inspires enewsletter. The newsletter contains a goldmine of tips, techniques and strategies you can use to become healthier, wealthier and happier.