The Best Detox Drinks For Your Home Bar

As the new year comes in and things go back to normal, we may want to think about a little body cleanse. After all the festive indulgence, rich food, champagne and cocktails, our bodies may need a little respite.

Getting back into a routine and going back to work is hard enough, so why not give your body the best chance. Obviously it is best to get back to eating normally with a balanced diet. This also goes for our alcohol intake, which may have gone up a little over the festive period.

A simple drink may help to detox the body and give it a kick start for the new year, but what drink is best?

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Do Detox Drinks Work?

In recent years detox drinks have become popular, almost like a trend. There are many weird and wonderful concoctions that claim to have health benefits. Whether it is to relieve bloating, lose weight or help with headaches, there is probably a drink for the job.

Although a drink made with healthy ingredients is going to be good for us, they are not going to cure all kinds of complaints. It is always best to consult a Doctor for real health issues. A detox drink is not about detoxification as in the medical term, which is explained in this article.

I use the words detox drinks more as a little pick me up to promote a healthy lifestyle after a heavy festive season. So, on to a few drinks that will do just that.

Green Tea

I started drinking green tea about ten years ago, and although it was a little strange at first, I soon came to enjoy it. I liked it so much that I stopped drinking regular tea, but I still drink coffee though, it’s too nice to give up.

Green tea is known for its antioxidants and has long been seen as a drink that promotes good health. There are some claims that it can help prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers.

I am not sure how true that is, but they are big claims. There is some information about green tea and its health benefits at Pubmed.

It is also said to help with weight loss by way of boosting the metabolic rate and increase the fat burning. The brain can benefit too, with green tea being a mental stimulant, which comes from the caffeine content.

All of these claims aside, I can vouch that green tea is a nice drink and it has a feel good factor to it. Drink it hot or cold and the benefits are the same. The far east have sworn by green tea for an age, and regard it as a health benefit drink.

Green tea is widely available in the west too, so it makes sense to give it a try. Let it become part of your daily liquid intake and see if it makes a difference to you this year.

Coconut Water

There is a lot of talk about how coconut water can be good for the heart, good for the kidney’s and even moderate the blood sugar. There is not enough research to back this up, so forget all that until there is.

Instead concentrate on the benefit it does have that may help. Coconut water is a natural way to hydrate and add potassium to the diet. Many athletes drink coconut water for this reason, so if you are feeling dehydrated, then it may help rehydrate.

Having a slightly sweet and nutty flavor, coconut water is available at most stores, just be aware to look out for those brands that add sugar. Try to get it without any added sugar. Better still, if you have access to coconuts, then get it straight from its source.

Ginger Tea

Just like the others there an array of claims about ginger at what it can do to help the body. I am not even going to go into them as this is about drinks that will give you a kick start. Whether all the claims are true or not, we do know that ginger is good for digestion.

This being said, if like many you have over indulged during the festive season, then the digestive system may benefit for some ginger tea. China have used ginger tea as a health tonic for thousands of years.

It is easy to make it at home with just a small piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced, then infused with hot water. It is also available to buy at many stores, which may be an easier option. Although many love ginger, including me, it does have a spicy kick, so it isn’t for everyone.

Peppermint Tea

Many people love the taste of mint, which is why it is used in chewing gums and peppermint sweets. We all have felt how it freshens the breath and seems to cleanse the mouth. It also seems to be good at clearing the airwaves, thanks to its menthol compounds.

The digestive system gets a little help from mint too. I know of a few people that suffer with bloating, and a peppermint tea is their go to remedy. There are other claims about peppermint too, but these three alone are a great booster.

A really simple way to make peppermint tea is just adding a few mint leaves to hot water. Again, mint teat is available at many stores, if that is any easier option.

Green Smoothie

The green smoothie has gained a lot of popularity in recent years and some its contents are hailed as super foods. The trouble is that there are so many different combinations of green smoothies. Things have got out of control, with ingredients being added that defeat the purpose of this healthy booster.

Ingredients such as spinach, kale and chard will help supply many rich vitamins and minerals to your overall diet. Just add these to water and blend and you have the perfect drink to boost your body.

It is okay to add other ingredients to sweeten or change the flavor. Just be mindful of what else those ingredients add. While there are many green smoothies available in stores, be careful of added sugar. It is far better to blend your own smoothies at home, you will know exactly what is going in them.

Final Thoughts

The home bar may have been busy over the last few weeks with all the festivities, serving beers and cocktails. Now is the time to use it for a different kind of drink. Obviously the beer and cocktails still get priority (responsibly of course), but a healthy drink can be served too.

These drinks give us a lift and are healthy too, so make them regulars at your bar too.