Treat Yourself To Some Refreshing Winter Drinks This Year

Winter times are possibly the best times to chill out! A cup of steaming hot coffee or tea topped with cream and loaded with sugar. Sounds perfect for those chilling afternoons, right? But for those who strictly count on their calories, the treatment can sometimes be a cause of worry. But with nature’s plenty of beautiful ingredients, one can stir something healthier that keeps up the chilling spirits.

Treat Yourself To Some Refreshing Winter Drinks This Year

Hot beverages are an absolute necessity to heat up the conversations at the holiday table. But the usual treats come along with a lot of unhealthy choices that could sometimes contribute to health-related issues like obesity, increased blood sugar, overwhelming pressure, cardiovascular disorders and so many more. To eliminate such incidences, what we can do is select some of the choicest and healthiest options available and enjoy the delicacies.

Black tea is a natural immunity booster loaded with antioxidants like catechins and theanine. These flavonoids are potent anti-aging substances that scavenge oxidative stress causing free radicals. But it is not so with artificial sweeteners. Add some natural sweetness like dates and get a date-sweetened chai latte! Add something more like ginger to boost digestion, cinnamon to control sugar levels in the blood, and milk to keep up the calcium and Vitamin D levels. We get a healthy concoction that has only 99 calories!

Another can be the famous matcha green tea, which is considered the highest brand of tea. It is rich in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a strong antioxidant that helps in controlling sugar levels, besides having the usual caffeine and theanine contents to increase alertness. Research suggests that concentrated matcha tea powder can even fight against viral infections including the fatal coronavirus! By simply adding a tint of milk (for stronger bones) you can enjoy a relaxing matcha latte. 

Hot milk is also a soothing drink in the cool winters. Topping it with some spices like turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and pepper sweetened with maple syrup can give a healthy concoction of golden milk. The curcumin in turmeric has long been proved to be a potent anti-inflammatory agent that boosts immunity and is even said to prevent cancers! It can act as an antidepressant to keep up your spirits. Turmeric can manage metabolic syndromes and tackle issues of increased blood lipids. Coming to black pepper, the piperine in it is said to work in synergy with turmeric and helps in curcumin absorption. You get 7 grams of protein and one-third of the daily calcium requirement! What more!

Adding some cocoa powder in a cup of hemp milk with maple syrup and peppermint can give a refreshing hot peppermint-infused hot chocolate. Peppermint helps in soothing the cold issues of winter and also aids in digestive problems. Cocoa is well known for its antioxidants that besides elevating mood also help deal with cardiovascular problems. The usual cocoa drinks are high in calories (almost 300) and saturated fats. But this one has just as little as 115 calories and less than a gram of fat.

Deviating from the usual hot beverages, one can also try something new. These are preferably not hot, but can be refreshing and boost your immunity at the same time. The tangy cranberry-infused orange cocktail can give the body a boost of Vitamin C along with the anti-aging anthocyanins. Another one uses pomegranates and limes. The ellagic acid in pomegranates is said to look after your skin and the limes deliver Vitamin C.

So next time you think of spending your holidays with the usual drinks, try incorporating these special ones in your diet charts. With no added sugars or unnecessary fats, these options are not only going to take care of your New Year resolutions of staying fit and healthy but will also enthrall everybody with the tasty health-conscious drinks offered to warm up the evenings.