Clients are always asking me that question, particularly after I take away their diet soda and coffee! (one cup of coffee a day, okay. More than that, not a good idea.)  Fortunately, there are plenty of options that make healthy and refreshing summer time drinks. Here are ten of my favorites.

1. Iced Tea Brew a pot of herbal or green tea, double strength, and then pour it over ice for an instant cool-down.  If you want it sweetened, add stevia* or xylitol* while it is still hot.
2. Jazzy Seltzer There are lots of great tasting flavored seltzers, from raspberry to white chocolate.  Just avoid anything with artificial sweeteners.
3. Lemonade! My kids loved making fresh lemonade when they were little.  You can find a perfectly good citrus press for just a few dollars. Then all you need is some lemons (preferably organic), some water and some xylitol or stevia to sweeten.
4. Pick Your Own Blend This time of year, I love to harvest my tea from my garden and my evening walk: red clover, different mints, lemon balm, nettle or dandelion leaves – all tasty and nutritious.
5. Cool Down Tea Mix red clover and a few leaves of sage for a very pretty and cooling brew.  (Especially recommended for menopausal women.)
6. Kombucha I’m a big Kombucha fan. Please don’t be misled by the recent hoopla, which was more about commerce than health. Kombucha is a great tonic and is so easy and inexpensive to brew at home.  If you’re a fan like me, you’ll want to invest in a home brewing system, rather than paying $4 a bottle.  Read more about Kombucha here.
7. Electrolytes In this heat, I see many clients’ hydration going down, down, down.  That can make you feel sluggish, and has a huge impact on your metabolism as well.  Electrolytes can help, but please don’t drink those sugary/corn syrupy artificially colored and flavored drinks.  I have several formulas that are all natural and sugar free. Electrolyte Synergy comes in convenient packs that you can carry and use as needed.  I also have an unflavored concentrated liquid that you can add to anything you’re drinking.
8. Vitamin C C+BioFizz is a citrus flavored powder that you can add to water or seltzer. A full serving has over 2.5 grams of vitamin C and a good dose of bioflavanoids as well.  Kids love this!
9. “Milk Shake” Mix some unsweetened almond or coconut milk, stevia or xylitol, and some fresh local strawberries, blueberries, a peach – use your imagination!  Add some crushed ice and blend.
10. “Egg Cream” Did you drink these when you were young, or was that just a NY phenomenon?  My updated healthy version: half seltzer, half unsweetened coconut or almond milk, some vanilla extract, and some stevia or xylitol.

Now with all those options, you never have to feel bored. Or thirsty!
Notes

*Xylitol, also known as birch sugar, has many therapeutic benefits. You can read more about it here. Please be aware that as xylitol has gotten more popular, many brands have appeared that are cheaper but not as healthy.  These are generally made from corn husks, and have additives and fillers.  I find that the one I use, which is still made from birch, is better tolerated and tastes much better as well.  It does not feed intestinal yeast, and does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels.

*Stevia, too, has become much more popular and available. That’s great, but unfortunately a lot of the products are not.  Because stevia is so much sweeter than sugar, it is often mixed with other ingredients, both to dilute the sweetness and to fill the package.  This not only makes it less healthy, it makes it less tasty, and is why people often complain of an aftertaste  I recommend 100% pure stevia mixed in a glycerine or water base.
*You can drink all day and still be under-hydrated.  Just as with other nutrients (Calcium, for instance), it’s not what goes in your mouth that counts, but what your body can absorb and utilize. Many people drink water all day long, but it never gets into their cells, and so their hydration never goes up.  This generally has to do with insulin resistance and other chronic health issues.  Along with making nutritional changes to address this, I recommend two products to add to water that help get it into your cells more effectively.  Please let me know if you think this might be helpful for you.

You can pick up products in my office, or order most of the ones mentioned from Moss Nutrition, either by phone (800-851-5444) or online.  Just let them know you are my client, as they do not sell directly to consumers.

This article was originally printed as my 2/10/10 Holistic Outlook column in The Times Herald Record.

Pop quiz alert! Get ready to test your health knowledge with this quick quiz. Are the following statements true or false?
1. Cutting calories is the best way to lose weight.
2. Soy is a health food.
3. If I can drink coffee any time and it doesn’t affect me, it’s OK to drink it.
4. Fat makes you fat.
ANSWERS

1. FALSE. Our bodies work more like a complex chemistry lab than a simple bank ledger. So many factors influence our weight: the state of our metabolism, our hormones, our age and the kinds of food we eat. Does it really make sense that the same number of calories in a nutritious meal or in a few doughnuts would have the same effect on your body? Of course not! Cutting calories drastically may cause an initial weight drop, but then we adapt, our metabolism slows down, and we go into fat conservation mode — exactly what you don’t want.  So worry less about calories, and learn how to make healthier choices instead.

2. FALSE. Although there is still some controversy on this, evidence is pretty strong that soy isoflavones are suppressive to the thyroid and have detrimental estrogenic effects. For many people, soy contributes to inflammation, meaning achy joints and stomach upset.

If you’re going to make soy a part of your diet, keep it minimal and stick to fermented forms such as miso, natto, tempeh and tamari. Avoid soy milk (highly sweetened and processed).

And please don’t feed your sons lots of soy: While none of us should be having soy estrogens on a regular basis, I particularly worry for developing boys.

3. FALSE. If you drink caffeinated coffee and don’t feel a thing, it means your adrenal glands are exhausted, or “burned out.” Caffeine is an artificial way of inducing the “flight or fight” response, and if you do it often enough, your body loses its capacity to respond.

To heal your adrenals, begin cutting back on caffeine, particularly after 3 p.m. Allow yourself to feel the fatigue, which is the truth the coffee is masking. That may mean more sleep and more rest for a while, and that’s one of the kindest things you can do for your overall health. There are many different herbs, nutrients and complex formulas that support the adrenals, but extra vitamin C is one of the safest and simplest.

Although decaf can be cut with regular coffee, it has been implicated in raising cholesterol levels. Better to switch to tea: It’s healthier overall.

Make the change slowly: Caffeine is addictive, and you don’t want withdrawal headaches. Try to get down to a single, reasonably sized cup of coffee in the morning. In the long run, you will have much more energy without the coffee.

4. FALSE. Lose your fear of fat. It is essential for healthy brain function, healthy skin, a healthy nervous system and a healthy metabolism. I don’t recommend a high-fat diet, but low-fat and no-fat diets are just as unhealthy. Including a little healthy fat with every meal and snack helps you lose weight, and stay healthy. Fat is also a great appetite suppressant, helping you feel fuller longer.

What are some healthy fat sources? My favorites include seeds, nuts and nut butters, avocados, olive or walnut oil, coconut milk and fresh or dried (but not sweetened) coconut.

Why haven’t I mentioned fish? Unfortunately most fish is no longer very healthy. Grain-fed farmed fish does not have the attractive nutrient profile of wild fish, and wild fish — if you can afford it — is often contaminated with mercury. Perhaps the safest choice is small, short-lived fish at the bottom of the food chain, such as sardines, herring and anchovies.

And now for some homework …
Now that you’ve taken the quiz, here’s a little homework assignment. Try incorporating some healthier choices into your snacks. A few of my favorites include:
1. A bowlful of berries. Buy frozen bags this time of year, and enjoy them with a little coconut milk and a handful of some chopped, unsalted nuts.
2. Apple or pear slices with nut butter. Peanut butter is less expensive, but tree-nut butters such as almond, cashew and walnut are healthier.
3. Whole grain (or gluten-free) crackers with avocado and small fish such as sardines, herring and anchovies. Add a little dijon mustard to spice it up.