Soft drinks account for about half of Americans sugar intake. Most in the Blue Zones drank coffee, tea, water, and wine. Never drink soft drinks.

I enjoy sipping many different varieties of tea, but my favorites are all types of green teas.  Thanks to Clara for the Rishi Matcha green tea!

• Water-Adventists recommend 7 glasses of water daily.  Research has shown that being hydrated facilitates blood flow and lessens a chance of a blood clot.
• Coffee-Sardinians, Ikarians, and Nicoyans all drink copious amount of coffee.  Coffee drinking has been shown to lower rates of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
• Tea-People in all of the Blue Zones drink tea.  Okinawans nurse green tea all day.  Green tea has been shown to lower risks of heart disease and several cancers.
• Red Wine-People who drink-in moderation– tend to outlive those who don’t (however do not start drinking if you do not drink now:) Blue Zone residents have 1-3 small glasses of wine, often with a meal and with friends.

Blue Zone Beverages

How?

• Keep a full water bottle at work and by your bed.
• Start the day with a cup of coffee.  Avoid coffee after mid afternoon.
• Sip green tea all day.  It contains about 25% as much caffeine as coffee.
• Try a variety of herbal teas.
• Sweeten tea lightly with honey and keep a pitcher of it in the fridge in hot weather.
• Never bring soft drinks into your house.

Taken from National Geographic’s  “The Blue Zones-The Science of Living Longer”

According to Wikipedia, a soft drink “is a drink that typically contains carbonated water, a sweetener, and a natural or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, sugar substitutes (in the case of diet drinks), or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives, and other ingredients”.  There are so many reasons why you should not consume soft drinks.

One of my favorite ways to stay hydrated, is to use this awesome water bottle.  Today I am sipping  Amber’s orange infused water:)