Ashu’s Curiosity
Hi Friends, my name is Ashu and I am back with a new curiosity.
We all know that winter is a month when we are unable to consume our beloved cold drinks and soft drinks due to the low temperatures.
My mother is concerned about the health of the whole family because of the high rise in winter illnesses such as the common cold and flu.
She knows that eating foods that boost immunity should be on priority during winter. Along with that she also wants to add only those foods in our meals that are low in calories. Consuming healthy drinks in winter can also limit calorie intake as well.
So, she emphasizes on winter drinks that are good for immunity. She gave me a task to make a list of 10 such winter beverages and I searched on Know Ur Diet for that. Let us see what I found:
What are Winter Beverages?
In simple words, winter drinks are liquids that can help us avoid winter-related illnesses by providing essential antioxidants and nutrients.
Not only that, these drinks can be beneficial in avoiding high-calorie intake that can spoil your weight goals. Along with that certain studies have claimed that long term consumption of such healthy drinks could have anti-ageing effect as well.
Read about: Juices & Beverages
10 Winter Drinks to Boost Immunity
Green Tea
We Indians love to have a cup of tea in the morning to get an instant boost of caffeine and to get some energy. But if you replace your regular chai with green tea then you can have a lot of antioxidants as well to strengthen your immune system.
Once it was considered a rarity, now green tea is widely available in the market. You can choose any brand of green tea for it. You can drink 3-5 cups of it daily and you can enjoy it at any time of the day.
Turmeric Milk
Also called Golden milk due to its golden texture. Drinking turmeric milk in winter can bring a lot of health benefits along with immunity. Turmeric and Milk both are preferred foods for the winter and they are rich sources of various nutrients.
Moreover, turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that can be beneficial to avoid winter illnesses. Add 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric powder in warm milk, and if you want some sweetness then just add 1 teaspoon of honey in it.
Jasmine Tea
Jasmine is an aromatic flower, but you can enjoy a tea with the same aroma and health benefits of jasmine as well. Also, Jasmine tea itself is prepared by using green tea or black tea as its base, so can have benefits of both.
Jasmine tea has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants in it can help protect against pathogens and bacteria.
Ginger Lemon Tea
Our list of winter drinks could not be completed without adding ginger lemon tea in it. This form of tea contains the nutrition and health benefits of both ginger and lemon at the same time. During winter it is recommended to add ginger to your meals to avoid coughing and congestion in your respiratory tract.
Similarly, lemon is a rich source of Vitamin C, a compound that can boost your immunity. So, taking ginger lemon tea can give you a lot of health advantages at the same time.
Orange Juice
Dietitians and nutritionists during winter recommend adding citrus fruits to the diet for getting Vitamin C and other nutrition for strengthening immunity. Orange juice can be a good option as a winter beverage to fill those gaps in nutritional requirements.
This is a healthy winter juice that you can enjoy any time of the day. In the morning or even post-workout sessions, orange juice is a suitable choice to refresh your body and fill tommy.
Mint Tea
Mint is an herb that is known for its aroma and refreshing taste. But you can enjoy mint in the form of tea as well. If you take mint in the tea then you can have instant relief in digestion problems as well.
Mint can be helpful in other ways as well. Bioactive compounds in mint relieve stress and provide better sleep. People struggling with allergic reactions can also consume mint to pacify symptoms.
Matcha
Matcha is nothing but another form of green tea but it has a sweeter and smoother taste than other green teas. This particular tea is mostly consumed in China and Japan as a substitute for other teas.
Matcha can have multiple positive impacts on your health. It can lower your cholesterol levels and regulate blood pressure levels. Certain studies on Matcha’s impact on blood sugar found that it can increase the insulin sensitivity of your body.
Chicken Soup
If you are a person who is non-vegetarian and have no traditional or religious restrictions then chicken soup is a great choice. Traditionally, chicken soup is considered a home remedy for the common cold because it contains cysteine, a bioactive compound that thins mucus in the nasal passage.
Moreover, chicken soup can be counted in the list of drinks of immunity because it is high in protein and other antioxidants that have healing properties.
Carrot Turmeric Soup
As we all know Carrot is a winter vegetable that you can use as an ingredient in various winter drinks. One such drink is carrot turmeric soup which can provide you with multiple health benefits of carrot and turmeric at the same time.
If you are struggling with any respiratory disease or have joint pains then you should resort to carrot turmeric soup. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties to save you from health issues.
Cinnamon Milk or Tea
Cinnamon is a spice that you can commonly find in Indian households. You can consume cinnamon in multiple ways either by adding cinnamon powder in warm milk or in the form of cinnamon tea.
Cinnamon milk or tea is part of winter drinks because of its medicinal properties. This prevents from catching respiratory illnesses. Not only that, bioactive compounds in cinnamon make it a food for a healthy heart.
Read more: 13 Healthy Winter Foods to Boost Immunity
Conclusion
So, after going through all this information I can say that my mother will have a good list of healthy drinks that she can prepare for the family.
These drinks range from teas like green tea, jasmine tea and matcha to soups like chicken soup and carrot turmeric soup.
One thing that is common among them is that they all have antioxidants and bioactive compounds required for better immunity during winter.
