A few weeks ago, I wrote about sugar-sweetened drinks and made the recommendation to remove one sugary drink at a time from your grocery list in an effort to reduce unnecessary calories from your diet. If you’ve taken that step, post a comment and let us know how it’s working out. Since I feel some remorse for taking away your beloved Kool-Aid and soda, here’s a healthy alternative you can replace it with—Pomegranate juice.
Here’s the skinny: Pomegranate juice contains a high amount of antioxidants. I know, ‘antioxidants’ is a popular buzzword that people like to throw around these days, but the bottom line is that preliminary research is showing some very powerful benefits from pomegranate juice, such as decreased blood pressure, protection against atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and anti-inflammatory effects (1).
Tips: Fruit juices are high in sugar, and pomegranate juice is no exception. So don’t pound down a whole glass of it. The clinical trials show benefits from servings of only a few ounces per day. I use it to wash down my multivitamin. Pomegranate juice is also quite pricey. I found the best deal at Trader Joe’s--$4.29 for a 32oz. bottle. If you cut down on soda and other sugary drinks, it should more than make up for the relatively higher cost of pomegranate juice.
1. Basu, A. Pomegranate juice: A heart-healthy fruit juice. Nutr Rev. 2009 Jan;67(1):49-56.
Great post! I have heard a lot about the Acai Berry, and, for the most part, I think it is just another fad. Where do you weigh in on it?
ReplyDeleteyeah, my neighbor tried to get us to join Monavie, a super juice derived from Acai, but also a pyramid scheme and not something i am good at. Maybe i should be eating foods rich in color, the richer the better, add variety, and only sodas when you eat pizza...
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