5 drinks to enjoy (that aren’t alcohol)
Although Sober October has passed, it doesn’t mean you can’t carry on the same theme. The topic of hydration can make or break all aspects of performance, regardless of how you define “performance” or where it’s needed. After all, endless hours of zoom calls still requires a high level of attention, focus and, well, performance.
While water is always a great option, sometimes you need a bit more umph – maybe a little jolt of caffeine, possibly some nutritionally dense calories to keep those muscles fueled for when your all-day webinars come to an end and you want to be feeling great for that afternoon gym or Peloton sesh.
First, if you have a citrus juicer that can help elevate your drink game; this way there’s no messing around when it comes to delicious mocktails (or cocktails) whenever you’re in the mood to kick it up. We’ve got Verve Culture’s large juicer which is perfect for grapefruits, oranges and other large citrus fruits so you can make any concoction of drinks you (or your guests) request.
Now, if you don’t have one of these, that’s cool too! I’ll provide some options that are great right out of the bottle (or bag) as well.
These 5 drinks have helped fuel my performance, whether that means inside the gym, on the tennis courts or just endless hours of zoom calls. Hydration matters. Energy matters. While the first 3 require very simple prep work, the last two don’t so you can pick what works for you.
Tropical Twist
Nothing like the taste of fresh squeezed juice in the AM. This is the time to pull out that juicer – Verve Culture or otherwise (maybe just squeezed in your hands). In this one, I get the juice of 1 orange, 1 grapefruit, 1 lime and add ½ glass of plain seltzer. Then if you happen to have some fresh mint, wash and toss in a few sprigs of that and muddle it up a bit. The vitamin C from the citrus fruit and the flavor of each, combined with the mint and then the carbonation from the seltzer water is an amazingly refreshing way to start the day (or enjoy any time of day, really).
POM Wonderful Sparkler
What do you get when you mix POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice with seltzer?
Well, clearly a POM Wonderful Sparkler. I guess.
While juice itself often gets a bad wrap, it’s important to consider the source.
POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice has no added sugar (the sugar instead comes from the pomegranates themselves to produce the juice) and the red color comes from the deep, red pomegranate arils within the fruit, which offer a powerful source of the antioxidants known as anthocyanins. It also doesn’t hurt that each 8 oz serving has as much potassium as a medium banana.
Considering most Americans don’t consume close to enough potassium in the diet, this
could be an easy way to up your intake and deliver a bevy of other nutrition as well. Want to make it festive for the holidays? Top it with some pomegranate arils for color (and nutrition) and heck, why not throw in a sprig of rosemary for an added bonus.
Health-Ade PLUS Energy
Kombucha has certainly been on a serious popularity curve and for good reason. Fermented foods, like kombucha, and many others, can help feed those healthy gut bacteria that are crucial for health, immunity, regularity and really – everything! Health-Ade kicked it up a notch and added guarana (a source of caffeine) in their PLUS energy ‘buch, to give you that pick you up you may need. With 120 mg of caffeine per bottle, that’s just a tad more than a traditional cup of coffee (which rings in around 100 mg of caffeine) so if you need a little jolt, they got ya’.
Iced Ginger Turmeric POM Green Tea
This soothing, oh so tasty drink is the perfect drink when trying to cool down after a tough workout. And with the nutrient benefits from the ginger, turmeric and POM juice within, even better.
Brew a bag of your favorite green tea with 2 coin sized slices of fresh ginger root on the stove top of microwave. After the tea has steeped add ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric & 2 oz POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. Remove the tea bag, enjoy over ice (or keep hot, if you prefer) and get the nutritive benefits from the powerful mix of ingredients.
Laird Superfoods Matcha HYDRATE Coconut Water
Matcha tea has endless health benefits, but admittedly can be a bit, ahem, earthy if not made well. This blend has fixed that issue and is a staple during my tennis matches as it combines essential electrolytes and trace minerals provides an alternative to traditional sports drinks.
It also offers just a bit of caffeine if you’d like a little extra umph in your drink making a great alternative to water or other drink; just keep it earlier in the day so that alcohol doesn’t keep on doing its thing when you’re trying to catch some zzzz’s in the evening.
You’ve now got a few ideas to check out for to maximize (and sustain) your energy, and hydration, during the day when water, you know, isn’t quite fitting the bill.