Served Warm, Tea, Cider, Coffee, Broth Nourish Body, Soul

Oct 28, 2005, 06:00 am

-- Connie Midey --

The seasons are changing, and our craving for hot drinks rises as the temperature drops. From the cup of coffee that starts the morning with a bang to the decaf kiwi-pear green tea at bedtime that invites reflections on the day's pleasures, hot drinks nourish body and soul.

"The benefits of hot drinks may be mostly psychological," says Kelli Morgan, registered dietitian at Paradise Valley Hospital. "Any time you can take a cup of coffee or tea and go have five minutes to yourself, it's a stress reliever. It's a good ritual to have, and it doesn't matter if you have a hot drink or a cold drink."


But hot drinks warm you on cold days. They relax your throat when it's sore, she says, and relieve congestion.

Hot drinks can add nutrients to your diet, too, and they easily can be made even more nutritious, Morgan says. Here's what she and other nutrition experts suggest -- and if you want to create a peaceful escape, we threw in our own ideas for what could accompany your hot drink.

Tea

Health benefits: Green and white teas are high in the powerful antioxidant EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate. Antioxidants, which also are plentiful in fruits and vegetables, remove free radicals from the body, which, "theoretically, reduces cancer risk," Morgan says.

Nutrition boosters: Add fresh lemon for vitamin C or warmed non-fat milk for calcium. Stir in a few puréed berries.

Watch out for: Chai tea can be high in sugar and calories. Instead, add warmed non-fat milk and any combination of cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander or ginger to plain green tea. Ginger, for example, can relieve nausea, reduce inflammation and boost the immune system. Skip or limit the sweetener.

Enjoy with: A passage from Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." The sixth chant of "Song of Myself" (Page 29 in the Penguin Classics first edition) is a good place to start.

Apple cider

Health benefits: Apples are good sources of fiber and antioxidants, and the tannins in apple juice are believed to help keep your gums healthy. Cider spices such as cloves (with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties) and nutmeg (a possible cholesterol-reducer) contribute slightly.

Nutrition boosters: Heat pure, no-sugar-added apple juice with apple-cider spices from the baking aisle of the grocery store. Stir with a cinnamon stick. Cinnamon's good for insulin control and for flavoring and sweetening a drink without adding calories, Morgan says.

Watch out for: Apple cider often is high in sugar. A 16-ounce drink with caramel and whipped cream contains 410 calories. Stick with a 12-ounce plain apple cider for 180 calories. Or use a sugar-free apple-cider mix from the supermarket.

Enjoy with: The CD "Echoes of Nature: The Natural Sounds of the Wilderness," Part 2 (Delta, $18.98). We've never heard Part 1, but any nature-sounds CD likely is capable of whisking you away from it all.

Coffee

Health benefits: Coffee provides antioxidants known as polyphenols, and some studies have suggested that the drink lowers the risk of Type2 diabetes and liver cancer. But "there's really nothing healthful in coffee perse," Morgan says.

Nutrition booster: Make it a latte or cappuccino (add one shot of espresso to a cup of hot non-fat milk) for one dairy serving. Add cinnamon to help control insulin and reduce inflammation.

Watch out for: Too much coffee can make you jittery and raise blood pressure temporarily. Try decaf or half-caf. Add milk for the calming effect of the calcium.

Enjoy with: A piece of dark chocolate, which contains properties found to decrease the risk of heart disease and protect against cancer. It's also delicious, perhaps a more convincing argument.

Hot chocolate

Health benefits: Calcium in the milk is soothing and helps build strong bones, and cocoa beans are a good source of antioxidants.

Nutrition booster: Make it with non-fat milk, which has the same amount of calcium as whole milk, and cocoa powder, which is extra-rich in antioxidants and low in sugar. Or use a sugar-free hot-chocolate mix. Add a peppermint stick for a festive look but little health benefit, although peppermint leaves aid digestion.

Watch out for: A 16-ounce hot chocolate made with whole milk and whipped cream is 450 calories. Substitute Reddi-whip or low-cal Cool Whip, just 20 calories per dollop. Skip the chocolate sauce drizzled over the top or use low-sugar chocolate syrup.

Enjoy with: A crossword puzzle and fresh-cut flowers on the table beside you -- to distract you from the cocoa-soaked peppermint stick you're trying to resist).

Vegetable broth

Health benefits: Antioxidant-rich vegetables deposit their nutrients in the broth, leaving health-builders such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A, B-6 and C. There's no cholesterol, and broth is easy to digest.

Nutrition booster: Make your own. Plop chopped celery, onion, carrots, zucchini, leeks, broccoli or any other vegetables from your crisper into a pot of water, and simmer. If the vegetable pieces are too large to swallow safely, strain the broth before serving.

Watch out for: Prepared broths can be high in sodium. Look for the kind labeled low-salt. If you use a meat-broth base for a change of pace, cool it in the refrigerator and skim off the fat before adding finely chopped vegetables.

Enjoy with: The current issue of Mother Earth News magazine. Yes, it still exists.



Get Your Soothing Warm Beverages At Java Queen International