h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

People easily get fed up with drinking water all the time. Being healthy isn't just about staying lean - caffeine and other products in tea and coffee aren't good for you either, but that's no reason to just drink plain water. There are a good deal of flavoured water drinks out there, particularly 'touch of fruit' varieties - Tesco do a particularly good range. While they're not as healthy as water, for a glass or two a day they add flavour and are far, far better for you than sugar-loaded Coke or Pepsi. A bit of fruit juice never did anyone any harm, either, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with the carton concentrate stuff that you get in the litre cartons and multipacks thereof. The Sainsbury's own brand is good, and slightly cheaper than the Del Monte.

Finally, think about the quality of what you're eating. The more you pay, the less is likely to be added to your food. Organically-grown and/or free-range meat is not only more humane, but also has a different taste to battery and supermarket meat. If you can manage it, why not go down to a local butcher - they need your custom and there's so much more variety.

While I'm at it, vegetables are better bought from local suppliers - not only is it more likely to be really fresh, local produce, but your local greengrocer is often far cheaper than the supermarket.

Finally, cheese. It is full of fat, so eat only a tiny bit on special occasions. That said, the low-fat variety of cottage cheese is good if you're desperate. Don't buy the stuff with pinapple or whatever - add it yourself!

Whoami?

Hello Whoami

When you say there's absolutely nothing wrong with those cartons of juice-drink you get from the supermarket... err, apparently there is.

How you make the concentrate drink is you have a load of oranges in Spain, or wherever they grow the oranges. Then, to save on shipping costs, you juice the oranges in Spain and boil up the juice, to reduce it. Maybe at this stage you add some chemicals, to stop the oranges going funny because you have boiled them. Then you freeze the concentrate, ship it to the UK, add water, and sell.

As you can imagine, the juice suffers in this process. Not to the extent of becoming BAD, but it definitely becomes less good.

Therefore, the best option is to either juice your own, or buy juices marked 'freshly squeezed', or 'not from concentrate' (NFC). Freshly squeezed stuff has the oranges shipped from Spain to this country, and then juiced, without being reduced to a concentrate first.

The problem with juicing your own is that the machine is horrible to clean up.

The problem with buying freshly squeezed in the shops is that it is expensive.

I tend to drink the concentrated stuff on the grounds that it's better than a can of coke, but if I had my own servants I'd definitely juice my own and get them to clean the machine afterwards.

One final warning. For people concerned about that kind of thing: apparently fruit juice is quite calorific. So, maybe you are better off sticking to zero-cal plain water in this case.

Toot toot

BB

The problem with buying freshly squeezed in the shops is that it is expensive.

Fair enough, that was my point. What I meant was that it is good enough - and relatively cheap. The calories aren't so bad as they're not fat as such, but orange juice like this is a glass a day as one of the five servings of fruit and veg, maybe two glasses - so it goes with a kind of 'permittable snack' edge to it.

Whoami?

It is also much better for your digestive system to drink liquids at room temperature, though cold drinks taste good in one's mouth, they are a serious shock to your stomach.... fruit juices are good and concentrates are bad, end of story. Vegetable juices are the best! especially fresh squeezed carrot juice drinking warm beverages is also soothing, warm tea (without milk!) or even better hot ginger tea. Sodas are right out. you can drink them but don't think you are being "healthy" if you do.

H.A.

If you vegetable juices, a really nice one is beetroot, carrot and orange juice, all put through the juice extractor, and well mixed.
A sweet fruit juice is rockmelon, peach and pear, also all put through the juice extractor, and mixed well.
Annie

First thing in the morning I boil the kettle and pour hot water into a mug containing a slice of lemon.

This gives the same comforting sensation of holding a warm mug in your hands, but without the caffeine of tea or coffee. And it's a good way to wake your body up gently. It is also nice late at night to avoid a caffeine buzz.

Herbal teas are OK, but I think it was Ben Elton who pointed out that they are fruit-SCENTED rather than fruit-FLAVOURED.

Well said! Less and , more water. I suggest we get a smiley - looking link a bottle of Evian or something equivalent.