Green Tea

The Benefit: Helps reduce risk of osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease and cavities. Green tea contains a rich concentration of flavonoids and polyphenols, natural antioxidants that may protect cells from carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) and inhibit tumor growth by helping to neutralize free radicals in the body. The tea’s antioxidants may also guard against heart disease by relaxing blood vessels, inhibiting the formation of blood clots that trigger heart attacks and strokes. Green tea also contains fluoride, which strengthens teeth.
Calories: 0

Mint Tea
Mint Tea can ease cramps and helps ward off indigestion.It also aids in digestion by promoting the movement of food through the digestive tract more easily.
 
Calories: 0

One Percent Reduced-Fat Milk

One Percent Reduced-Fat Milk curbs cravings and helps protect against osteoporosis. It also stabilizes blood sugar, so you’re less susceptible to cravings. Milk is a great source of calcium, because it contains vitamin D, which is needed for maximum calcium absorption. It may also help your body stop storing fat. In a recent study, women who consumed three to four servings of low-fat dairy foods (milk being one) lost nearly twice as much weight as those who took in lower amounts.
Calories: 120 for eight ounces

Soy Milk

Soy Mil lowers risk of heart disease. Soy milk contains soluble fiber and soy protein, which lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and triglycerides, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. If you’re drinking it instead of cow’s milk, buy soy milk fortified with calcium and vitamins A and D. One caveat: Soy contains phytoestrogens, which may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
Calories: 81 for eight ounces

Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate improves mood and may help protect against heart disease. Chocolate increases the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for regulating mood. (Low levels of serotonin have been associated with depression.) Cocoa is also rich in polyphenols, plant-derived antioxidants that may protect cells against oxidative damage that can lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels, possibly putting you at higher risk for a heart attack.
Calories: 195 for eight ounces homemade cocoa; 115 for a powdered mix

Low-Sodium Tomato Juice

Low-Sodium Tomato Juice may protect against numerous cancers. Processed tomato products are the richest source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been associated with a reduced risk of lung and stomach cancer, as well as pancreatic, colorectal, esophageal, oral, breast and cervical cancers. Lycopene also appears to protect the lungs and heart against oxidative damage, helping to ward off cardiovascular disease.
Calories: 31 for six ounces

Cranberry Juice

Cranberry Juice helps prevent gum disease. Research suggests that the same anti-bacterial properties present in cranberry juice that fight off urinary tract infections may also protect against periodontal disease.
Calories: 140 for eight ounces

Orange Juice

OJ may ward off cancers,birth defects and boost immunity. An excellent source of vitamin C, orange juice is also a potent antioxidant that may protect against a variety of diseases including cataracts (a clouding of the eye’s lens that can lead to blindness) and lung cancer. Vitamin C may prevent oxidative damage that can cause cells to become cancerous, and it improves immune-cell functioning, enabling your body to fight off infections more efficiently. And it’s a good source of folate, which protects against neural-tube defects in fetuses. To get the extra benefit of bone protection, try some calcium-fortified orange juice.
Calories: 115 for eight ounces

Source: fitnessmagazine.com

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