by Patricia Sabina

Created on: November 20, 2008   Last Updated: December 04, 2008

Soothing hot drinks can make an excellent alternative to those tempting high calorific snacks if you have a tendency to comfort eat. Taken half an hour before a meal, a hot drink not only alleviates the hunger pangs, but you will eat less and it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling comfort in a cup!

There is a wide range of low calorie drinks on the market to aid weight loss but they are generally full of additives. Look at the ingredients and you will see a long list of the chemicals that you might expect to find in a laboratory!

Because they have recognized the need to provide caffeine-free and healthy alternatives, most coffee shops and restaurants carry a variety of herbal teas. If you don't want to miss out on your favorite, keep a few pre-packed teabags in your laptop case or handbag.

So here are some healthy pleasant tasting alternatives to the usual beverages, with information about their health giving properties nature's gifts to soothe, relax, and heal.

Peppermint tea is the perfect pick-me-up drink first thing in the morning or at any time of the day. Clinically proven to relieve digestive problems, the peppermint plant contains compounds which act as a relaxant on the smooth muscles lining the digestive tract. Over activity in the cells of these muscles is experienced as indigestion or dyspepsia. As a natural aid to digestion, peppermint tea can replace coffee at the end of a meal.

Chamomile tea is a fragrant light drink which evokes images of fresh summer days. Made from the flowers of the plant which contain anti-spasmodic and relaxant properties, it helps to induce sleep making it the perfect bedtime drink. It also has mild analgesic and antibacterial properties recognised through the ages to relieve nausea and settle stomach upsets.

Lime flowers tea is drunk as frequently in Turkey as ordinary black tea or coffee. This light, pleasant, and naturally sweet tasting drink contains neurosedative and antispastic properties which help to calm the nervous system. Taken regularly, this accumulative calming effect makes it a natural anti-stress remedy.

Red Bush (Rooibos) tea is a popular alternative to black tea or coffee. It has a distinctive full bodied flavor with the advantage of being completely caffeine-free and rich in antioxidants. It is recommended for people on an anti Candida diet.

Honey and Lemon

This is a drink to make at home on a cold winter's day. It will help boost the immune system and alleviate the symptoms of a cold or sore throat. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a cup. Add water which is just off the boil and stir in a teaspoon of honey. This is a deliciously warming and soothing drink. The fresh lemon juice is rich in Vitamin C and the honey's anti-bacterial properties will take the edge of that cold.

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