Tea or coffee: is one healthier than the other?

They both have real benefits, and we wouldn’t say that one is better than the other. Whether it’s green, black, white or red, tea contains a variety of antioxidants that help ward off diseases and may help you live better for longer. Tea may even help prevent tooth decay. Recent research has shown that coffee offers the same kinds of benefits. Coffee’s combination of caffeine, antioxidants and other phytochemicals that have disease-preventing effects has put it into the category of foods that are healthier than harmful (if you don’t overdo it). Plus, a cup of joe may reduce your risks of developing Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. Feel free to drink one cup of coffee in the morning, and then switch to tea after noon. That way, you’ll get a bigger caffeine boost in the morning, when you might need a little help to start your day. Then, in the afternoon, you’ll benefit from tea’s antioxidants and soothing taste, with about half the caffeine of coffee.

Juicing is very popular right now, and I have seen a lot of new juice bars in my area. But are juices too high in sugar?

Juicing is all the rage right now, with proponents touting benefits such as weight loss, detoxification, increased energy, improved mood and radiant skin. These are all desirable qualities, and juicing fruits and veggies is a great way to boost your body with ample amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The problem with juicing is that although it hydrates and supplies nutrients, it concentrates the natural sugar in fruits and vegetables; the sugar content will depend on what fruit and veggie combination is selected. The downfall is not necessarily the high amount of sugar, but the lack of fibre and nutrients lost in the skins and seeds extracted in the juicing process. Fibre is what helps slow the absorption of sugars. Without fibre, sugar will quickly absorb into your bloodstream, spiking your blood sugar levels. Nutritious juice can be beneficial in small amounts, along with fibre-rich foods, healthy fat and/or protein for balance and to slow the absorption of sugar. Better yet, add whole fruits and vegetables with unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, nuts, seeds, avocado and/or Greek yogurt in a high-powered blender to retain fibre, boost nutrients and stabilise blood sugar levels.