Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD
I teach about the Ketogenic diet and reducing carbohydrate intake frequently. One of the many questions, and often the first question I get when trying to teach people to reduce carbs, is what should I drink? Many beverages are very high in carbs. I often tell people that if they just stop drinking sweetened drinks, they would reduce their sugar load dramatically while also losing weight. Diabetic patients can often, with the careful management of their health professional, get off diabetes medication after removing all sugary beverages and other carbohydrates. Minor changes can actually make a big difference in our daily health!
Herbal tea is a terrific substitute for high calorie, high sugar beverages like soda. When I tell people to replace sodas with herbal tea, they often have the misconception that herbal tea is limited to just one flavor. In fact, the possibilities for new and delicious combinations are almost limitless. Not only do they taste delicious, some have potent health benefits as well. Please always consult your individual health care provider before adding anything or changing your diet, as not all herbs will be safe for every situation.
The best way to determine your favorite is, after consulting your doctor, to try new flavors. For example, I am not a fan of green tea. I have tried several varieties of green tea, and although they are high in anti-oxidants and offer many other health benefits, I just have not found one I want to drink. But I have found many other flavors and combinations of herbal tea that I enjoy. We now offer a variety of tea flavors (many fruit-based), in our clinics for people to try.
One of Agroshare’s support team members, Dr. Sarita Cox, ND, L.Ac., wrote (both on her website’s Cultivating Wellness blog and her Facebook page), about the myriad benefits of drinking herbal tea. We invite you to head over to: https://drsaritaelizabeth.com/brewing-teas-free-their-medi…/ to learn more.
