If you want to enjoy some delicious alcohol cocktails while also staying healthy and as low-sugar as possible, we have some incredible recipes on this page that reduce the sugar as much as possible (most are even keto-friendly as long as you limit it to one per day), and include some superfood ingredients as well. Impress your friends and family at your next gathering with these delicious yet healthy party cocktails! I think you’ll really like these recipes!

Spicy Watermelon Plunge

This hydrating cocktail gives you over 26% of your Vitamin C for your day! Plus, if using super ripe watermelon, you can omit the Domaine De Canton for a 100% naturally sweetened-spicy kick!

Serves: 2
Glass: Rocks

Benefits:
– Cooling & Hydrating
– Immune-Boosting & Antimicrobial
– Metabolism-Boosting

Ingredients
– 1 cup cubed watermelon, very ripe
– 1/2 to 1 1/2 tablespoon diced jalapeno
– 1/2oz lime juice
– 3oz silver tequila
– 1/2oz Domaine De Canton, optional
– pinch of sea salt (heavy)

Aromatics & Garnish
– ripe blackberry
– slice of jalapeno
– kosher salt

Make It
1.) Rim a rocks glass with a lime wedge, and then in kosher salt. Add in ice ball or large ice cubes to the glass.
2.) Into a cocktail shaker, add the watermelon, and muddle well.
3.) Add the rest of the ingredients and a couple of ice cubes, and shake well.
4.) Strain over the ice ball or cubes.
5.) Garnish the glass with blackberry and sliced jalapeno.

Note: Juicy Melons? If you’re lucky enough to have very ripe watermelon, or like your cocktails tart, leave out the Domaine De Canton.

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Popeye’s Secret

While it tastes like a boozy dessert smoothie, this drink packs 937% of your daily Vitamin K and 39% of your magnesium, plus loads of iron, Vitamin C, and other key nutrients no one will ever guess. We can’t decide if this drink belongs at a smoothie bar or the keto cocktail hall of fame!

Serves: 1
Glass: Stemless Wine Glass

Benefits
– JAM-PACKED with iron, potassium, magnesium & fiber
– Bone boosting Vitamin K
– Satiating and appetite curbing
– Better than dessert!

Ingredients
– 1 cup baby spinach
– 3/4 cup ice
– 1 1/2oz vodka
– 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
– 1/2 – 1 tablespoon monk fruit or sweetener of choice
– 1 teaspoon cacao nibs
– 1/4 teaspoon peppermint (*test your peppermint strength)

Aromatics & Garnish
– sprinkle of cacao nibs
– mint leaf (smacked)

Make It
1.) Add all ingredients, except cacao nibs, into a blender, and process till smooth.
2.) Add cacao nibs, and pulse until broken up.
3.) Pour the drink into a glass, and smack mint leaf for garnish – Popeye noises encouraged.
4.) Top with a sprinkling of cacao nibs and enjoy!

Note: Keto Lover’s Dream – This creamy keto cocktail is unbelievably tasty and packed with nutrients, antioxidants and healthy fats to make it arguably the most REWARDING post-workout happy hour ever.

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Cucumber Mint Spatini

This drink is so clean and refreshing, you’ll feel like you’re at the spa! The cooling mint and cucumber’s healthy pectin will nourish your cells from the inside out. A perfect revival drink when you’re feeling depleted, to rehydrate your mind, body and soul.

Serves: 1
Glass: Martini

Benefits
– Hydrating & Detoxifying mint & cucumber
– Anti-Inflammatory & Immune-Boosting antioxidants
– Healthy pectin & mint aids in digestion
– Feels like a day at the spa!

Ingredients
– 1 baby Persian cucumber
– 2 to 3 mint leaves
– 1 1/2oz vodka
– 1/4oz Domaine De Canton
– 1/2oz lemon juice, fresh squeezed
– pinch of Himalayan sea salt

Aromatics & Garnish   
– cucumber slice
– mint leaf (smacked)

Make It
1.) Add a large ice ball to a martini glass.
2.) Into a shaker tin, add cucumber. Muddle it well.
3.) Smack and tear mint leaves and add them to the shaker, and then add the rest of the ingredients. Add a few ice cubes, and shake to chill the cocktail.
4.) Strain and server over ice ball. Garnish the glass with cucumber and mint leaf.

Note: This cocktail is also great blended! Simply add all ingredients to a blender with a small amount of ice, process well, and pour in a martini glass, garnished with mint.

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The Elegant Lady

You can’t help but feel classy and youthful with this delicate yet delectable balance of fresh pear and sage. An eye-popping cocktail from first sip to last, with the bright pop of Prosecco and a juicy price at the end, when you save the flavor-soaked pear gems for last.

Serves: 1
Glass: Rocks

Benefits
– Antioxidant-packed pear, lemon & sage
– Vitamin A for youthful skin & hair
– Tummy smoothing pear pectin
– Anti-microbial sage for healthy gums!

Ingredients
– 1 thick Anjou pear wedge (ripe)
– 2 sage leaves
– 1/4oz lemon juice
– 1 1/2oz vodka
– 1/4oz St. Germaine
– Prosecco float (or soda water)

Aromatics & Garnish
– Fresh smacked sage leaf

Make It
1.) Dice pear finely, and muddle well in shaker.
2.) Smack and tear the sage leaves finely, and add to shaker.
3.) Add the rest of the ingredients, along with ice, and shake well.
4.) Pour over crushed ice, and top with a float of Prosecco (or a tiny splash of soda water)
5.) Garnish with sage leaf. Enjoy!

Note: Youthful Skin – Oh la la! Leave the antioxidant-packed skin on the pear for gorgeous drink and gorgeous skin. Enjoy an extra boost of Vitamin A as you devour these flavor-soaked jewels at the bottom of your glass!

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Redhead in Spring

One of my all-time award winners among friends and family. The flavor of this simple but stunning crowd pleaser will knock your socks off, making it a great, easy cocktail to impress all kinds of guests!

Serves: 1
Glass: Martini

Benefits
– Anti-inflammatory lemon & strawberries
– Blood sugar balancing berries
– Packed with immune-boosting antioxidants
– A beautiful show stopper to brighten any table!

Ingredients
– 2 strawberries, rips
– 1/2oz lemon juice, fresh squeezed
– 1 1/2oz gin
– 1/2oz St. Germaine
– pinch of sea salt (very light)

Aromatics & Garnish
– strawberry
– basil leaves
– Persian cucumber, sliced thin

Make It
1.) Smack  a fresh basil leaf and rim a martini glass with the leaf. Next, run a strawberry around the rim of the glass for aromatics. Set the basil and strawberry aside, and add a large ice ball to the glass.
2.) Add the strawberries to a shaker and muddle well.
3.) Add the rest of the ingredients, plus a scoop of ice, and shake well to chill.
4.) Strain and serve over the ice ball. Garnish with a slice of strawberry, a thin slice of cucumber, and the smacked basil leaf.
5.) For best flavor, allow the drink to rest on the ice ball for a few minutes before serving.

Note: Variations – If you like it sweeter, just add more strawberries! Also, try swapping the St. Germaine for Domaine De Canton for a deliciously different twist!

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Harajuku Tea Time

Inspired by long shopping days in Tokyo, this deliciously uplifting cocktail will keep your mind, mood and metabolism fired up! Pineapple’s B vitamin spectrum and natural enzymes, paired with matcha’s thermogenic and brain-boosting superpowers, will make this your go-to cocktail when you want an exotic lift. As we say in Japan… Itadakimasu! (ie: “Let’s enjoy!”)

Serves: 1
Glass: Highball (tall glass)

Benefits
– Deliciously detoxifying
– Memory-boosting EGCG + B Vitamins
– Digestive enzymes for a (flat) happy tummy
– Mood-boosting & Stress relieving

Ingredients
– 1/3 cup pineapple, finely diced
– 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or similar)
– 1/3 teaspoon matcha powder
– 1 1/2oz gin
– ice for shaking and serving

Aromatics & Garnish
– fresh mint leaf
– pineapple wedge

Make It
1.) Run a pineapple wedge along the rim and set aside for garnish.
2.) Add diced pineapple to cocktail shaker and muddle well.
3.) Add the rest of the ingredients, and shake well to chill.
4.) Strain and serve over ice in tall glass.**
5.) Garnish with a pineapple wedge and sprig of smacked mint.

**Optional: Spoon some of the muddled pineapple into bottom of glass before serving, for added enzymes in a deliciously sweet golden bites!

Note: Fun Fact! – Matcha’s high chlorophyll content makes it a rich alkaline superfood. By drinking one cup of matcha per day you can immediately begin detoxifying the body and changing the body’s pH from acid to alkaline.

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Golden Cowboy

Move over, Spanish Coffee! There’s a new slimmed down cowboy in town. This velvety “East Meets West” tummy warmer might be your new whiskey favorite, bringing the superfood benefits of turmeric-fueled “golden milk” to a yummy cocktail glass. Spice up a cozy night with this lusciously nourishing soul-soother!

Serves: 1
Glass: Glass mug

Benefits
– Anti-Inflammatory
– Anti-viral + Immune-boosting
– Aids digestion

Ingredients
– 1 1/2oz whiskey
– 1 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup (sub monk fruit or stevia for zero sugar)
– 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
– 1/8 teaspoon turmeric**
– 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon**
– 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger**
– 3oz hot water

Aromatics & Garnish
– cinnamon stick (fresh is best, to get the most of cinnamon’s healing goodness!)

Make It
1.) Into a shaker tin, add whiskey, maple syrup (or sweetener of choice), heavy whipping cream and spices. Shake well.
2.) Pour all shaker ingredients into a mug, and top with hot water.
3. Serve with cinnamon stick, for a deliciously healing “infusion stir stick” for the spices that settle on the bottom of the glass.

Spice it Up! – **Seasoning measurements are the minimum! For max flavor & benefits, we encourage you to liberally add more turmeric, cinnamon and ginger to taste!

Note: Stirring this spicy, cozy drink with a cinnamon stick brings a quiet joy you’ll want to repeat again and again. A perfect drink to combat flu season, packed with anti-inflammatory whiskey, turmeric and cinnamon. Bookmark this recipe to warm up brisk Autumn and winter nights!

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Nick’s Picnic

Another crowd pleaser, this is a robust, bitey drink for dedicated whiskey drinkers and newbies alike, offering something new with that satisfying whiskey kick! The blackberry richness delivers a mouthwatering sensation that’ll knock your socks (and boots!) off every time.

Serves: 2
Glass: Rocks

Benefits
– Youthful skin and collagen-boosting Vitamin C
– Bone-boosting Vitamin K
– Packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants
– A crowd-pleasing cocktail for all types of guests!

Ingredients
– 4-6 blackberries, ripe
– 3oz quality whiskey (i.e.: Woodford Reserve)
– 1/2-3/4oz Domain De Canton
– 1/2oz lemon juice, fresh squeezed
– dash of rhubarb bitters (optional)

Aromatic & Garnish
– 2 large basil leaves

Make It
1.) Smack basil leaf, rim a rocks glass with it, and add a large ice ball to the glass. Set the basil aside to garnish the drink.
2.) Into a cocktail shaker, add blackberries and muddle well.
3.) Add the rest of the ingredients and a couple ice cubes, and shake well to chill.
4.) Strain and serve over the ice ball or whiskey cube. Garnish the glass with basil leaves.

A Hot Secret – Want to Really berry-liciious? Here’s a trick: Just heat the blackberries until hot on the stove or microwave, and then follow all the same steps. You’ll be amazed at the intensity of aroma and sweetness that is released into the drink!

Note: A True Cold-Killer? – Did you know that whiskey has as many antioxidants as wine – and is a source of phosphorus, thiamine, zinc, iron and niacin (B3)? Combined with the blackberries, there are many reasons this dignified drink could be considered a healing tonic!

The post 8 Low-Sugar SuperFood Cocktails appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Susan Patterson

Cold water can interfere with a number of healthy bodily processes and actually be detrimental to your well-being in the following ways:

• Cold water robs you of nutrients: The body’s natural temperature is 37 degrees Celcius. When you drink something that is very cold, your body has to spend an exorbitant amount of energy to regulate your core temperature. This takes away from energy that is needed to digest food and absorb nutrients.

• It may cause a sore throat: Extremely cold water may cause respiratory mucosa to build up, resulting in increased chance of infection causing a sore throat.

• It can increase your risk of headache: According to a 2001 study, women who had experienced a migraine in the last year were twice as likely to trigger a headache by drinking cold water.

• Heads up, cold water may contain dirty ice: We recently reported that ice is often dirty, coated with bacteria and fungus. This often is true of your ice at home.

On the flipside, here are some of the amazing health benefits of drinking warm water:

Warm water provides pain relief

Forget cold water, drinking warm water can help prevent constipation.

Drinking warm or hot water has a soothing effect on the muscles of the abdomen. It can provide relief from menstrual and abdominal cramping, as well as muscle spasms.

Boosts your weight loss

By drinking a cup of hot water first thing in the morning, you can jump-start your metabolism. Warm water increases body temperature and increases the rate at which your metabolism burns calories.

Prevents premature aging

Drinking warm water helps to flush compounds from the body that can accelerate aging. It also improves skin elasticity by aiding in cellular repair.

Clears nasal and throat congestion

Hot water is a wonderful natural treatment for colds. It can naturally dissolve phlegm and clear your airways. It not only clears out nasal congestion, but it also soothes sore throat symptoms as well.

Prevents constipation

Hot water can help you to maintain bowel movement regularity. Dehydration is a frequent cause of recurring constipation problems. Not to mention that the movement of the bowel slows down as it fills up. The hot water can finish breaking down food remnants and flush them through the intestines.

Aids your digestive process

It is believed that drinking cold water during a meal might promote hardening of oils in the food and lead to a fat deposit in the intestine. As mentioned previously, warm water boosts metabolism and aids the digestive process.

Detoxifies your body

The act of drinking hot water naturally raises the temperature of the body. As the body temperature rises it activates the process of sweating, which flushes toxins out of the body through the pores of the skin. The extra hydration also helps the function of the kidneys to flush waste material out of the body, along with toxins.

Improves your outlook

According to Dr. Michael Wald, the director of Nutritional Services at Integrated Medicine and Nutrition in Mount Kisco, New York, consuming hot water activates receptors found in the stomach, esophagus, intestines and mouth. This stimulates pleasure regions of the brain.

Maintains balance in the body

Practitioners of Chinese Medicine believe that drinking warm water that is similar to the temperature of the body maintains balance. They believe that extremes of either hot or cold throw off the body’s yin and yang. Imbalances are believed to be responsible for symptoms like chills, depression, thirst, “foggy” thinking, sleepiness, bloating and more.

Enhances blood circulation

Drinking warm water breaks down fat deposits that are present in the body and blood stream. The warmth increases the flow of blood circulation and promotes the removal of toxins. The increased circulation induces muscle relaxation, which can reduce pain.

Try warm lemon water

My favorite way to drink warm water is by adding a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice. This is especially beneficial first thing in the morning. Lemons contain citric acid, magnesium, bioflavonoids, vitamin C, pectin, calcium and limonene, which supercharge our immunity so that the body can fight infection. They also help to lower the activity of free radicals and increase the breaking down of body fat, also known as adipose tissue.

Along with the power of water, combining water with baking soda gives it a super nutritional boost.

Do you want to incorporate the healing powers of baking soda into your life?

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The post What cold water does to your body appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.