Tea without sugar is certainly better than tea with sugar. In regard to the tea itself, it depends on the type of tea. Herbal teas are becoming very popular and there are claims suggesting that they have many health benefits, but there are many different types and you’d have to consider each one individually. The caffeine that most tea contains is another important consideration. Although a little caffeine here and there isn’t a big deal, it’s much more of a problem if you begin to rely on it for energy as many people do with coffee.

I completely agree. If you’re going to drink beer, you’re much better off brewing it yourself, especially if you drink it at home or any other place where you can bring it along with you. I have a friend who brews his own beer and he even seems to enjoy the process as a hobby.

Regarding the potential health benefits of beer, the bottom line is that alcohol is a toxin, beer is full of refined carbohydrates, and many people react negatively to the gluten of from the grains that beer is made from. Regardless of how pure and fresh the ingredients of beer are, these are still unhealthy characteristics. Although I see nothing wrong with enjoying beer on occasion, in my opinion, these characteristics outweigh any possible benefit that beer can have, especially since these benefits can be obtained from nutritious foods without the negative effects. Beer is an indulgence, and unfortunately, those who cite it’s supposed health benefits are often looking for an excuse to drink more of it without feeling guilty. The bottom line is that we all have to choose for ourselves how much we’re willing to drink, how important our health is to us, and how willing we are to let it be compromised by indulgence.

http://news.discovery.com/human/beer-healthy-bones.html

Perfect reason to brew your own beer! You get the health benefits and not all the “junk” that comes from “processed beer”!

I think some beer manufacturers do use aspartame, but unfortunately, they’re not required to disclose the ingredients they use and often choose not to. As such, it’s difficult to know for sure. Since you’re only having beer for occasional enjoyment, I think it would be better to have regular beer instead of light beer.

Aspartame is a significant risk for people who suffer from Phenylketonuria (PKU) and most products that include aspartame have a warning label regarding this. If a can or bottle of beer has this warning on it, then it’s more likely to contain aspartame.

In case you’re interested, here’s more information about aspartame. I wish you the best of luck with your recovery!

I have enjoyed reading all the above. My main question is this and I’m sorry if it is a little off topic: Does lite beer have aspartame in it? I used to drink diet coke like no other and had terrible memory problems as a result. It has been a little over a year and I am still recovering. I love a cold one every now and than and gotta know how to find out if that beer from the bar is poisoning me? Thanks a lot.

To all that read this: NEVER EVER drink anything that is diet or light = POISON! I know from years of painful experience!

The only thing I drink on a regular basis is filtered water with a little bit of sea salt. As such, I unfortunately don’t have any good recommendations for you. Your best bet is to read the ingredients labels closely and avoid things that have excessive amounts of sugar and unnatural additives.

Fruit juices are questionable, even the one’s that are labeled 100% natural with no added sugar. Due to extraction and additional processing, some of the nutrition from the original juice is lost. Most fruit juice is pasteurized and this causes even more nutrition to be lost. Finally, because juice doesn’t contain the fiber from the original fruit, the sugar is digested and absorbed more rapidly which can cause problems with blood sugar fluctuation. I don’t think it would be a problem to enjoy fruit juice in moderation, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to drink it on a regular basis, especially if you’re prone to blood sugar problems.

If you want to drink something other than water that’s also nutritious, raw milk is probably your best option, but you have to be careful about where you buy it, and it’s important to realize that many people react negatively to the casein proteins found in dairy.

Green tea might be another option worth considering.

After reading your post and all the comments, I am now truly enlightened…
I know that drinking water is the best fluid we can consume but can you recommend drinks that can be bought from the local mart? what should we be avoiding (Catorade, 7UP) and what drinks are ok (fruit juices?)

Yes, beer contains “earthy” ingredients, but they are generally of the poorest quality, and in beers that are pasteurized, any nutritional value from these ingredients are compromised even further.

It could be argued that a high quality beer made from natural ingredients,that doesn’t contain additives, and isn’t pasteurized could be somewhat beneficial when consumed in small to moderate amounts, but the same could probably be said for some types of soda as well.

The bottom line is that the beers and sodas most commonly available today are both bad and it really doesn’t matter which is worse. For anyone wanting to promote or maintain excellent health, the consumption of either should be kept to a minimum.