Leaf It In
 
    Hot drinks made from fresh herbs can have all sorts of health benefits. For years health foods have been the focus of most health programmes, but there is increasing evidence that what we drink is just as important. Here are some of the more common and beneficial drinks:
 
CANARINO:
  Made of grated lemon rind and hot water, with optional sugar, it is high in antioxidants - chemicals that defend the body from compounds that contribute to wrinkling, baggy eyes and general ageing.
  Oil from the lemon also has a detoxifying effect and is used as a hangover cure and indigestion aid in Italy. It is said to work in ten minutes.
  The Italians do not grate the lemon but peel the skin into a cup and then pour boiling water on top, and leave it to stand for two minutes.
 
ICEBERG WATER:
  The ultimate water drink - water from melted icebergs is claimed to be the purest. It is said that - even on a scale of parts per billion - pesticides, herbicides and toxic compounds are not detectable. It is also salt free and what you drink could be 12.000 years old.
  Canadian iceberg water from Newfoundland berg is said to be one of the best.
 
GREEN TEA:
  Health claims for green tea include protection against cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
  In 1211, in one of the first health books written, a monk named Eisal, wrote: "Tea has an extraordinary power to prolong life".
  More modern research has shown green tea works as an anti-inflammatory and can soothe headaches and other pains. It is also thought to have anti-ageing benefits.
 
COFFEE:
  Although there is some controversy about the effects of caffeine - the main active ingredient of coffee (and tea contains about the same amount) - researchers have found women coffee drinkers have a lower incidence of breast cancer.
  A study of men in Scotland found that coffee, which is a stimulant of the central nervous system, heart and respiratory system, may protect against heart disease too. It also delays the onset of fatigue.
 
WHEAT GRASS JUICE:
  Said to be one of the most beneficial drinks of them all.
  Wheat grass is rich in vitamins A and C, boasts 92 essential minerals and also has lots of chlorophyll, which provides iron, cleanses the system and boosts oxygen to the blood stream.
 
RED CU RICE:
  A home-made mix of cucumbers, parsley and carrot juice popular in America, it is said to be anti-ageing and an immune system booster.
  It is high in antioxidants and vitamins, and may help with allergies too.
  Ingredients for two cups: One large peeled cucumber cut into wedges, a big bunch of parsley and three carrots.
 
YERBA MATE:
  A tea-like drink originating from South America, it is brewed by pouring boiling water on the dried leaves and stems of the Ilex paraguarensis tree.
  It is a cloes relative of tea but has more health enhancing ingredients.
  Pronounced "yerba mahtay", it is claimed a few cups energises the body, boosts mental alertness, helps with slimming, accelerates healing, relieves stress and increases longevity.
 
TEA:
  It's cheap and greatly underrated as a health drink. It is full of antioxidants and other health boosting compounds.
  Doctors who tracked more than 500 men for fifteen years, found that those that drank more than five cups of tea a day reduced their chances of a stroke by 69 per cent. Flavenoids, the chemicals in tea, are thought to reduce the risk by preventing the build up of bad cholesterol.
 
GINSENG GARGLE:
  Made from ginseng root, it is said to have aphrodisiac properties and is a tonic providing strength, stamina and vitality.
  It is also reckoned to be a cleansing agent for the blood, and a drink that will clear up ulcers and sinus problems.
  In the Far East, the drink is used to balance blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and help produce energy and combat depression.
 
CHAI:
  High in antioxidants and used as relief for inflammation and viruses and to boost the immune system.
  It is made from four teaspoons of Assam tea to a pint of boiling water. Extra ingredients are honey, two spoons of cardamom pods, two cinnamon sticks and six cloves.
 

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