Strawberry Watermelon Slush
2 servings

1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries (if frozen, look for ones with no added sugar)
1 1/2 cups chopped watermelon, seeds removed
1/4 cup seltzer
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
4-6 mint leaves
1 cup ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender, mix and serve.

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 80
Total Fat: 0 grams
Saturated fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 0 milligrams
Total Carbohydrates: 20 grams
Total Fiber: 2 grams
Sugars: 15 grams
Protein: 1 gram

Berry Spritzer
4 raspberries
4 blackberries
4 mint leaves
1/2 lime (juice and zest)
6 ounces of seltzer
Ice

Place berries and mint in glass. Muddle to release juice and oil. Add lime zest and juice. Place juiced lime in glass container. Muddle to mix. Add ice and seltzer. Stir and enjoy! Makes a single serving.

Tea
As you probably know, teas are packed with flavonoids and antioxidants that are beneficial to our bodies. (Read more about tea HERE.) There are so many types and flavors — green, white, oolong and red to name a few — that there’s lots of room for creativity. I really like jazzing up white teas with citrus fruits and herbs. Fruits are naturally sweet so there’s no need to add extra sugar (which means extra, non-nutritious calories).

Refrigerator Tea
How many people, like me, grew up drinking Sun Tea? It was a summer classic. Unfortunately, Sun Tea is considered unsafe by the CDC because there’s a risk for bacterial growth. That doesn’t mean you have to go without slow-brewed tea.

To make refrigerator tea, take a large pitcher and fill it with water. Add 4 teabags (your choice of brand and flavor) per quart of water. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Strain and remove teabags and serve with a dash of your favorite natural or no-calorie sweetener.

For some extra flare:
• Add herbs (mint, basil, rosemary, etc.)
• Add fruit (melon, citrus and berries are my favorite)

Read More:
• Why We Love Tea
• Why We Love Herbal Tea
• Have You Tried These Natural Sweeteners?
• Tips & Recipes for Lighter Iced Tea

Katie Cavuto Boyle, MS, RD, owns HealthyBites, LLC and is a finalist on The Next Food Network Star, which premieres tonight, June 7, on Food Network.

Do you start your day with a tall glass of orange juice? You’re not alone. Many people are downing hundreds of calories of fruit juice every day. Even if the label says “100% fruit juice,” it doesn’t mean this drink should be integral to your diet and here’s why.

Assessing Your Amount
Juice might be more high calorie than you expect. Go on, open your cupboard and see how tall your usual juice glass is: 6, 12, 16 ounces? Even many plastic “to go” juices at convenience stores are 14 ounces — that’s around 200 calories a bottle. Have a few of these containers a day and you’ve piled a few hundred unneeded calories onto your day.

When drinking juice, look for ones that have no more than 60 calories per 4 ounces and keep your daily serving at 8 ounces max. The most common nutrient found in juice is vitamin C. Problem is vitamin C (and other vitamins) are easily destroyed when processed from the fruit to the liquid. Juices are also pasteurized and heat treated to kill dangerous pathogens, which further destroys vitamins. You might see juice drinks that are vitamin C-fortified — meaning the manufacturers add it. Look at the list of ingredients for ascorbic acid — that’s added vitamin C.

Having vitamin C added to juice is not bad; it’s just that the only other significant nutrient found in fruit juice is sugar. Why not enjoy a fresh juicy orange or grapefruit? An orange contains around 60 calories and over 100% of your daily vitamin C needs.

Even more problematic is that, according to the CSPI, the brain’s satiety center does not register liquid calories — meaning, drinking juice will not release signals that make you feel full.

Freshly Squeezed?
You could juice your own fresh fruit, but you again have to deal with the calorie and sugar issue. It takes a few oranges (at 60 calories a fruit) to make a glass of juice. If you do the math, your glass of freshly squeezed juice could start adding up.

A Walk Down the Juice Aisle
Claims on juices can get confusing. Multivitamin fruit juice contains low doses of multivitamins and minerals that are harmless, but that does not mean you should down the entire container. Consuming large amounts of the juice or drinking it in addition to a multivitamin pill could potentially be toxic.

Other juices claim to help lower cholesterol by adding plant sterols, which are naturally found in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and cereals. Studies have shown that 0.5 grams of plant sterols per day can help reduce the risk of cholesterol. A glass of Minute Maid Heart Wise juice has 1 gram, so you would be covered for the day.

What about “light” juices? They are diluted with water and the sugar is replaced with artificial sweeteners such as Splenda. My concern is that some of these “light” juices also add acesulfame potassium, which is a poorly tested sweetener and its safety is questionable. Stick to Mott’s Light Apple Juice and Sunsweet PlumSmart Light as they only use Splenda. If you really want some juice, make a spritzer with 4 ounces of 100% fruit juice mixed with seltzer — that’s my favorite!

The Bottom Line
If you’re a big juice drinker, cut it out! My cousin lost 5 pounds by removing all calorie beverages, including juice, from her diet. But if you just want to stick to the recommended 8 ounces of juice a day, make sure you choose a 100% juice without too many outlandish claims or additives.

Making the “Tea”
Originating in China 2,000 years ago, Kombucha is one of the world’s oldest “healthy” drinks. Brewers make this murky beverage by combining bacteria and yeast (molded into a cake called a “mushroom”) with black or green tea that contains sugar. Fermentation occurs and creates a sweet, sour and slightly fizzy “tea” with vinegar, amino acids, B-vitamins and a slew of living things.

Popular in the 1980s
According to a Los Angeles Times article, older adults and those suffering from HIV made Kombucha popular in the 1980s. People drank it to boost their immune system, increase energy, improve their skin and nails and strengthen thinning hair.

Back in the 1980s, most Kombucha was home-brewed. Due to unsanitary handling, batches often were contaminated. Home-brewers also found that the concoction could support the growth of anthrax (yes, anthrax), and the high vinegar and ethanol content can possibly leach out lead and other chemicals from the tea’s container.

Government Warnings
Not to add more scary statistics, but in 1995, the CDC published a warning that Kombucha might have causes severe illness in multiple women who had consumed as little as 4 ounces of the tea daily.

Fast Forward to 2009
Today, there still isn’t evidence linking the tea to its touted therapeutic benefits, specifically its detoxing qualities. That doesn’t mean people have given it up! The New York Post recently dubbed it the latest “hot drink,” and another article I read calls it a “health drink” that people love because it makes them feel good.

The Bottom Line
Kombucha is sold pre-made as sparkling kombucha or mixed with juice in its raw, organic form. You can find these bottled drinks in many grocery and health food stores. With harmful risks outweighing any confirmed helpful benefits, stick to a can or bottle as a special treat and not for daily sipping. Costing around $5, the drink can start to become an expensive daily habit too.