Drink Lemon Water With Meals, Sip Soymilk for Magnesium—and 3 More Health Hacks to Try This Week

A healthy diet is not only about what you eat, but also what you drink. Water is the most important drink for your health because it is essential for your body to function properly. But incorporating other healthy drinks, like green tea and tomato juice, can provide additional benefits while keeping you hydrated. This week, try sipping on these nourishing refreshments.

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for your health because it helps maintain your nervous system, form red blood cells, and convert food into energy.

Not only does milk naturally contain vitamin B12, but it also has one of the easiest forms for your body to absorb. In addition, its quantity is quite large: one cup contains more than half of the recommended daily value. Drink a glass of milk with breakfast or try adding it to coffee, smoothies and soups.

If you’re looking for an energy boost without the jitters, green tea might be right for you. It has less caffeine than coffee (about 25 to 50 milligrams (mg) per cup, compared to 80 to 100 mg) and contains L-theanine, an amino acid that may promote calm alertness and reduce agitation.

Green tea also offers other possible benefits, such as supporting heart health, protecting brain health, and potentially even reducing the risk of certain cancers.

Many people drink lemon water first thing in the morning, but it may actually be more beneficial to sip it with meals. One study found that lemon juice can speed up gastric emptying, or how quickly food moves through the stomach. If so, lemon water can help you digest your meal and feel less bloated. This effect may also help keep blood sugar levels stable after eating.

Just be careful if you’re prone to acid reflux; the acidity of lemons can trigger symptoms.

Tomatoes are a surprisingly rich source of vitamin C. A 6-ounce glass of tomato juice contains 128 mg of the nutrient, which is 35 mg more than the same size glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

But if you’re not excited about drinking a tall glass of tomato juice, try incorporating it into more of your recipes. You can blend it into smoothies, blend it with other juices, or use it as a base in soups and sauces.

Soy milk is also rich in an unexpected nutrient: magnesium. One cup contains about 61 mg, or about 15% of the daily recommendation. Magnesium has been getting a lot of buzz lately, including for improving mood, sleep, and blood sugar levels, and drinking soy milk can help you meet your magnesium goals without supplementing.

Try opting for soy milk over other plant-based alternatives, like oat or almond milk, especially if your body doesn’t digest dairy well. Add it to coffee or use it in your morning cereal or oatmeal.