What drink/brands in Thailand are 'good' for your health?

[cdmtdm]

Buy yourself a blender/juicer, with the cost of fruit so cheap over here, make your own juices.

Juicing never seemed like a good idea to me. You essentially drink all the sugar from the fruits without getting the pulp, fiber, etc. which is what is important.

80% veg 20% fruit .... less fruit the better imo ....

[h90]

Are you sure on the red vs. white wine? I thought a dry red and a dry white wine are approx. the same in sugar content.

I'm sure. If you think about it red grapes are ripe white grapes aren't. Ripe fruit has more sugar. There are sweet whites of course like Alsace and Sauternes.

Cheap wines however have all sorts of things added.

No that is wrong. Both red and white wines are made from ripe grapes. White grapes never get red no matter if ripe or not.

The sugar content of the fruit does not matter in a dry wine. The sugar get converted to alcohol. So sweeter grapes makes a higher alcohol wine but not higher sugar (beside that they may add normal sugar if the grapes don't have enough).

But I think real dry red wines aren't as common as dry white wines. So you are mostly right when you say red wine has more sugar. But I am not sure about that. I can't find much information internet and I never saw the sugar content declared on wine. I think it would be a big help to clear the confusion.

Yes the laws what can be added to wine vary from country to country. That why sometimes you get a terrible hangover from some wines.

[MrTee]

Make your own green tea..
so much better than Osihi..

Boil kettle - add one or 2 bags to a cup.. add sugar or honey to taste - leave to steep. pour over ice in to a suitable container..

2 litres for the price of 2 tea bags.

[h90]

Make your own green tea..

so much better than Osihi..

Boil kettle - add one or 2 bags to a cup.. add sugar or honey to taste - leave to steep. pour over ice in to a suitable container..

2 litres for the price of 2 tea bags.

What is the point of it, when you add sugar again.

I drink it hot, which sounds strange in hot Thailand but after trying a while I started to love it. Of course cold is another option.

Some may add a lemon to cold green tea so it tastes a bit more interesting.

[simon43]

Actually, 'lazy' is not the correct word to describe my lifestyle. 'Hectic' is a far better choice, since I have to look after my three 24/7 hotels, plus 'babysit' tourists at the airport and another 30 hotels in this area where I'm the local TPV. Don't really get much time to play around with juicers and blenders.

My annual check-up shows no issues, no fatty liver, low blood pressure, just a high chorestoral level that I'm trying to reduce.

Commercial brand tomato juice is a good idea, as is beetroot juice No way will I cut out red wine - it is proven to significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.

Brewing my own green tea is within my limited skills/time.

If I ditch the soy milk, is there a good alternative to it or dairy milk? I don't want to limit myself to drinking water and green tea all

day.

I don't drink spirits - I have been drinking beer because there was no decent red wine left in the house.....

[cdmtdm]

i agree lazy and hectic are two worlds apart , i apologise for using the wrong term ,,,, if you have staff have them make one batch per day and keep it in the fridge , 1 litre is stacks for the day ...80% veg &20% ,fruit i have a recipe they can follow easy and it tastes great ...happy to share it if you want ....if you go out in the day fill a small bottle and take it with u ... wean yourself off the milk , the milk here in Thailand is below par and you dont need it ...replace it with the juice from above , water , a good red at night , plus black coffee or green tea to fill in the gaps ...

good your liver is ok ,,,, the high cholestrol reading is an interesting topic ,,,, High HDL is what you want , its the readings on the LDL ( big and small particles ) that needs to be looked at .... low cholestrol is not healthy !! the medical world is just waking upto the importance of the role cholestrol plays in fighting inflammation , lowering cholesterol by using drugs such as Statins is just playing russian roulette ....

Edited December 18, 2014 by cdmtdm

[MrTee]

Make your own green tea..

so much better than Osihi..

Boil kettle - add one or 2 bags to a cup.. add sugar or honey to taste - leave to steep. pour over ice in to a suitable container..

2 litres for the price of 2 tea bags.

What is the point of it, when you add sugar again.

I drink it hot, which sounds strange in hot Thailand but after trying a while I started to love it. Of course cold is another option.

Some may add a lemon to cold green tea so it tastes a bit more interesting.

The salient word you chose to ignore "taste" "add sugar to taste", so up to you. don;t like sugar, then don't add it

I find I prefer a quarter/third of a tea-spoon in a cup of green tea.

I drink it hot too.

I like Osihi, but find it too sweet and I dread to think what preservatives it may contain .. I never ever drink sugar free drinks as they contain nasty chemical cocktails and fek that, so I prefer to make my own and its cheaper.

[simon43]

i have a recipe they can follow easy and it tastes great ...happy to share it if you want

Definitely interested. Pleqse post it or PM it to me.

Thanks

[h90]

Actually, 'lazy' is not the correct word to describe my lifestyle. 'Hectic' is a far better choice, since I have to look after my three 24/7 hotels, plus 'babysit' tourists at the airport and another 30 hotels in this area where I'm the local TPV. Don't really get much time to play around with juicers and blenders.

My annual check-up shows no issues, no fatty liver, low blood pressure, just a high chorestoral level that I'm trying to reduce.

Commercial brand tomato juice is a good idea, as is beetroot juice No way will I cut out red wine - it is proven to significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.

Brewing my own green tea is within my limited skills/time.

If I ditch the soy milk, is there a good alternative to it or dairy milk? I don't want to limit myself to drinking water and green tea all

day.

I don't drink spirits - I have been drinking beer because there was no decent red wine left in the house.....

That is exactly the same reason why I don't blend. Hectic lifestyle in a company.

Make a quick green (or not green) tea. Put water in the water heater, turn it on. Take a tea-bag and a glass, put it in, wait the last few seconds for the hot water and put it into the glass total significant less than a minute.

For me: With all the hectic at 11 AM I go exercise for 45-60 min. Phone turned off, music turned on. Before hectic afterwards hectic, but between this time for relax and free my mind.

2 min take shower, zero fat dairy milk with chocolate flavored protein powder and back into the office.

[jaywalker]

M Roy Ha Sip!

[kingstonkid]

I too went on a soy milk kick. Then I found out that soy milk is loaded with estrogen and it makes you grow tits. Is there nothing that is truly good for you?

What's your cup size LOL

[SOTIRIOS]

.....buy a juicer and a blender....and make your own....

...soya is not as good for you as once thought...there are other cereals/grains that you can produce 'milk' from.....

...raw milk is supposed to be magical....

...avoid high fructose corn syrup at all costs...and artificial sweeteners.....

[h90]

.....buy a juicer and a blender....and make your own....

...soya is not as good for you as once thought...there are other cereals/grains that you can produce 'milk' from.....

...raw milk is supposed to be magical....

...avoid high fructose corn syrup at all costs...and artificial sweeteners.....

I would be afraid of raw milk in this climate and hygienic conditions.

[Suradit69]

I forgot, one cup of coffee in the morning as well.

I drink soymilk because I thought it was more healthy than cows' milk?

I drink green tea because I thought it was a healthy drink, but I am aware that Oishi adds sugar.

This is my problem. I want to drink healthy drinks, but what is on offer in the shops are anything but healthy!

"I drink green tea because I thought it was a healthy drink, but I am aware that Oishi adds sugar."

So buy some green tea bags and make your own green tea to drink hot or cold. Then you can control what's in the drink. The bottled green teas come in versions without sugar, but who knows what else they throw in. There's also a sugarless Oolong tea in bottles.

I use soy milk for some things, but these days it seems more difficult to find the "no sugar added" variety. I find the regular or "less sugar" varieties to be nauseatingly sweet.

[AlphMichaels]

TipCo produces great fruit juices, naturally sweetened (not with added sugar). All green teas..., consume only those with white caps. In your coffee, try raw honey (it's OK in small quantity..., far better than processed sugar), a dash of cinnamon, and I even add a teaspoon of organic Coconut oil. Do your research to understand benefit with the latter ingredient.

[mike324]

soy milk is loaded with estrogen and it makes you grow tits.

Ah, that explains it......

I understand that making your own fruit drinks etc is preferred, but it takes so long and I am lazy - I just want to buy a ready-made drink in the shops.

Since so many people seem to want a drink that has no added sugar etc, why aren't these sold by the manufacturers?

I'll look out for the Oishi white cap tea.

I do have a liquidiser and tried liquidising carrots, but the resulting drink tasted truly terrible. I think there is a skill to making tasty fresh fruit drinks.

I would probably avoid the soymilks from Thailand, you never know if they use GM soy to make their soy milk. They also have some questionable ingredients that I don't think its healthy and necessary. If money is not an issue buy the imported ones from Australia or the US that are GM-free and organic, they are more trust worthy. Another healthier alternative is to get a soy milk machine, all you need to do is wash the beans and drop it in the machine and add water. This machine is pretty popular in countries like Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and China.

Actually Thais seems to love sugar, the market for sugar-free drink is very small.

Why not cold brew your own green tea? I drop a spoonful of tea leafs in a 1.5 litre bottle and let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Longan juice is another healthy drink. You can find it in quite a few places, but they are also full of sugar. You can buy dried longans, add water and boil it, even though its call juice thats how its made.

Asparagus juice is also another one, boil it in hot water and drink it cold.

Ones I listed above are commonly found in Chinese speaking countries where people drink it for health reasons.

[h90]

soy milk is loaded with estrogen and it makes you grow tits.

Ah, that explains it......

I understand that making your own fruit drinks etc is preferred, but it takes so long and I am lazy - I just want to buy a ready-made drink in the shops.

Since so many people seem to want a drink that has no added sugar etc, why aren't these sold by the manufacturers?

I'll look out for the Oishi white cap tea.

I do have a liquidiser and tried liquidising carrots, but the resulting drink tasted truly terrible. I think there is a skill to making tasty fresh fruit drinks.

I would probably avoid the soymilks from Thailand, you never know if they use GM soy to make their soy milk. They also have some questionable ingredients that I don't think its healthy and necessary. If money is not an issue buy the imported ones from Australia or the US that are GM-free and organic, they are more trust worthy. Another healthier alternative is to get a soy milk machine, all you need to do is wash the beans and drop it in the machine and add water. This machine is pretty popular in countries like Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and China.

Actually Thais seems to love sugar, the market for sugar-free drink is very small.

Why not cold brew your own green tea? I drop a spoonful of tea leafs in a 1.5 litre bottle and let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Longan juice is another healthy drink. You can find it in quite a few places, but they are also full of sugar. You can buy dried longans, add water and boil it, even though its call juice thats how its made.

Asparagus juice is also another one, boil it in hot water and drink it cold.

Ones I listed above are commonly found in Chinese speaking countries where people drink it for health reasons.

Just an add that fits here well: "No sugar added" doesn't mean that there is no sugar added.....The only way to be sure is to read everything exactly, it can be hidden in "grape juice concentrate" or similar wording.

[tj916]

Not to everyone's taste but EST have just brought out sugarless coke. Available Big C 20baht a litre.

I actually prefer it to diet coke/Pepsi.

Other drinks, fruit juice or Fanta, I mix 50/50 with water.

[tezzainthailand]

At least 3 litres of water a day, an electrolyte beverage powder, cheap at 6 baht and available at your local 7/11 and TL has glucose and little or no sugar from what I can tell, so 1 or 2 of them a day can't do any harm. I buy the Green tea bags (no sugar) from TL, boil up hot water and drop in a couple bags, let it steep for half an hour and drink it warm, sure it tastes horrible, but you can feel the benefits, it has cleared up headaches, does so much good. Add lemon juice and a little honey if you need to reduce the horribleness. TL have a range of low or no sugar green teas on their shelves, the taste okay, and the short bottles of chicken essence you get from 7/11 have health benefits, even if they are a little pricey.

All the others I would drink in moderation, every second day and coffee a couple times a week, no more.

[MDS]

Swap the lot for a case of San Mig Light !

[kieran2698]

A shot glass of your morning piss is one of the healthiest ways to start the day.

[mikiea]

well simon , seems you have all the bases covered for old lady life . good luck :-)

[kieran2698]

Soy reputed by many to be dangerous. I would not touch it. Of course, if this is true, commercial interests may fund their own repies, even indirectly, overridng the alternative view, so that the consumer finds his logical mind confused. The truth can be found by aksing the intuition, or being assisted by such a methodology as kenesiology to see just what tjis particular body nees to imbibe, or to stay away from..

Beet root and carrot juice very healthy, and very cleansing for the system.

I think basically fermented soy products are very beneficial whereas the non-fermented, such as milk, is actually a slight risk as it contains some toxins. For some the benefits of a protein rich drinkable alternative to milk may actually outweigh the risks as some do find it hard to consume enough protein but, Soy milk is probably best avoided by all but those with health problems and the elderly. The fermented soy products such as tofu on the other hand, provide a healthy alternative to meat without the toxins and, although in my opinion a bit of a disgusting alternative, is still a viable option for vegetarians and those wishing to cut down on their meat intake.

Edited December 19, 2014 by kieran2698

[NoshowJones]

7-11 is sugar central , its where the sugar junkies hangout ...once your hooked its hard to get off it ,,,, sugar is 8 times more addictive than cocaine , children are exposed at a young age hence addiction is far worse ,,,, feel sorry for the teachers here ....

So to answer the Op question , with a Fatty Liver you already know the answer ....anything that contains zero sugar , processed or unprocessed .

What about the 'All You Need' 25 Baht bottles in 7-11? I understand there is only about 150 Cals per bottle, though I may be wrong.

[SattahipBri]

Actually, 'lazy' is not the correct word to describe my lifestyle. 'Hectic' is a far better choice, since I have to look after my three 24/7 hotels, plus 'babysit' tourists at the airport and another 30 hotels in this area where I'm the local TPV. Don't really get much time to play around with juicers and blenders.

My annual check-up shows no issues, no fatty liver, low blood pressure, just a high chorestoral level that I'm trying to reduce.

Commercial brand tomato juice is a good idea, as is beetroot juice No way will I cut out red wine - it is proven to significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.

Brewing my own green tea is within my limited skills/time.

If I ditch the soy milk, is there a good alternative to it or dairy milk? I don't want to limit myself to drinking water and green tea all

day.

I don't drink spirits - I have been drinking beer because there was no decent red wine left in the house.....

A good alternative to dairy milk is almond milk.

[louse1953]

soy milk is loaded with estrogen and it makes you grow tits.

Since so many people seem to want a drink that has no added sugar etc, why aren't these sold by the manufacturers?

I'm not so sure many Thai people want the no added sugar alternatives. Putting aside the debate if NAS, low fat etc. are really any better for you, you only have to look at the choices in Asian supermarkets (not only in Thailand) compared to the US etc. to see how few alternatives are stocked. If I have anything in the fridge or pantry that is low salt, NAS or low fat then I know it will never be touched by anyone other than myself.

If I made my wife an iced coffee with skim milk and coffee, nothing else added like I drink myself, then she would think I am trying to poison her

If I read a package label (something few Thais ever do) and tell her what it says e.g. that the 'healthy' (it says so on the label so it must be true) box of 10x20gm banana snacks contain 180 calories and 3 teaspoons of sugar in each 20gm portion,then it only irritates her as she tells me I'm trying to stop her enjoying her food...

Yes,aloy,mai aloy is a problem in Thailand.

[jacko45k]

I have started to drink Kefir milk in place of the prior large Leo, feel somewhat improved!

[SiSePuede419]

I'm addicted to French/Italian roast coffee, coconut water (no brand--straight from the coconut off the tree) and fried seaweed with sesame seeds.

Sorry, I can't read much Thai yet, so can't quote the other brand names. I'm just a stupid Mexican...

[Johnnie99]

Clearly the OP is not British or he would know that the only truly healthy drink is tea.

Not a blend, or those brushed-up-from-the-floor tea bag things, but a single leaf such as Assam.

Having said that, if all the things the other posters are wittering on about were really as bad as they say, wouldn't we all be dead?

[seancbk]

no coffee or tea in the morning?

Caffeine is bad for you.