Drench Your Heart in Liquid Love

With its sweet taste and low calorie count, downing a diet soda sounds like a healthy treat. But you may want to replace that cola for something that will fortify your body. A 10-year study on more than 2,500 adults shows that daily consumption increases the risk of stroke and heart attacks. Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett says trading in that low-calorie soft drink for a little spice and sizzle will help keep your heart strong and healthy.
 
Wonderful Water
When it comes to quenching thirst, nothing is better than water. The zero calorie drink is easily accessible and it helps keep your blood clean and your ticker tocking! Besides that, it lubricates your insides so things run smoothly, helps quell hunger and fights bad breath. While some recommend eight classes per day, everyone is different, so drink just enough throughout the day to keep your urine clear.
 
Sweet Coconut Water
If you prefer something sweeter, try coconut water. Don’t worry, it’s not the thick coconut cream that comes in a can. The water from a young coconut is clear and loaded with electrolytes, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and natural sugar. As an isotonic solution, coconut water replaces the fluids and minerals that the body loses during physical activities, and can be thought of as nature’s sports drink. Pasteurized coconut water is now available in most health food and major grocery stores.
 
Natural Sparkle
Found in health food stores, kombucha tea is sour, tart and naturally effervescent. Some people feel a natural rush after drinking the beverage made from fermented sweetened tea. The ancient Chinese dubbed it the “Immortal Health Elixir.” Kombucha has not been scientifically studied, but among health enthusiasts, and in Chinese culture, it is known for cleansing the blood, preventing or treating arthritis, and improving digestion.
 
Some Like It Hot
Superior to vitamin E, ginger’s most pronounced effect is its ability to reverse inflammation, which is a major risk factor of heart disease. Plus, researchers at Cornell Medical School reported that ginger inhibits a blood-thickening enzyme as well as aspirin. Ginger’s aspirin-like properties protect against platelet aggregation, strengthen the cardiac muscle, improve circulation and lower serum cholesterol. Ginger Tea is a spicy zero calorie drink. Just run two inches of fresh ginger through a garlic press and add into one cup of warm water. Enjoy hot or cold.
 
Leave that diet soda in the can and drench your heart in healthy liquids, it’ll love you for it!
 
Judi Sheppard Missett, who turned her love of jazz dance into a worldwide dance exercise phenomenon, founded the Jazzercise dance fitness program in 1969. She has advanced the business opportunities of women and men in the fitness industry by growing the program into an international franchise business that today, hosts a network of 7,800 instructors teaching more than 32,000 classes weekly in 32 countries.
 
The workout program, which offers a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, cardio box and Latin style movements, has positively affected millions of people worldwide. Benefits include increased cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility, as well as an overall "feel good" factor.  Additional Jazzercise programs include Junior Jazzercise, Jazzercise Lite and Personal Touch.  For more information on Jazzercise go to jazzercise.com or call (800)FIT-IS-IT or (760)476-1750.