Drink Your Vitamins And Stay Healthy

You've seen all the colorful bottles and waters. Designer water drinks are very popular these days. But is it possible to drink your vitamins, and actually get something nutritious out of it? Can you stay healthy by blending a powder with water or buying a vitamin-infused bottle of water?

According to many nutritionists, yes, you can pick up valuable vitamins and minerals, depending on what kind of drink you ingest.

Doctors will tell you, that nothing compares with eating loads of fruits and vegetables. But you can try drinking your vitamins, and actually benefit. And for those women out there who are vegetarians, women who are sucking soda all day, dieting women, teenagers, and older women, it couldn't hurt to drink your vitamins.

Vitamin waters are marketed attractively. The bottles and the water beverages in them, all look colorful and make you want to grab them off the grocery shelves. But these waters are not perfect. Some contain sugar, fats, or sodium. And some even have high calories.

Body bulders will tell you that whey protein powder supplements are more effective for the body than a vitamin water. And they might have something there, because women, especially, do not get enough protein in their diets.

William Evans, director of Nutrition, Metabolism, and Exercise Laboratory at the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging at the University of Arkansas explains why:

"Roughly 25 percent of adults over age 20, and 40 percent of those age 70 and up, fall below it, according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics, let alone eat enough to protect bones or muscle. And thin women, dieting women and elderly women--who are especially vulnerable to the ravages of bone and muscle loss--are notoriously low on protein. "Losing muscle causes older people to become weak and frail," says Evans..

Why do bodybuilders swear by whey protein?

1. Whey protein supplies the body with many amino acids. And these are essential for good health.

2. Whey protein has in it, a number of similar ingredients found in mother's milk. Whey is an important ingredient in baby formulas.

3. Whey protein is used by athletes to repair and build muscles after a strenuous workout.

Here are 4 Vitamin Drinks to try:

Optimum Nutrition Instantized 100% Whey Dietary Supplement. ($30, 80 servings, at health & nutrition stores). Just mix with water. 24 grams Protein per serving, 2 grams Carbohydrates, 160 mg. Calcium, 160 mg. Potassium. Only 110 Calories and only 1 gram total Fat.

N.V. Perricone, M.D. Super Berry Powder with Acai. ($60 for 30 servings). One scoop mixed with water delivers super anti-oxidant protection and essential amino and fatty acids. Full of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries and acai (the high energy berry from the Amazon).

Dr. Brandt Anti-Oxidant Water Booster in Blueberry. ($35 for 60 servings). Just mix one-dropper full into a cup of water. Contains 90% Polyphenols, the anti-oxidant found in green tea.

Special K Protein Water (K20). ($1.50 a bottle). Dieters have fallen in love with K20. It tastes good and is filling, and many prefer it to a soda. You get 5 grams Protein and 8 grams Sugar in a 16 0z. serving.