Three Moments, Three Drinks: Making My Everyday Wellness Routine a Little More Interesting.
I am a great believer that healthy habits don’t necessarily have to involve completely changing your life.
In fact, I think the things that are easiest to stick to are often the smallest changes. Drinking a little more water, getting enough protein, adding more fruit and vegetables to your diet, they don’t sound particularly exciting, but they are the sorts of things that can make a difference when they become part of your everyday routine.
So, when I was given the opportunity to try a few drinks from Benefit Juice and Vieve, I decided not to approach them as a traditional product review.
Instead, I wanted to see where they would actually fit into my day.
Because let’s be honest, I don’t want to be making elaborate wellness drinks every morning. If something involves five different ingredients, a blender and a kitchen that looks like a bomb has gone off afterwards, there is a fairly good chance it isn’t going to become part of my routine!
What I liked about these drinks is that they can simply be chilled, poured and enjoyed, but each one lends itself to a slightly different moment.
Morning: Carrot, Mango & Ginger
There is something about starting the day with a glass of juice that makes me feel as though I have my life slightly more together!
The Benefit Carrot, Mango & Ginger is the one I naturally reached for in the morning. The mango brings sweetness, while the ginger gives it a little bit of a kick, so it doesn’t feel like a particularly worthy glass of vegetable juice.
I like it simply poured over ice alongside breakfast.
If I’m having yoghurt and granola, for example, the fruity flavour works beautifully alongside it. It would also make a lovely accompaniment to a leisurely weekend breakfast when you want something a little different from your usual tea or coffee.
My serving suggestion
Carrot, Mango & Ginger over ice with a squeeze of fresh lime.
The lime adds a little acidity and makes the drink feel even fresher, particularly on a warm morning.
Benefit describes its range as juices created with nutrition and flavour in mind, with its wider range including products aimed at women’s health and wellness.
But for me, the important thing is that it actually tastes enjoyable. Healthy intentions don’t count for much if you don’t want to drink the product!
Midday: Watermelon Protein Water
My second drink fits into a completely different part of my day.
Vieve Watermelon Protein Water is one of those products that immediately made me think: This is quite clever.
I’m used to protein drinks being associated with thick, milky shakes or powders that must be mixed up. Vieve takes a completely different approach, putting 20g of protein into a water-style drink. It is dairy and lactose free, sugar free and contains zero carbs, according to the brand.
And the watermelon flavour makes it feel much more like a refreshing drink than what I traditionally think of as a protein product.
This is the one I could see myself reaching for after a busy morning, a walk or some time spent in the garden.
Rather than making it a big “post-workout nutrition” moment, I simply see it as an easy way of incorporating protein into my day when I don’t particularly fancy a traditional shake.
And, importantly, I actually enjoy drinking it.
My serving suggestion
Vieve Watermelon Protein Water, thoroughly chilled, poured over ice with a couple of slices of fresh watermelon.
You could even add a few fresh mint leaves if you’re sitting outside on a warm afternoon.
It feels much more like a refreshing summer drink than something you have to consume because it’s good for you.
And I think that is the appeal of Vieve. The brand itself acknowledges that protein drinks don’t always have the best reputation when it comes to taste, and its aim was to create a protein drink without the familiar powdery or milky experience.
Afternoon: Beetroot, Raspberry & Grape
Then we come to my afternoon drink.
There is usually a point in the day when I fancy something – and it isn’t necessarily hunger. Sometimes I simply want a change from water, tea or coffee.
This is where the Benefit Beetroot, Raspberry & Grape comes in.
The combination sounds quite intriguing when you first see it. Beetroot isn’t necessarily the first ingredient that springs to mind when you think of a fruity drink, but the raspberry and grape give it a much more familiar sweetness.
This is the one I would happily serve in a proper glass with plenty of ice.
Perhaps that’s another little trick I’ve discovered with these sorts of drinks: how you serve something can change how you experience it.
Pour it straight from the bottle and it is simply juice.
Pour it into a nice glass, add ice and a few frozen raspberries and suddenly it feels like you’ve made yourself a little afternoon treat.
My serving suggestion
Beetroot, Raspberry & Grape over ice with frozen raspberries and a splash of sparkling water.
The sparkling water lightens it and turns it into a refreshing afternoon drink – particularly when you’re sitting outside.
And if you have friends over, it will make a lovely non-alcoholic option too.
It’s all about finding your moment
What I have enjoyed about trying these drinks is that I haven’t felt the need to completely change my routine.
I’m not suddenly following a complicated wellness regime or replacing everything I normally drink.
Instead, they each have their own place. And perhaps that is the more realistic way to look at wellness.
Would I buy them again?
Taste is always going to be the deciding factor for me.
I don’t want to drink something simply because it has a list of impressive nutritional credentials. I want to enjoy it too.
The Benefit juices appeal because they make fruit and vegetable-based drinks feel much more interesting, while Vieve has taken something I normally associate with a protein shake and made it considerably lighter and more refreshing. Vieve’s Watermelon flavour is part of a wider range of protein waters, including Peach & Raspberry, Wild Cherry, Strawberry & Rhubarb and Orange & Mango.
And I particularly like the fact that all three can be enjoyed in different ways.
Lilly Light