At a friend's party or backyard barbecue, your beverage choices may be limited. Many times, you can choose between only soda or an alcoholic beverage such as beer or wine. You know that neither option is a good one in terms of hydration, but you may wonder about the better choice.

Constipation is a frequent problem in the United States -- the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse website indicates that over four million Americans suffer from frequent constipation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate guide to healthy eating recommends you include a serving of fruit at each meal. Smoothies can be an easy and tasty way for you to meet your mealtime fruit needs. It can also be healthy if you include the right ingredients.

Body gas is a natural occurrence, and many of the healthy foods you need in your diet can contribute to increased gas. Drinking water may help your digestion, reducing the amount of gas you produce. However, the only certain way of reducing gas is to cut back on gas-causing foods.

Peanut milk is one option to try if you follow a casein-free diet because, contrary to its name, it does not contain real milk. This beverage is made by blending peanuts with water and adding sweeteners or seasonings such as cinnamon. Peanut milk provides some nutritional benefits you won't get from cow's milk.

Bottled water is increasingly common, with Americans drinking more than 2 billion gallons of it each year. With the large variety of different types of water on the market, it can be confusing to know the difference between one and the other.

Strong, tart and malty with a dark reddish brown color, Assam tea is named after the Assam region of northeast India, the world’s largest tea growing region. Assam tea is classified as a type of black tea and is commonly referred to as English breakfast or Irish breakfast tea.

A swollen painful roof of the mouth after drinking alcohol may result from excessive drinking the night before or may indicate underlying health issues. You can get a dry mouth from drinking too much because high amounts of alcohol cause a dry mouth from dehydration.

Carbonated beverages contain an acidic molecule called carbonic acid that decomposes when you open a bottle or can of a fizzy drink. The decomposition of carbonic acid produces the characteristic soda fizz. Despite its acidic properties, there's no evidence to suggest that carbonic acid in beverages does you any harm.

Alcohol goes directly to the bloodstream and avoids the normal digestive process. Drinking alcohol causes the red blood cells to cluster together and thicken. Capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that connect small veins and arteries, may break because of the pressure.

Eat a variety of fruit, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds for good health. These food groups contain fiber. Daily fiber intake, along with physical activity, can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, manage blood sugar, control weight and help you feel full.

Debris remains in the colon after long periods of time. This debris blocks the absorption of nutrients and the removal of waste from the system. A good colon cleanse can help put you back in the pink. There are two ways to use aloe vera as a colon cleanse. One way is injecting it with water into the colon.