Picture it now: You and your loved ones are having a fun get-together on a sunny Sunday afternoon. You’ve just finished tossing a frisbee around or playing a round of cornhole when you have a sudden thirst for something refreshing and flavorful. But what will you drink? Luckily, someone comes walking out the backdoor with a nice pitcher of ice-cold lemonade! And not just any lemonade—this beverage is filled with numerous health benefits and is naturally sweetened with honey. Let’s take a look at how you can make some healthy lemonade.
Tip: Get the most juice out of your freshly squeezed lemons by warming them up in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, apply pressure by rolling them on the counter, and slice the lemons lengthwise instead of crosswise before you hand juice the fruit.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups of white grape juice
1 cup of water
Pinch of turmeric (optional)
Directions
Juice your lemons.
Blend or stir all of the ingredients until combined.
Enjoy a refreshing glass, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Ingredients
2 cups of strawberries
2 cups of lemon juice
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 teaspoon of stevia extract
6 cups of water
1/8 teaspoon of salt
Directions
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a glass and add ice. You can even sprinkle with a garnish of cut-up strawberries and lemon slices.
Ingredients
3-4 peaches
3/4 cup of lemon juice
3/4 cup of stevia
5 cups of water
Directions
Cut peaches into cubes and juice your lemons.
In a pot over a stove, add half your water, half the lemon juice, all of your peaches, and the sugar.
Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes. The peaches should look squishy, and the skin should begin peeling off.
Once it has cooled, strain the mixture over a bowl with a colander or metal strainer. Mash the rest of the liquid out of the peaches left in the colander. Discard what is leftover from the peach mashing.
Add the remaining water and lemon juice to the mixture. You can then strain through a fine-mesh strainer if you wish to remove the pulp.
Serve over ice, and add some fresh mint for garnish.
Ingredients
2 cups of blackberries
1/2 cup of lemon juice, freshly squeezed is best
1/2 cup of coconut sugar
4 cups of water
1 cup of ice cubes
Directions
Blend the blackberries with water until it becomes a smooth mixture. Strain to remove the seeds.
Add lemon juice and coconut sugar to the blackberry juice. Mix until it has dissolved.
Refrigerate the mixture until chilled.
Serve with ice and garnish with a lemon slice or mint. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup of lemon juice, freshly squeezed is best
1/2 cup of raw honey
3 cups of water
1 cup of ice cubes
Directions
Place all ingredients in a blender.
Puree for 30 seconds to one minute or until the honey dissolves.
Serve and enjoy! Or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yes! Especially when you find alternatives to granulated sugar, lemonade—and other fruit flavorings—can provide you with lots of health benefits. Citrus fruits like lemons are high in vitamin C, which helps protect cells from damage, improves your immune system, and may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Lemons may support weight loss, may help improve skin quality, aid digestion, and help prevent kidney stones.
Some fruits have been deemed “superfruits” due to their numerous benefits. There are lots of health-boosting compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Fruits like lemons, strawberries, peaches, and blackberries are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients.
Filled with antioxidants like vitamin C and phenolic acids, strawberries may help reduce heart disease risk factors, lower inflammatory markers, and increase fiber intake. This berry may also protect against heart disease and certain cancers.
The best way to eat a peach is raw—or blend the entire fruit in a healthy lemonade recipe—due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory levels. Peaches also provide a good source of fiber, vitamin C, provitamin A, and potassium.
A study shows that those who drink blackberry juice and pulp daily experienced significant reductions in blood pressure and increases in HDL or good cholesterol.
Another study shows that lemon intake may also reduce blood pressure. Lemons are also strong in anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetes properties.
Use one of these fruity recipes to get a little immunity and wellness boost to your system. If you’re looking for more ways to improve your health this sunny season, schedule an appointment with a St. Joseph and Texas A&M Health Network primary care physician. And remember, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
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