Category Archives: drinks

New Healthy Indulgence

by Miradrinks, gluten free, health, nutrients, reviews, substitutions

Photo credit: Nevit

I've only recently returned from California where I spent several days with my Mentor Helayne Waldman, working with her on her upcoming book. It was truly wonderful to spend the time with her, we got so much accomplished and she is just an amazing person to hang out with.

As a nutrition professional she also pays a lot of attention to food and the holistic concepts of mindful and enjoyable eating. Liz Lipski, one of my nutrition heroes, says that we frequently fuel our bodies the way we fuel our cars – stop -gas -go. I think she's right and I definitely agree with the idea that mealtimes and enjoyment of meals should be more than just refueling. Helayne and I certainly enjoyed some wonderful meals together, always making time to stop, take a break and enjoy our meals (both the preparation and the eating) in the midst of working. As a foodie person I think it's great fun to learn new ideas and new recipes from other foodies.

While I was visiting, Helayne introduced me to a new healthy indulgence; it's so delicious I just have to share. I've been enjoying it every day since I got home. It's a great start to my morning and a satisfying addition to my usual alkalizing water, herbal tea, green tea routine.

As a disclaimer…the links to Amazon are through this blog. If you purchase them through the link I do make a few pennies via my affiliate account.

The drink? Equal parts of Capra Mineral When and Dandy Blend mixed together with hot water. Then topped off with some sort of dairy alternative. Almond milk or coconut milk are great, for a really decadent treat drop a dollop of Coco-Bliss vanilla ice cream in there.

In addition to being tasty there are some other nutritional benefits to using goat whey. It is alkaline, has a good electrolyte balance and contains over 20 different minerals. Goat milk, and whey, is much easier on the digestive system than cows milk. Many people who are lactose intolerant of cows milk are able to take goats milk, and whey, without a problem.

Dandy blend is a gluten-free powder containing water soluble extracts of dandelion, chicory, beets, barley and rye. While barley and rye contain gluten the way they are processed to obtain the water soluble extracts leaves all of the gluten behind. The company was kind enough to share that they test with Elisa Technologies Laboratory on a regular basis to ensure the gluten free status of their product. It has good levels of both major and trace minerals plus the liver and blood support provided by dandelion. The company promotes it a a coffee alternative for those trying to get off coffee. Having not had coffee for over 12 years that's not really an issue for me but I will say that it is delicious.

Added together I feel that the Mineral Whey and Dandy Blend drink in the morning provides me with a great mineralizing, alkalizing boost to my day. While I'm currently drinking it as a warm beverage I can see where it might be a great substitute for iced lattes, added to smoothies or other such drinks. If you have any ideas or recipes to share please let me know, I'd love to hear about it.

Quench Your Thirst With Agua Fresca

by Miradrinks, fruit, seasons, summer

Agua fresca is Spanish for fresh waters. It's a refreshing non-alcoholic summer-y drink with origins in Mexico where it is sold by street vendors. In South and Central American stores or restaurants you can sometimes you can find it in large containers where it is ladled out by the glassful. Agua fresca is a great drink for warm weather. It's a hydrating and satisfying thirst quencher that is much better than soda or over-sugared bottled drinks and fountain drinks.

Agua fresca is usually made with fruit, lime juice, and water. Watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberry, and pineapple are popular flavors. When you make them at home the ingredients can be adjusted for personal taste. Often there's no need to add sugar, because the fruits are sweet enough on their own. Because you don't strain the agua fresca after blending it (unless it's too thick in which case you can lightly strain to remove larger pieces) you're also getting some of the healthy fiber.

What fruits to use

Just about any fruit or fruit combination is fair game when it comes to agua fresca. Of course you'll need water and lime juice. Substitute lemon if you're out of limes, but trust me it's somehow better with lime juice. Mangos, peaches, pineapple, there's really no limit to the tasty and refreshing combinations you can make.

One of my personal choices for a great agua fresca is watermelon which is abundantly available in the summertime. Juicy and delicious, watermelon is in vitamin C and lycopene, as well as being rich in the electrolytes potassium and sodium. This makes it a fabulous choice for summer time when we tend to lose a lot of electrolytes through perspiration.

Luciano Pavarotti once said, “Watermelon, it's a great fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.” If you're eating it that's certainly true. With an agua fresca you can still enjoy the wonderful flavor and not have to worry about the wash your face part. Here's my favorite recipe:

Agua Fresca

2016-12-24 03:49:42

Save Recipe

Ingredients

2 C. strawberries, dehulled
3 C. watermelon, removed from the rind and pitted
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/3-1/2 C. of ice cold water
mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

Place berries, watermelon and lime juice in a blender
Blend until well mixed
Add water until you reach a consistency that you prefer
Garnish and enjoy!

The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

Carbonated Water

by Miradrinks, questions

In response to a recent post my Aunt wrote and asked, “What do you advise about carbonated water? I prepare a drink for treats–carbonated water over ice cubes topped off with a splash of home brewed mint extract (made by filling a bottle with sprigs of fresh mint, filling with boiling water, letting it stand until it all cools down, fishing out the then wilted mint leaves, topping off the extract bottle with cool water, covering and keeping it refrigerated), a splash of apple juice and a wedge of sliced lemon.”

This sounds like a really tasty treat and a very healthy beverage choice as long as the apple juice is 100% juice with no high fructose corn syrup. I remember drinking a mint water/water/lemon concoction when I visited which was delicious and the apple juice sounds like a really nice touch. As soon as my mint, currently struggling in the Texas heat, gets big enough I'll have to start making my own mint extract to have on hand.

I did want to take this opportunity to explain the differences between the different types of carbonated waters out there. This explanation assumes that these are plain, unflavored versions of the different waters.

Seltzer water is simply water to which carbonation has been added. The carbonation is caused by adding pressurized carbon dioxide gas to the water. You can make your own seltzer water, very inexpensively, at home using a soda maker.

Club soda, sometimes also called soda water, is very similar to seltzer but frequently contains added sodium, either in the form of table salt, sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium sulfate, or disodium phosphate. Sodium levels vary depending on the manufacturer. For anyone watching sodium intake it is important to read the label when purchasing this product.

Tonic water is also a carbonated beverage and usually has a slightly bitter taste. This is from the quinine used to flavor it. Quinine was believed to to be helpful in treating malaria but was so bitter that it could not be drunk by itself and was put into a “tonic”. Apparently there is not enough quinine in tonic water to be medicinally effective. Most tonic waters are flavored with either lemon or lime and have sugar in them. The labels I saw indicated 80 calories and 21.6 g of sugar per 8 ounces making this not a good beverage choice for regular consumption.

If you have a healthy beverage recipe that you'd like to share please leave a message in the comments. It's always nice to try new flavors.

photo courtesy of freefoto.com