Close your eyes and imagine warm weather, a light breeze, the perfect summer day… June is always the time when we get excited for fresh foods and fresh air. It’s barbeque season. A time to savor those special moments when we spend time with our family and friends on the deck, grilling our favorite foods. It’s simple to eat healthy in the summer because there is an abundance of natural meats and vegetables and fruits. Often, these delicious and nutritious meals are paired with less healthy soft drinks. Here is a great recipe to make a delicious and immune boosting, digestion promoting, thirst-quenching drink!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup (packed) chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh ginger
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups (about) cold water
- Ice cubes
- Fresh mint leaves
- Lemon slices
Directions:
- Combine chopped mint, ginger, and honey in medium bowl.
- Add boiling water. Let steep 30 minutes.
- Strain into 4-cup glass measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract liquid.
- Add lemon juice and enough cold water to measure 4 cups total.
- Fill glasses with ice cubes. Add lemonade.
- Garnish with mint leaves and lemon slices and serve.
This can recipe can be prepared 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated!
[This recipe was adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fresh-mint-and-ginger-lemonade-200546]
Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo, PhD, PT, IMT,C is the President and Owner of Integrative Wellness & Physical Therapy in Bloomfield, CT, a wellness center specializing in holistic Physical Therapy, nutritional wellness and Functional Medicine, and Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT). Dr. Connell-Giammatteo is a Physical Therapist and Certified Integrative Manual Therapist. She has been practicing in the field of IMT for over 15 years. Dr. Connell-Giammatteo is also a local of this community and has been living in the Greater Hartford area for many years, where she integrates a healthy lifestyle at home with her wonderful family.