Day 23 – Goji Berry Ginger Lemonade and Why It’s Awesome

When life gives you lemons, make a pitcher of Goji Berry Ginger Lemonade!

I love lemonade, except for the huge amount of refined white sugar in most recipes. This recipe is much healthier than the typical lemonade recipe, and in my opinion, so much better.

I remember summers as a child; my mom would make a big pitcher of lemonade and would use a frozen can of iced tea concentrate as the sweetener. She used this instead of white sugar to make it healthier. Yes, there is still plenty of sugar in the concentrate, but give her some credit, it was the..ahem.. 80’s after all!

Today’s super drink is sweetened with goji berries. They are an amazing dried fruit that remind me of fruit snacks (or gummy lollies depending on where you are reading this) because of their chewy texture. Goji berries are amazing; they boost your immune system, enhance your eyesight, protect your skin from the sun, and increase brain function. Gojis have the highest concentration of protein and amino acids of any fruit on earth. They boast 15 times the amount of iron found in spinach, and they are packed with calcium, zinc, and many other important trace minerals. Goji berries and ginger are both full of antioxidants which neutralize free radicals.

Ginger relieves nausea and indigestion, prevents motion sickness, is useful in helping arthritis, can reduce cholesterol levels in blood, and it is an aphrodisiac!

Lemons have an alkalizing effect on the body and restore its natural pH levels. They are rich in vitamin C, stimulate the liver to cleanse itself, and strengthen blood vessels.

Every ingredient in this lemonade has a long list of health benefits!

There are several Goji Berry Ginger Lemonade recipes floating around on the internet. I, of course, am partial to mine.

Goji Berry Lemonade

1/2 cup goji berries (soaked 2-3 hours)
2 Tbsp ginger, grated
1 lemon, juice and zest
3 cups water

• Soak berries right in the jug/pitcher of your blender with the 3 cups of water for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
• Add remaining ingredients to the blender. Blend until liquefied.
• Strain pulp from juice. Add more water as necessary.
• Serve chilled out of the refrigerator or warmed gently on the stove.