Health Drinks

Serves one

½ a fresh preferably unwaxed lemon (or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice)

2-4 gratings of lemon zest

1 Tbsp. Grade B (the dark stuff) pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

Or 2 tsp. honey

8 oz/235ml. boiled hot water

A dash of chipotle or cayenne chili powder (optional)

Squeeze the juice of lemon into a favorite mug or cup.

Add a few gratings of lemon zest* if wished, avoiding the bitter pith.

Add the maple syrup and chili powder then pour in the hot water, stir to combine and let stand for a few minutes before sipping.

Natasha MacAller, Chef/Author/Culinary Consultant

*All types of citrus zest have more beneficial compounds than their juice

The Kefir recipe is very simple. I use milk kefir grains (it shouldn’t work but it does.) I originaly got the grains from a commercial online store but I have now had them for several years and they keep growing, that’s why I decided to try them in grape juice and apple juice. The apple juice works best.

1 tablespoon of kefir grains in a litre of apple juice in a glass jar, leave to ferment for 48 hours.
Pour through a sieve (to catch all the grains) into a new litre jar or 2 half litre jars and store in the fridge.
Return the grains and another litre of apple juice to the glass jar for 48 hours.

Repeat.

I sometimes add extra flavour with ginger or sour cherry juice.

Kale, banana, pear, mixed seeds + flaxseeds, yoghurt, kefir lime blueberries , raspberries and tumeric (I think)!

“The Ugly Version” of a probiotic smoothie had spinach, dinosaur kale celery, bananas, pears, cucumber, lemon and mixed seeds, yogurt & milk – more information soon…

Professor Tim Spector MB MSc MD FRCP. Tim Spector is a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Director of the TwinsUK Registry at Kings College, London.

All of the ingredients in this recipe have numerous and well documented health benefits. It’s a refreshing and invigorating drink that I recommend for cold & flu relief and prevention in the winter months..but it’s also a fine idea to drink this daily with breakfast to promote general health- if you take the time to research the ingredients, you’ll see that the health benefits of this drink extend vastly beyond colds & flu. Fine tune the ratio of ingredients to your taste, it’s a tasty and superior replacement for tea, coffee or traditional juice at breakfast time.

1/2 Lemon (peeled) either juiced or squeezed.
1 turmeric root – juiced or fine grated
1 heaped tablespoon (or more) of ginger root – juiced or fine grated
A dash of Cayenne Pepper
A dash of Black Pepper

You can substitute the fresh ginger and/or the turmeric for their powdered equivalents, but this will be less potent and will not taste as good. I think it’s essential for at least the ginger to be fresh. I find the peppers offset the tart of the lemon, without resorting to sweetening the drink with honey or sugar – which lessens the health benefits.

Add all the ingredients to a mug of hot water and enjoy with your breakfast.

Alternatively, if you have juiced everything you can down as a shot without the hot water.