Super C Hydrating Fizzy Refresher

This is one of by favorite refreshing pick-em-up drinks. I drink it nearly every day and I really miss it when I don’t. This is one of my ‘happy foods’, combining red bush tea (also known as rooibos) and the fermented wonder-drink kombucha. Rooibos tea is high in minerals, loaded with antioxidants and very hydrating, making it a great isotonic sports drink.

Combine the hydrating properties of Red Bush tea, the vitamin C and antioxidant properties from superfoods camu camu and lemon, and the energizing zing of kombucha and what have you got? Why a Super C Fizzy Antioxidant Refresher of course! Okay, enough silliness. But seriously, this tasty beverage always lifts my spirit as well as my energy levels. It’s quick and easy to make, but so good for you. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

2 cups Red Bush tea (2 cups boiling water, 1 red bush tea bag, make the day before and store it in the fridge overnight and it will be ready to make a cool, refreshing drink for you the next day)
1 cup kombucha tea
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoon sweetener (raw unfiltered organic honey, raw agave syrup, or raw yacon syrup)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon camu camu powder
1/2 teaspoon MSM powder
powdered organic ginger to taste
dash of cayenne

Instructions:

I keep the red bush tea in the fridge, and make a new batch as soon as I use the tea from the previous day. This way my Super C Fizzy Antioxidant Refresher drink always comes out refreshingly cool right out of the blender.

Add all ingredients except the kombucha tea to the blender. Blend thoroughly until the sweetener is completely dissolved. Add the kombucha tea and pulse the blender briefly to just mix everything.

Serve and drink. Garnish with a sprig of fresh wild mint if you like.

Makes up to 3 servings, unless you love it as much as I do and drink it all!

Green Smoothie

Today’s green smoothie (breakfast of Champions!) came out really creamy. I’m not sure why, but I’m sure enjoying it. I’ve got 2 superfoods packed in this one, goji berries and goldenberries (a.k.a. Incan Berries and Golden Inca Berries). Just for a change I decided to add some spice – cinnamon and ginger, it’s a subtle but nice change.

Ingredients:
4 kale leaves (stalk removed)
bunch of curly parsley (any kind will do)
4 sprigs apple mint (alternatively any other fresh mint)
2.5 cups kombucha (alternatively use filtered water)
3 frozen bananas
1 handful frozen goldenberries
1 handful dried goji berries
2 good shakes of cinnamon powder
pinch of celtic sea salt
pinch of powdered ginger

Instructions:
Put all the greens into a blender. Add kombucha up to the 2.5 cup mark on my blender jug. Blend, starting on slow and gradually turning up the speed until the liquid starts turning green (at first the liquid is still clearish, with green leafy bits in it, but I keep blending on high until the bits start liquefying).

Add the rest of the ingredients, breaking up each frozen banana into about 3 pieces. You probably don’t have to break the banana if you have a super-blender, like the Vita-mix.

The banana and goldenberries will thicken the mixture, so add more kombucha or filtered water until you smoothie is the consistency you like.

This will make several large glasses, and will keep in the fridge for the rest of the day if you want to drink it throughout the day.

Tip: The quickest way I’ve found to de-stalk the kale is to grab hold of the thick end of the stalk with one hand, wrap my thumb and index finger around the stalk near my ‘holding’ hand with my palm facing toward the leafy part and then just sliding my thumb and index finger up the stalk to pull off the leafy part.

Banana Berry Smoothie

This great tasting smoothie is packed full of nutrition. It’s especially high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants. The kefir or yogurt contributes acidophilus, to keep your intestinal flora healthy. Using kombucha, instead of dairy makes this a dairy-free, vegan drink.

Note: kefir is much more nutritious and beneficial than yogurt, and making kefir is really easy. Unlike yogurt it can actually colonize the friendly bacteria in your gut. While yogurt contains one or two strains of beneficial bacteria, kefir typically contains many more strains of both beneficial bacteria and yeast, all of which contribute different health benefits.

Ingredients:
1 banana, chopped
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored, diced
1 kiwifruit
1-2 handfuls frozen strawberries
3/4 cup apple or pineapple juice
1/2 cup organic yogurt, kefir, or kombucha (for a vegan smoothie)

Instructions:
Cut the kiwifruit in half, and using a spoon scoop out the flesh.

Add all ingredients to a blender or smoothie maker. Blend well.

Notes:
Use kombucha for vegan or raw versions of this smoothie.

Serves 2