Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest In these uncertain times, we all need to strengthen our immune system and stay healthy. Here are some yummy drink recipes you can make at home to give your bodies a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals. Coconut Water + Mint Leaves Super easy to make, super refreshing too! Coconut water produces antioxidants to battle the free radicals you produce when you are stressed. It contains vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, and more! It supports a healthy heart as it lowers cholesterol. Add mint for a level up on the traditional coco water. It’s also packed with nutrients and is a great source of vitamin A and antioxidants to protect your cells from being damaged by free radicals. This is a great drink to boost your morale and your immune system. Ingredients: 1 glass chilled fresh buko (coconut)juice 8-10 leaves or 4 sprigs mint (make sure you get the most flavorful fresh mints in the grocery or market) Directions: Pour chilled fresh buko juice in a tall glass. Clap 4 mint sprigs and drop in glass. Add ice and stir. Check out the recipe video here. Watermelon + Ginger Watermelon is a good source of lycopene and citrulline which are two powerful plant compounds. Plus, you can never get enough of vitamin C, B52, vitamin A, and potassium. Ginger has a long history of use in traditional and alternative medicine. It is a spice that has powerful medicinal properties. Combats the flu, and has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidants effects. This drink will surely pick you up when you’re feeling down. Ingredients: 2 cups watermelon (seeds removed) 1 1/2 cups crushed ice 1 medium cube fresh ginger 20 ml sugar syrup or 1 1/2 tbsp sugar (optional) Directions: Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy. Lemongrass + Ginger + Lemon Lemongrass doesn’t just have amazing flavor. It’s also used to treat stomachaches, cough high blood pressure, convulsions, pain, vomiting, and achy joints. It also kills germs and is a mild astringent. It helps control bacteria and yeast. Ginger, as you may know, is used in traditional and non-traditional medicine. It’s good for the lungs and keeps the respiratory system healthy. Lemon, is another superstar vitamin C source. Just ¼ cup lemon juice contains 30% of the body’s requirement of vitamin C. It also contains pectin, which helps lower blood sugar levels and is good for lowering the risk of heart disease. It’s also a good source of potassium and vitamin B6. Ingredients: 1 bulb lemongrass 1 4 inch ginger piece 30 ml brown sugar syrup 2 lemon wedges Directions: In a highball glass, lightly muddle lemongrass and ginger. Add ice to fill glass and top with still or soda water. Add syrup and stir. Squeeze lemon wedges and add to the drink. If taken as hot tea: In a big mug, muddle lemongrass and ginger. Add syrup and top with hot water. Squeeze lemon wedges and add to the drink. Ginger Honey Lemonade We’ve talked about how good honey, lemons, and ginger are for the body. Give the standard lemonade a twist with our Ginger Honey Lemonade. The tart, lemony finish is balanced by the sweetness of the honey and with a slight spice from ginger. You can tailor-make this to your liking. Add more ginger if you want a spicier drink or opt for regular ice instead of ginger ice if you prefer a milder taste. Ingredients: (makes 1 pitcher) 1 cup honey syrup 2 cubes ginger (muddled) 1 cup/240ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 cups/950 ml cold filtered or spring water ice with lemon peels and ginger (muddled) sliced lemons for garnish Directions: Muddle 2 cubes of ginger and add into the pitcher. Add in 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add in honey syrup and water, stir. Fill the pitcher with ice. For an extra spicy kick, you may prepare ice with muddled ginger and serve the lemonade with the ice. Check out the recipe video here. Calamansi + Honey + Mint Calamansi is a great source of vitamin C, keeps the kidney healthy and helps control cholesterol levels. Real honey is packed with antioxidants and can help reduce cough symptoms. Mint treats the common cold and helps keep the mucus at bay. Ingredients: 45 ml fresh calamansi juice 30 ml real raw honey 150 ml water 8 mint leaves Directions: In a tall glass add calamansi, honey, and water, stir until honey is fully dissolved. Slap mint leaves and drop in the glass. Add ice. Stir and enjoy. You can also serve this as a hot drink. Serve in a mug. Mango + Strawberries + Basil Mango is high in fiber and a great source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Just like mango, strawberries are a great source of vitamin A and C and are rich in antioxidants that help control free radicals (molecules produced by your body when it breaks down food or when you are exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation). The addition of basil into the mix doesn’t just make this recipe taste amazing, it also helps restore the balance of your body’s PH levels. Ingredients: 1 cup ripe mango 1/2 cup strawberries 6 leaves medium-sized basil leaves 30 ml sugar syrup (optional) 2 cups crushed ice Directions: Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend until you get the desired texture. Serve in a large glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Tomato + Calamansi + Celery Tomatoes are known to be an outstanding detoxifying agent, lowers cholesterol, and is a super antioxidant. Known to be full of lycopene which helps promote general health, reduce inflammation, heart disease and some cancers. Celery helps combat a range of ailments, including inflammation, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and is rich in vitamin C, A, and potassium. Calamansi you know already! (refer to previous recipe) Ingredients: 6 large ripe tomatoes 60 ml soda water (if no soda water still water is okay) 30 ml calamansi 1/2 large stalk celery 1 tbsp sugar 1 pinch sea salt Directions: (make 2 servings) Score the tomatoes and blanch so the skins are easy to peel off. Once tomatoes are ready, take the tomatoes in an ice bath to cool and peel. Place all tomatoes and ingredients in a blender and blend. Strain to separate the tomato seeds. Pour in a glass and add ice.