Go way beyond what is on hand at the grocery stores. Keep elixirs on tap to prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion while providing energy to get tasks done and have fun in the summer's heat.
Elixirs are a mainstay on a hot summer's day at the Black Oaks Center eco campus. When water bottles are not enough, elixirs provide an excellent, natural source of all the WHO Hydration Formula requirements and more. Watermelon is a refrigerant and has diuretic qualities. Watermelon supports heart health, is anti-inflammatory, and increases exercise performance. It is loaded with lycopene, vitamin C, carotenoids, citrulline, polyphenols, and nitric oxide, a phytonutrient that dilates arteries that helps to lower blood pressure. It is a natural viagra. The sugary taste of watermelon can eliminate the need for adding sweeteners and is good for diabetics. Elixirs are medicinal potions that Dr. Jifunza Wright-Carter of the Healthy Food Hub has concocted for years to keep apprentices and staff going strong in 90-100 degree weather or to calm a community dealing with gun violence deaths. They are a combination of fruit juices, herbals teas, sea moss when needed, and the secret ingredient: fruit juice concentrates. While there is not enough room in this blog post to expound on the medicinal properties of herbs, their taste, and how to select which herbs, I will share the basics so you can start to make your own on these unbearably climate uncertain, hot days.
Ingredients
Watermelon juiced (1/2 gallon to a gallon of juice) our harvest will be in late July, August
Water
Ice if needed
healthy sweeteners (organic cane sugar, maple syrup, honey, stevia/monk fruit etc) ONLY IF DESIRED
Cold brew the herbal tea of choice and let it soak overnight. The amount depends upon how strong you want it. 1/4 of a cup of tea to 1-2 quarts of water can be good for starters. If you want it to be a stronger tea taste, consider doubling or adding more tea, Strain and add more water to the leftover herbs to get the maximum health benefits and flavor.
Mix 1 part juice to 1 part herbal tea. Add lemon or lime juice to taste and sweeten only if you need to.
The sea moss addition is extra helpful if you are going to be out, very active in the heat.
It has extra minerals & medicines with great demulcency. Sea moss can be soothing to the digestive system & has many health benefits. For instructions on how to prepare sea moss, click here
The concentrates help to enhance the fruit flavors try 1/4 cup to a gallon.
Note: the Pomegranate is sweet, and the Cherry is sour and sweet. The grape is very sweet and the blueberry, elderberry is not sweet and yes, the Aronia berry is very bitter....take all this into consideration when deciding which one to use & how much. Experiment! I recommend using the pomegranate for this watermelon elixir.
Keep elixirs on hand during these hot summer days and freely indulge knowing that you are harnessing your body's resiliency to successfully endure the climate instability we are in.
Enjoy!