How to make this natural and healthy ginger ale at home

wellnessmama.com

It turns out that soda hasn't always been the high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor concoction in an aluminum can that we know today.

For hundreds of years (and probably much longer) cultures around the world have made various forms of naturally fermented “sodas” from sweetened herbal teas or fruit juice mixes. These natural fermented drinks contained beneficial enzymes and probiotics to boost health and were a far cry from the unhealthy versions we have today.

This version uses a fermented ginger culture to create a naturally fizzy soda! Ginger is and delicious herb that has been used in many cultures for its health-boosting properties. From my herb profile of ginger:

“Ginger has been used in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years and is said to help:

Image: Wellness Mama

Soothe digestive disturbances

Alleviate nausea (great in early pregnancy)

Reduce fever

Calm coughing and respiratory troubles

Stimulates the circulatory system

Helps relieve muscle aches and pain

Can help get rid of dandruff

Emerging evidence shows it helps lower cholesterol
Japanese research has found Ginger is effective in lowering blood pressure and cancer risk”

Read our earlier article: 10 more health benefits of ginger

This natural recipe for ginger ale uses fresh ginger and a cultured ginger mixture (called a ginger bug) to create a naturally fermented and naturally fizzy ginger ale. Though this mixture can contain a small amount of alcohol if left to ferment at room temperature for weeks, we use the short brew method to create a fizzy soda without the alcohol.

Homemade ginger ale is soothing for digestive disturbances and contains probiotics and enzymes. As with any fermented product, I’d suggest starting with a small amount (4 ounce or so) and working up as all the probiotics and enzymes can cause an upset stomach in those who aren’t used to consuming fermented products. I found small amounts of this mixture helpful in early pregnancy to ward off nausea and any time one of us has an upset stomach. It also just tastes great!

This recipe makes 2 quarts of natural ginger ale, though the recipe can be adjusted up or down by using a ratio of 1/4 cup sugar per 1 quart of water and adding 1/4 cup ginger bug starter per quart of water.


Natural Ginger Ale Recipe

A naturally fermented old-fashioned ginger ale (also once called Ginger Beer) that contains beneficial probiotics and enzymes.

Author: Wellness Mama

Recipe type: Cultured – Beverage

Ingredients:

A 1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger root, minced. Adjust this to taste. I use 2 inches as I prefer a stronger ginger taste.

½ cup of organic sugar or rapadura sugar. if using plain sugar, add 1 tablespoon molasses for flavor and minerals.

½ cup fresh lemon or lime juice

½ tsp sea salt or himalayan salt

8 cups of filtered (chlorine free) water (Here is the water filter we use)

½ cup homemade ginger bug (or can use ¼ cup whey for a faster recipe though the flavor won’t be quite as good. Here is a tutorial for how to make whey)

Instructions:

Make a “wort” for your ginger ale by placing 3 cups of the water, minced ginger root, sugar (and molasses if needed), and salt in a saucepan and bringing to a boil.

Simmer the mixture for about five minutes until sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to smell like ginger.
Remove from heat and add additional water. This should cool it but if not, allow to cool to room temperature before moving to the next step.

Add fresh lemon or lime juice and ginger bug (or whey).

Transfer to a 2 quart glass mason jar with a tight fitting (air-tight) lid. Stir well and put lid on.

Leave on the counter for 2-3 days until carbonated and transfer to the fridge where it will last indefinitely.

Watch this step carefully. Using whey will cause it to ferment more quickly and it will take less time. It should be bubble and should “hiss” like a soda when the lid is removed. This is very temperature dependent and the mixture may need to be burped or stirred during this fermentation time on the counter.

As with any traditional fermented drink, it is more of an art than a science as it depends on the strength of your culture, the temperature of your house and the sugar used. The final mixture should smell of ginger and slightly of yeast/fermentation and should be fizzy. Watch carefully that it doesn’t become too carbonated as this will cause too much pressure and may result in an exploding jar!

The mixture can be strained and transferred to Grolsch style bottles before putting in the fridge (we like these bottles).

Strain before drinking.

Enjoy!

Printable recipe: http://wellnessmama.com/easyrecipe-print/8945-0/

Source: wellnessmama.com

How to make cancer killing soursop juice

Health Benefits of Soursop
1. Curing Cancer
By eating the fruit soursop we can help to attack the cancer cells safely and naturally, without side effects such as nausea, weight loss, or hair loss.

2. Increase Immune System
Substances contained in soursop fruit such as acetogenins, annocatacin, annocatalin, annohexocin, annonacin, annomuricin, anomurine, anonol, caclourine, gentisic acid, gigantetronin, linoleic acid, muricapentocin. It makes our body stay fit and improved. Help us against disease

3. Kill malignant cancer cells
Soursop leaf has an effective target and kill malignant cells for 12 types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer. Power works 10,000 times stronger in slowing the growth of cancer cells compared with adriamycin and chemo therapy is commonly used.

More health benefits of soursop: naturalcuresnotmedicine.com/2013/09/jamaican-soursop

Soursop tea recipe:

Raw Honey Garlic Lemon Shots

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Here Is A Simple Recipe To Supercharge Your Immune System:

by Natasha Longo from Prevent Disease

One criticism often received by recipes involving cooked onions, garlic and other alliums is that the heating process destroys much of the allicin that leads to its protective effects. While this is partially true, knowing how to optimize garlic before eating it raw or cooked will maximize garlic enzymes and give them the best chance to survive meal preparation. I’ll share a very simple recipe to use regularly during the cold and flu season that will supercharge your immune system.

With their unique combination of flavonoids and sulfur-containing nutrients, allium vegetables–such as garlic–belong in your diet on a regular basis. There’s research evidence for including at least one serving of an allium vegetable–such as garlic–in your meal plan every day. If you’re choosing garlic as your allium family vegetable, try to include at least 1/2 clove in your individual food portion. If you’re preparing a recipe, you should use at least 1-2 cloves.

Washington State University showed that garlic is 100 times more effective than antibiotics at fighting disease causing bacteria commonly responsible for foodborne illness. Its anti-viral potency is perhaps even more effective.

Allicin, one of garlic’s most highly valued sulfur compounds–stays intact for only 2-16 hours at room temperature when it is present in purified (extracted) form. But when it’s still inside of crushed garlic, allicin will stay viable for 2-1/2 days.

If you give your chopped/crushed garlic time to sit before changing its temperature (through cooking) or its pH (through the addition of acidic food like lemon juice), it will give the alliinase enzymes in garlic an opportunity to work on behalf of your health. For example, in the absence of chopping or crushing, research has shown that just 60 seconds of immediate microwaving will cause garlic to lose some of its cancer-protective properties.

Before cooking or adding chopped garlic to lemon juice, let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes to maximize its potency. The following recipe has minimal preparation time and maximum benefits to your health, especially during cold and flu season. I call them shots because they’re a cocktail of beneficial immune boosting constituents inside a lemon half that you can eat in just a few bites. My recommendation is to have one or two of these per day during peak flu activity when viral transmission is at its highest (usually Jan-Mar).

Raw Honey Garlic Lemon Shots

1 lemon (preferably organic)
1-2 cloves of garlic (depends on size of cloves)
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon of honey (preferably Manuka but at least Raw)

Step 1 – Cut a lemon in half

Step 2 – Squeeze all the lemon juice out of one half and place in a small bowl. Keep the half you extracted the juice from for Step 6 (store the other half for later use).

Step 3 – Chop the garlic and it let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Then add it to the lemon juice with the cayenne pepper.

Step 4 – Add the honey to the mix and stir all ingredients well.

Step 5 – Pour the entire mixture back into the lemon half (which you extracted the juice from in Step 2)

Consume the finished product in its entirety including all the lemon pulp. Hold it in your hand and cup it as if you’re holding a fruit. Repeat recipe in 4 hours with the other lemon half.

Viruses hate this information, so spread the word.

Learn Why Leafy Greens are a Power Food and 20 Ways to Cook Them

By Rick Davis, founder at the eatlocalgrown project

Leafy Greens are a Superfood!

Leafy greens are one of the most nutritious, inexpensive and easy to cook real foods! They're also very tasty and one of the simpler things to cook. Leafy greens are available for a large part of the year in one form or another and are usually available at most farmers markets for great prices.

Below you find some great recipes, tips and nutritional facts for leafy greens!

The Quick Lowdown

• NUTRITIOUS- Lots of nutrients in just one serving! Vitamins, essential minerals, fiber and much more.
• VERSATILE- Easy to add to lots of different recipes. Like smoothies for breakfast, salad at lunch, sauteed at dinner.
• DETOX- High levels detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, and cancer fighting compounds

Leafy Greens Nutritional Facts

Not many foods can compare to the high nutritional value of leafy greens. Researchers are finding that eating your greens may be even more important than previously imagined. In putting together this article I found lots of quotes that stated "it was common for our ancient ancestors to eat up to six pounds of leaves per day". I could not find a accredited source for the quote but I can see that it makes sense. Recent research shows that a gene that is essential for producing critical immune cells in your gut, responds to the food you eat—specifically leafy green vegetables (Dr. Mercola).

We now know that these greens contain an array of antioxidants and other disease-fighting compounds. Researchers also believe that these vegetables play an important role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases and obesity, and may even prevent the development of bowel cancers (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute).

Here's a nutritional breakdown of the top readily available leafy greens:

Kale

Excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K
High in Calcium (for a vegetable)
Also supplies Folate and Potassium

Collard Greens

Excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K
Good source of Folate, Manganese, and Calcium
Cancer preventatvive glucosinolates (glucoraphanin, sinigrin, gluconasturtiian, and glucotropaeolin)
Similar in nutrition to Kale but more chewy with a stronger taste

Swiss Chard

Excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K
Good source of Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Iron and Vitamin E
At least 13 different Polyphenol Antioxidants, including Kaempferol and Syringic Acid
Unique source of Phytonutrients called Betalains (provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support)

Turnip Greens

Excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K
Good source of Folate, Manganese, Calcium, Copper, Vitamin E and Vitamin B6
Bitter taste linked to high Calcium (4x more than cabbage, 2x more than mustard greens)
High glucosinolate content (phytonutrients with cancer-preventing properties)

Spinach

Excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K
Good source of Manganese, Folate, Iron, Vitamins C, B2, B6 and E
Showed evidence of significant protection against the occurrence of aggressive prostate cancer.
Glycoglycerolipids help protect the lining of the digestive tract from damage — especially damage related to unwanted inflammation.

Beet Greens

Excellent source of vitamins A, C, E and K
Good source of Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Zinc, Vitamins B6
Valuable source of Lutein/Zeaxanthin (good for eye health)

How to Choose Leafy Greens

When choosing your greens, the number one rule is to look for leaves that are crisp. You want to hear a slight snap when you crack the stems. If they are wilted, soggy, or slimy, keep looking. Ideally, they have been stored in a cool place but watch out for greens stored in ice. Greens are loaded with water. Ice can crystallize the water and the greens may end up mushy by the time you get them home.

Color is also important. If you have a choice, pick the darkest leaves. Don't worry about a few brown spots, that's perfectly normal, especially at the farmers markets. However, if the edges are consistently brown throughout all the leaves you may want to pass.

Last but not least, is smell. The leaves should smell fresh and, well, really green!

NOTE: Non-organic greens can be very high in pesticides. This is one of those items that are definitely worth buying organic. I'm assuming that because you are an eatlocalgrown.com reader, you know how important it is to buy from a local grower when possible. Make sure your growers are practicing sustainable farming practices and not using heavy chemical pesticides and herbicides. If buying from a local is not an option, then make sure to choose organically-certified greens at the grocery store. (read more about Local vs Organic.)

How to Cook Leafy Greens

A lot of people (me included) love the taste of bitter greens. I especially like to pair them as a side dish with a rich, fatty main course like a grass-fed rib eye, or a hearty lamb stew. The bitter greens cut through the fattiness of the main course and bring a nice balance to the plate. But there's also many ways to temper the bitterness of leafy greens by adding golden raisins for sweetness or some toasted pine nuts or sesame seeds for richness. This can completely transform the dish and if you get creative you'll find something that even the pickiest of eaters will love.

On the more sturdy greens like Kale and Collards you'll probably want to remove the leaves for the stalks. I do this for Swiss Chard as well. You can cut the stalks away or just rip the leaves off. The stalks can be used for stocks, or in the case of Swiss Chard I just cut them up into bite size pieces and saute them for about 5 minutes to make them tender before adding the greens to the pan.

Here's a great collection of recipes that we found at eatingwell.com-

Beet Greens Recipes

Beets & Greens Salad with Cannellini Beans

Sometimes beets in the market have beautiful, unblemished,...

Roasted Beet Crostini

The entire beet plant—roots, stems and greens—can be used...

Root Vegetable Stew with Herbed Dumplings

This root vegetable stew is flecked with sausage and topped...

Chard Recipes

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Chard & White Beans

Acorn squash’s natural shape makes it just right for...

Chard & Feta Tart

Fragrant lemon zest, briny olives and salty feta balance...

Chard with Green Olives, Currants & Goat Cheese

Tangy green olives, sweet currants and creamy goat cheese...

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

In this one-skillet supper, we toss dark leafy greens,...

Collard Greens Recipes

Collard Green & Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Antioxidant-rich collard greens and fiber-packed black-eyed...

Grits & Greens Casserole

Here we’ve combined two favorite Southern side dishes—grits...

Quick Pepperpot Soup

Jamaican pepperpot soup is usually a long-simmered...

Pasta with Greens & Tomato Sauce

This homey pasta dish uses pancetta (Italian bacon) in the...

Kale Recipes

Black-Eyed Peas with Pork & Greens

This boldly flavored spin on Hoppin' John replaces...

Ginger-Marinated Leg of Lamb with Israeli Couscous & Kale

A stunning main course for the holidays, this ginger-...

Kale & Potato Hash

Serve as a side with a steak or pork chops or set a poached...

Pork, White Bean & Kale Soup

Kale is matched up here with white beans and chunks of lean...

Southern Kale

Kale becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender in this recipe....

Spinach Recipes

Creamed Spinach

EatingWell's updated version of creamed spinach has a...

Loaded Spinach Salad

Like many spinach salads, this one features lots of chopped...

Prosciutto-Wrapped Scallops with Spinach

This take on the classic bacon-wrapped appetizer uses...

Singapore Chile Crab with Spinach

Restaurants all over Singapore have chile crab on their...

Crispy Phyllo Spinach Tartlets

Frilly layers of phyllo dough surround the festive spinach...

Do you have more Recipes?

Got Grandms'a favorite recipe stashed away somewhere? Did you come up with something brilliant while experimenting? Found a way to get your kids to eat Kale? Please use the comment section at the bottom of the page to contribute to this list!