Drink this herbal tonic half an hour before exercising, or have a glass with a light lunch. The three herbs in this recipe contain flavonoids, which have been shown to be beneficial for reducing cardiovascular risk. Health benefits aside, I find this to be a soothing, almost addictive tonic.
Juice of 1/2 lime
4 cups still water
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
4 – 6 fresh peppermint leaves
2 fresh basil leaves
5 mustard seeds
- Add the lime juice and three cups of the water to a large pitcher.
- Place the parsley, peppermint, basil and mustard seeds in a blender with
the remaining one cup water. Puree until smooth, for about one minute. - Strain the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the pitcher.
Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Prep time: 10 minutes | Yield: 4 servings
Tip: Garnish with additional herbs and lime slices, if desired.
Recipes excerpted from Cool Waters, by Brian Preston-Campbell. © 2009, used by permission from The Harvard Common Press.
Workout Fuel
Green Herb Infusion
Drink a few glasses of this before, during, and after a strenuous workout. It’s taste surpasses that of any bottled sports drink, and it has far fewer calories. Coconut water is a natural electrolyte-replacing rehydrator – just what you need from a sports drink. Other nutrients found here are Vitamin C, iron and calcium. If you cannot find golden kiwis, use green ones.
2 golden kiwis, peeled
1 2″ piece fresh ginger, peeled & coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh or unsweetened canned coconut water
Pinch of sea salt
4 cups still water
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth, for about one minute.
- Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Prep time: 5 minutes | Yield: 4 servings
Tip: Don’t confuse coconut water with coconut milk or cream of coconut. Canned or aseptically packaged coconut water can be found at grocers and health-food stores.
By Brian Preston-Campbell
