Ginger Lemonade Detox Spritzer

^{Excuse my long dissertation on this stuff but I assure this has become one of my new favorite ways to start my mornings in 2022!! I truly believe this changed my health in just weeks! It’s super easy to make and offers so many health benefits.} 

I don’t think 2021 was much of a step up from 2020 and definitely wreaked havoc on my mental and physical health in more ways than one. And although I don’t believe in starting New Year’s resolutions after the stroke of midnight on December 31st, some routines and habits needed a drastic makeover this year. 

I pride myself in eating well 80-90% of the time. I work out, I go to bed early and I would consider myself pretty consistent with these habits. I did notice the second half of 2021 was draining me a little more than usual. I struggled with my energy through the day. I was getting migraines 1-2 days a week. My depression and anxiety took over my whole lifestyle. I lost drive and motivation and found myself thinking of a lot of things I wanted to tackle but many excuses were somehow getting in the way. 

Although a lot contributed to this so-called state of“un-wellbeing”, I knew the colder weather and post-holiday days soon to come weren’t going to offer me much more excitement. I needed to focus on my energy and hydration to prioritize my internal healing with some type of simple routine. I noticed a nutritionist on TikTok @Saltandsagenutrition (follow her!!) shared a hydration drink recipe with lemon, ginger, turmeric and water. She actually posted this for those who enjoy an extra cocktail or two on the weekend. It was so basic, I gave it a shot.

Now I did try the concoction and although it was fine, I needed to make it exciting for me so it was more of a treat vs. a chore. I have always wanted to get into the routine of adding lemon water, turmeric, ginger (which has never been my favorite) and apple cider vinegar to my mornings but I was never consistent. I finally realized that a tasty“lemonade” type of tonic might do the trick if I made it my own. Mixing all these essential ingredients together WITH sparkling water (that was the key) has become a huge part of my morning and really sets me right for the rest of the day. 

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional or nutritionist. I simply use things that help me and write about them. I make no claims to this being a replacement for daily routines prescribed by a doctor. It works for me and the information I have has been from years of researching this stuff on my own. 

I can’t necessarily say that my mood and energy change is from this drink but I have noticed a difference in my body and my actions since drinking this:

• I don’t crave another extra large coffee in the morning. In fact, my coffee consumption has been limited to 1-2 cups a day and I am good! Now I get pumped to drink my“lemonade” and I am good to go!
• I don’t get stomach or abdomen pains regularly anymore.
• I am not super dehydrated throughout the day. In fact, I am also cutting out alcohol during weeknights and sometimes I crave this drink before bed rather than wine! It’s an acquired taste but it definitely sticks. 
• I love drinking this and regular water after a run to rehydrate and heal my body. I feel less bloated and water-logged from time to time when drinking this.
• My mood has changed, and my depression and anxiety are more at bay than pre 2022. Neither are “cured”, but are more manageable. This is probably because of the cut back on caffeine.
• I rarely crave soda anymore, not even diet soda for a pick-me-up.
• I also feel like the“it” girl who doesn’t juice but carries around this massive cup-of-health and feels unstoppable because of it!

I’m sure there is going to be many people super opinionated on this and the benefits and “she didn’t use the right stuff” and blah blah blah…but if I can make just ONE change with a routine that I feel helps me, then that’s for me to worry about. Do whatever you feel is best for you!

Here are some reasons I like to include these ingredients in my morning routine:

• Lemon water in the morning is suppose to keep you hydrated, aids in digestion and is a good source of vitamin C which is needed especially during flu and cold seasons. One serving of this drink actually provides 32% of your daily vitamin C intake!!!
• Ginger (which I am teaching myself to like) is an antioxidant. Ginger has helped me fight nausea and supports the immune system. 
• Clean, natural, apple cider vinegar is something I have used for weight loss and helps with blood sugar levels. 
• Turmeric is that root that does so much for your health but what I love knowing the most is that it is a great anti-inflammatory. My body goes through a lot between work and workouts! It is also great for supporting heart health.
• Turmeric is activated by black pepper which helps it’s natural compounds absorb in your body. I add cayenne pepper too because I love spicy things and capsaicin is great for boosting your digestive system. I used to add this to everything when I was losing weight.
• I also add stevia to this drink to offset the tartness of the whole drink. Between the sweetener and the sparkling water, it really helps the lemonade go down more smoothly. If you want to add more than what’s in the recipe, that’s completely up to you. Add whatever sweetener you prefer and whatever water you want.

I have heard some people make juice shots from a lot of these ingredients. I don’t have a juicer and constantly buying the little shots at the store can add up fast. It’s also important to know that too much lemon and vinegar all at once can take a toll on your esophagus and tooth enamel. This leads me to my other point, brush your teeth after drinking this! Between the orange turmeric and acid in the lemon, you want to rid your mouth of the lingering colors and acids. 

The last thing I will say about this recipe is that it is A-OK to use some substitutions for ingredients. I don’t have a juicer to go get tons of lemons and to squeeze every last bit of turmeric and ginger root. The bottled lemon juice (preferably the organic or non-concentrated bottled juice) is fine. Pregrated ginger root and powder turmeric are my sneaky alternatives. It’s not perfect but if it gets me in the habit of drinking this, then that’s what I am going to do. 

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