Have you put your gut health on the back burner in 2020? These three summer spritzes will reset your gut just in time for summer.
Your gut plays a massive role in your health, both mental and physical. Neglecting it can lead to many health problems including digestive issues, skin conditions, mood disorders and more.
Your gut is affected by gut bacteria and the challenge is balancing the bad bacteria with the good. A good way to do this is through the use of probiotics, which are living organisms that are found in many foods (such as yogurt, kefir, oats and garlic).
While you can take probiotic supplements, it is important to eat a diet rich in probiotics as there are over 500 different strains, each with their own unique health benefits. The benefits of probiotics are they help balance your PH levels,, improve immune tolerance around allergies and skin conditions, as well boost your digestive system.
Many factors affect your gut bacteria such as high stress, antibiotics as well as smoking. Your gut is easily affected positivity and negatively by what you eat and drink so if your diet consists of McDonald’s and alcohol (we’re not judging, 2020 has been rough) give these recipes a try.
All of these recipes have a ginger bug base, which is a mix of ginger, water and sugar that has been left to ferment until it is bubbly. It is then used to brew probiotics drinks as it is rich in wild bacteria and yeast.
Making the ginger bug:
You will need:
- 30 grams of diced ginger
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 2 cups of filtered water
Place sugar and water in saucepan and stir over a medium heat until sugar is dissolved, allow to cool to room temperature. Put ginger in bottle of jar and pour sugar water over it. Seal the jar, allow it to culture for one day.
To feed the ginger bug:
You will need:
- 5 teaspoons of sugar
- 70 grams of diced ginger
Every day for 5 days feed your ginger bug 15 grams of ginger and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Seal making sure to seal lid tightly after every time. After 3 days your ginger bug will start to form bubbles and smell yeasty. When bubbles form (around 5 days) your ginger bug is ready to use. Once ready to use place in the fridge to slow down further fermentation.
Gut boosting Lemonade spritz:
You will need:
- 1/4 cup of strained ginger bug
- 3 cups of filtered water
- 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
- Zest of lemon
- Sliced lemons
- Mint, finely chopped
Mix ginger bug, water, lemon juice and zest together and pour into a flip-top bottle leaving around 1 inch of space from the top of the bottle. Leave on bench to ferment for 3 days, transfer to fridge. When ready to drink pour into glass with ice, sliced lemons and mint. Enjoy your refreshing gut boosting lemonade.
Spiced Cranberry spritz:
You will need:
- 1/4 cup of strained ginger bug
- 3 1/2 cups of cranberry juice
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves
- Sparkling water, to taste
Mix all ingredients except sparkling water and pour into flip-top bottle leaving around 1 inch of space from top of bottle. Leave on bench to ferment for 3 days before transferring to fridge. When ready to drink pour over ice filling half the glass then top with sparkling water to taste.
Fire tonic spritz:
You will need:
- 1/4 cup of strained ginger bug
- 3 1/2 cups of apple juice
- 5 ml apple cider vinegar or fire tonic (apple cider vinegar brewed with chilli and spices)
- 1/4 lemon
- 1 tablespoon of honey
Mix ginger bug and apple juice pour into flip-top bottle leaving around 1 inch of space from top of bottle. Leave on bench to ferment for 3 days before transferring to fridge. When ready to drink pour in glass and top with 15ml of apple cider vinegar or fire tonic, 1/4 of a lemon squeezed and 1 tablespoon of honey mixed in until dissolved.
Looking for something that will do more than just support your gut health and won’t take weeks to ferment? SHŌJŌ tonic to have on hand, helping with immune support, fatigue, brain function as well as being anti-inflammatory. It comes in two different formulas (one for focused on body health and one focused on neurological health) allowing you to nourish your body where it is needed.
