How to make healthy choices every day

Drink your Sunblock! Goji Ginger Lemonade

I am SO on holiday and good grief did I need the following: family road trips, reading on the dock, creative cooking, farmers markets, skinny dipping, moonlit strolls, smoothies, wild flower picking, cabin napping, cottage hopping, hysterical laughter, river sailing, and bonfire sing-a-longs…a true Canadian summer. Nothing beats it. Sorry, Denmark.

The one thing missing from that list of favorite-things-to-do-in-summer is sunbathing. Gasp! It’s no secret I am a sun worshiper, and I come by it honestly. I can clearly remember both of my parents laying in the sun at high noon, slathering their bodies with baby oil to achieve a summer skin colour completely unlike the one they have in the winter. Nice role modeling. Thanks guys.

So how does a health-conscious person like me soak up the rays responsibly? Well, I have a few tricks, however obvious they may be.
1. I get my fill of direct, on-skin sunlight during non-peak hours (re: before 11am and after 4pm).

2. If I know that I will be exposed to the sun during peak hours, I wear light clothing that covers as much as possible, and a hat with a brim.

3. I wear plant oils with natural SPF, and mineral sunscreen if I know I will be exposed to full sun without shade or extra clothing.

4. I include a wide variety of antioxidant-rich foods and Omega-3 fats, as EPA and DHA have been shown to effectively reduce the risk of skin cancer. [1].

5. I drink Goji Ginger Lemonade to mega-dose on antioxidant power! More on that right now…

Goji Berry Power
Goji berries, or wolfberries are small, red, dried fruits that are super-charged with antioxidants. Scoring high on the ORAC scale (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) means that Goji berries will more effectively neutralize free radicals, slow the oxidative process and prevent the free radical damage caused by sun exposure [2].
This drink also includes fresh ginger, which is also incredibly high in antioxidants. If you like it spicy, add more!

I remember back in school one of my professors talking about a similar beverage she would enjoy in the summer, saying it was like drink-able sunblock. What a concept! Whipping up this fast and delicious beverage before heading out to the beach is a great way to up your intake of antioxidants (although it does not replace physical coverage), while refreshing yourself and your family. Sun protection never tasted so good!

Goji Ginger Lemonade
Serves 1
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. goji berries
1 ½ cups water
1 tsp. ginger root, freshly grated
½ lemon, juiced
raw honey to taste (optional)

Directions:
1. Soak goji berries in water for at least one hour to soften.
2. Pour goji berries and soak water into a blender with remaining ingredients, blend on high until completely mixed.
3. Pour into a glass with plenty of ice and lemon slices.

Other Super-Antioxidant add-ins:
açaí berry powder
blueberries
vanilla bean
raw cacao powder
fresh peppermint
golden raisins
raw cranberries
blackberries

Miraculously Effective and Natural Sunburn Relief
Getting a sunburn is serious business, not just from a pain perspective, but also from a health standpoint. Yes, it’s been drilled into us to avoid sun overdose, but sometimes it just happens (I didn’t “mean” to fall asleep on the dock again…)

An incredible home remedy for neutralizing painful sunburns is as far away as your kitchen cupboard – the miraculous apple cider vinegar!
Simply soak a cotton ball or small sponge in apple cider vinegar and dab on the burned spot, or make a compress for larger areas. If severely burned, repeat two to three times a day. If you are suffering from head-to-toe char, it’s best to take a bath in the stuff – simply add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to the tuba and soak for at least 15 minutes.
Apple cider vinegar applied to the skin effectively neutralizes the burn, relieves pain, and prevents blistering and peeling. Seriously amazing!

Note: you may smell like a pickle, indeed, but a little coconut oil will remove most of the odor, plus add much needed moisture to your parched skin.

All this talk of sunshine is making me long for my afternoon spot on the dock again…must. go. now.
I hope you are all having an amazing summer, filled with sunshine and lots of responsible enjoyment!

Love, Sarah B

[1] mercola.com
[2] ORAC

Copyright 2012 My New Roots at mynewroots.blogspot.com


52 thoughts on “Drink your Sunblock! Goji Ginger Lemonade”

  • Made a big batch of this one yesterday, increased the amount of ginger (love it) and threw in a hand of strawberries – UNREAL! The best during this unexpected May heatwave in The Netherlands!

  • I really like this recipe. It’s very tasty. But I’m not a fan of Beaver brand sunscreen. Even though it is made with all natural ingredients, I find it is almost unwearable because it is so thick and oily. Also, they tint it so the zinc oxide doesn’t make you look so chalky, but it just ends up looking like poorly applied liquid foundation. It’s expensive too, so this is disappointing. If anyone has any other recommendations for an all natural sunscreen please post.

  • Thank you for all your inspirational ideas! I am Loving your blog! I just found it today a friend told me about it!

  • Sarah,
    How many calories per 100ml?
    This seems good and I want to include in my nutrition but since I am in a strict nutrition,I would appreciate if you can tell me.
    Thanks 😀

  • I’m drinking this as I type…and it’s fabulous! Thanks so much! I’m really loving your blog. Your raw tacos are going to be for dinner tonight!

  • Sarah B we love you at Emerging Eden!!! We tell all our friends about your blog, and we try out all of your recipes on our family….even our toddlers love them! Thank you for such pure and delicious ideas. The Raw Taco Fiesta was a major hit out at our lake this summer…even with all the “regular folk” eaters 😉

    Goji lemonade on the dock? Perfect!!!

  • You inspire me all the time to take better care of myself and what is going into my being. Also, I hope to see another how to video up soon! Your one about quinoa brought smiles to my face just like your posts!

  • Wow, your summer vacation sounds perfect! That list of activities is exactly what summer is all about. Happy sun bathing!

    Thanks for mentioning a bit about Goji berries. I’ve passed by them several times in the natural foods store, but have always been a bit curious as to their health benefits. Super antioxidants are always a great food to find!

    Katherine @ thistle handmade

  • Made the lemonade and it is great. Reminds me of ice tea. Very refreshing. I munch on goji berries often and can now drink them. Plan to make it with my daycare class. Thanks.

  • I made this last night, and while the flavor was delightful, it definitely didn’t look as smooth at the photo of yours did. Did you strain out the remaining goji seeds and pulp? And if not, do you think straining the lemonade would decrease the antioxidant value?

  • You and the lemonade are very beautiful, Sarah!
    The only question I got…hmmm. How do you take fish oil? Or you consider it to be vegetarian? I really didn’t get it…

  • What a mouth-watering summer drink! As soon as it stops raining I gonna make myself some.
    By the way thanks once again for your Copenhagen tips! I visited both BioMio and Raw Food in Nörrebro and the food was delicious!

  • Hi! Quite recently discovered your blog and I think I’m in love. Tried out the best-ever lentil salad and actually followed the recipe (I really suck at that- Too much fun playing around on my own. :P), except that I didn’t have dried blackcurrant, and it was absolutely amazing. So amazing that finished the whole bottle of dressing in less than a week and today I had to make a new one. And that socca-recipe was also a hit.

    Just wanted to let you know I’m happy to have found your blog and really, really likes it. Hope you have a nice vacation!

  • Perfect! I bought goji berries this weekend out of curiosity. Now I know what to make with them! I also love that your lemonade only calls for a little bit of agave nectar—I’ve been dying for some lemonade but so turned off by all the white sugar in most recipes!

  • Thanks for all the wonderful feedback everyone! It’s great to know what your sun smart tips are too 🙂

    Stephanie – I am so glad you are enjoying the blog. You’ve picked out some of my favorite recipes, so I give you my blessing! Get in that kitchen! 🙂

    Angella – my bathing suit is from Topshop.

    Best, Sarah B

  • I found your wonderful blog last week and I have not been able to stop reading it..I just stopepd myself now (at January 2010) so I could write this note and tell you how wonderful and informative the recipes are and how I love your writing and story telling. I cannot wait to try the raw tacos, the sweet potato hummus, and the raw brownies! THANK YOU!!

  • I love this recipe. i’ve really been into sun teas and such lately. the photos are great too! where did you go vacationing?

  • Thank you, this is such a delicious recipe! I made a batch to bring to work – no sun there, but it will give me a nice kick. I found the teaspoon of ginger to give quie a strong bite, but I added 2 tbsp. agave nectar to smooth it out. One to keep for sure! Best from Montreal.

  • Wauw, I love you’re blog more and more. Definitely gonna try this delicious lemonade on my vacation in Denmark now! 🙂

  • Great post (yet again, of course). It’s amazing how intuitive our bodies are… come June all I crave is foods high in antioxidants like gojis. I’ve been eating so many gojis, it’s unreal!
    Another trick I like to use is to increase my calcium intake when I know I’m going to be in the sun that day. The calcium soaks up the increased vitamin D from sun exposure and prevents sunburn! So awesome.

  • Love that first pic of you. Somehow this looks even more delicious when enjoyed in a bathing suit, on a dock, with a magazine. Totally jealous. Enjoy!

    P.S. My word verification to post is “bumparti” !!!

  • You look seriously gorgeous here! I have been unable to have a “Canadian” summer due to summer school but hopefully I will soon when it ends in August. Definitely going to keep this recipe in mind 🙂

  • My skin is pale white and every time I have to spent more hours in the sun it’s an immediate burn, but not this summer!

    I read all I could find on sun blocking and decided to stick to the spirulina thing, because it’s easy to carry with you on a vacation and drink it all the time. So, my regime was 3 pills per day for the week before leaving and 3 pills per day while there – no sunburn at all, only beautiful brown skin, for the first time in my life 🙂

    The goji ginger lemonade sounds like another easy and fun way to stay away from sun burning, so thank you for sharing! 🙂

  • I know it is so nice to lay in the sun… but please please always wear sunscreen on your face and cover up with a hat. It really does age your face (in ways that I am not sure that antioxidants would be able to repair). Remember also that that apple cider vinegar does not prevent skin cancer after a sun burn! Maybe it comes from living in Australia but we have it drummed into us to ensure our skin is protected…

    Good call though avoiding the sun during peak hours! And your drink sounds like a lovely thing to have regardless of whether you have been exposed to the sun!! 🙂

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