Here’s the recipe, first from now on, story/info to follow…
Ingredients
-2 oranges, peeled and cut into coarse cubes
-2 lemons peeled and also cut into coarse cubes
-fresh ginger washed, dried, peeled and cut into pieces
-1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
-1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-2 cups good water (I use alkaline water, what you normally fill your water bottle with, coconut water is an option too.
-Optional: 1 tablespoon sweetener such as agave or maple syrup.
Blended in the blender until smooth, strained with some poured or spooned into cube trays, and some into glass bottles to be enjoyed in the coming 10 days to 2 weeks. A bag with some frozen cubes, to be enjoyed when I feel a little under the weather so that I can be available to help babysit, assist my Mom or to be there for a friend as needed.
Method
1. Add all ingredients into your blender. Put your lid on and blend on a high speed until smooth.
2. Pour through a strainer or sieve using a spatula to help press thick liquid through.
3. Place a funnel on top of your bottle and pour. After filling a small bottle or two, depending on how large your bottles are, place some of the mixture into a cube tray to freeze and have at a later time.
4. To enjoy the frozen cubes later, place a cube in a mug and pour some hot water over to melt the cube and enjoy a hot shot of your Ginger Shots.
5. To be enjoyed immediately, pour your mixture into a shot glass or small glass. These are highly potent in taste with a nice peppery, ginger, citrus taste. Store the bottled mixture in the fridge for up to a 10 days-2 weeks. Cheers!
To me, these taste like some mystery healthy potion. They are peppery, tangy from the ginger and highly citrus in taste and they just seem like they are good for you, look up the benefits of ginger and turmeric and we all knows the benefits of citrus and vitamin C, which is plentiful in lemons and oranges. Although as long as I can remember from my teenage years, I have always looked for healthy foods, from yogurt early on to tasty treats like this, to bump up my performance dancing, physical fitness and now, to increase my stamina for everyday life. It’s been a little over six months since I celebrated a monumental birthday, and as I talk to other friends who have as well, or will, we all are noticing that our lives are busier, than we would have anticipated at this time in our life, as we take on new responsibilities helping out our parents or children as they start their own families. MOM is always on speed dial when the nanny cancels, for a long weekend away for a young Mom and Dad to regroup and refresh or a parent needs you to go along with them or drive them to a doctors’s appointment. I always try to help out when I can whether it is my kiddos, Mom, any family member or a friend who just needs a ride to have a root canal. These people have all been there for me and why wouldn’t I want to help when I can?
What that means is that we need to take good care of ourselves so we CAN be there for them. A phrase I heard years ago on the afternoon OPRAH show, from Oprah herself, comes to mind that has always stuck with me, (paraphrasing here)“If your cup is not full, you can’t give to other. You need to do the things necessary to fill YOUR cup so you can give of yourself to others.”
A few things that I call constants in my life that have helped me, and I am certainly NOT a doctor or medical professional. These are just some of the little things that have helped me get to this point, somewhat fit, healthy and feeling more than content. You probably have your own list and we may have some area that are similar…
1. Saying prayers and giving thanks for the blessings in my life.
2. Getting a good night’s sleep as many nights as possible and taking a nap when I feel tired.
3. Exercising at least 5 days a week doing something I enjoy, either a dance workout, biking, Body Combat/Kickboxing workout, Pilates or a barre workout.
4. Yoga or some kind of stretching a few times a week.
5. Good nutrition.
6. Limited alcohol. I feel that my skin and eyes look much better when I don’t partake, rather a ‘fresh juice’ happy hour is more my style.
7. Enjoying little things around the house like a favorite essential oil in a cool mist diffuser, healthy snacks, nice bedding, getting into pjs/loungewear as soon as possible in the evening.
8. Lingering around the dinner table with good conversation as much as possible, rather than eating and dashing away from the table.
9. Enjoying good company when I can either in person or a nice ‘catch up’ phone conversation with good friends to stay connected to special people.
10. Making all of those appointments necessary for annual exams and routine testing to give me the best possibility of being around as long as possible to be helpful to those I love and to take good care of myself to minimize the concern from those who are dear to me.
Realize that even if you are on top of things, take care of yourself and do all the right tasks, you are merely minimizing your chances of having a problem. We have all known or read about the person who did everything right, ran the half marathons, ate granola and no meat and still came down with cancer or had the unexpected or untimely heart attack. Your are taking care of your body and training for life. Should you have an injury, accident or comedown with an illness, a strong body is more able to recover or handle the stress of going through such an experience. A strong body is more equipped to handle the aging process and give you the best chances to continue the activities you enjoy for as long as possible. Consider what you enjoy doing for recreation and ask yourself how long you would like to enjoy that activity, realizing that depending on your chosen selection, you may have to make some modifications to continue, for example if hockey or horseback riding, to maintain safety, think about the risks involved with what you do. A friend of mind decided to hang up her skis after age 6o. It got me thinking as to how long I would like to or would feel comfortable on the slopes. It may not be YOUR ability in question, it could be the risk of injury from others such as an out of control skier or snowboarder. Something to consider.
Back to our Marvelous Monday choice. As I get older, I am more aware of signs my body gives me when I need to slow down or need to take better care of myself. Maybe it’s that I feel a sore throat coming on or am experiencing an irritating headache, not a migraine, just an annoying headache from having too much going on, or your stomach is in knots from worry. For me, that’s when wisdom comes in and says, “Mary Yana, slow down, have a Ginger Shot with hot water and sit down and read one of your favorite authors, or listen to some music that is soothing to you, for me that would be Jim Brickman or treasured classical music, or maybe it means taking a nap. Do what you need to do to calm your mind and body.
I think that’s all and I think you get the picture and why this all goes along with today’s Marvelous Monday. Nurture your body so that you can enjoy as many Great Days as possible with those you love.
