How To Make Probiotic Lemonade

Graphic – herbs-info.com Photo © shutterstock.com (under license)

When it comes to flavor and refreshment, nothing beats a cold glass of fresh homemade lemonade. Store-bought brands are often filled with sugar, preservatives, and artificial flavoring. So when it comes to your drink, it’s always better to go natural. Lemons are already packed with vitamin c, antioxidants, and potassium to keep our body healthy… but imagine if we can make an awesome drink even more awesome. ^[1]

A great way to boost the health benefits you can get from your beverage is to add a dose of probiotics extracted from yogurt. Probiotics are often called “good bacteria” since they have been linked to improvements in mood, digestion, and immunity. ^[2][3] Best of all, the natural tart taste of lemons makes it a perfect complement to the sour flavor of the whey from yogurt.

Here are the steps to make your own probiotic lemonade at home.

For this recipe you’ll need:

Ingredients
• 12 Organic lemons
• 1 cup of fresh whey from yogurt
• 1/2-1 cup of organic cane sugar (adjust according to taste)

Things you’ll need
• A thin cheesecloth
• Rubber bands
• A gallon jar

1. Extract the whey. We start with the process of extracting whey from store bought whole milk organic yogurt. To do this, simply drape your cheesecloth into a bowl and add the yogurt. Tie it with a rubber band and hang it up to strain the liquid. After a few hours transfer the liquid into a measuring cup and you now have around 1 cup of whey for your drink.

Tips:
You can use the leftover yogurt as an ingredient for dips, spreads, and fillings.
Use the thinnest cheesecloth as possible. A think cheesecloth can absorb the whey rather than strain it from the yogurt.
You can save the whey for other recipes, just make sure to keep it refrigerated.

2. Now it’s time to squeeze the juice out of the lemons. You can use a lemon press or any lemon juicer of your choice.

Tip:
Roll the lemon first on your counter top to maximize the amount juice you’ll get.

3. Mix the whey and lemon juice in a gallon jar. Now add the amount of water and sugar to the taste that you want.

Tip:
It is best to use at least 1/2 cup of sugar so that the probiotic can use it for fermentation. This will make the sweetness a little weak after fermentation.

4. Wait. Once finished mixing. Tightly close the jar and leave it on your kitchen counter at room temperature for 2 days.

5. Enjoy! After 2 days, transfer the mixture to a glass pitcher and you now have a refreshing and healthy probiotic drink your family will enjoy.

13 Great Probiotic Foods You Should Be Eating

13 Great Probiotic Foods You Should Be Eating. Graphic: © herbshealthhappiness.com. Image sources – see foot of article.

Do you want to promote your heart health, reduce depression, improve digestive health, and even get better-looking skin? Research shows that probiotics – which are live organisms (mainly beneficial bacteria) – could provide all sorts of health benefits for your brain and body. While you can easily get probiotics from supplements, several fermented foods are rich in the healthy microorganisms, as shown below:

1. Kefir: This fermented dairy product is made from fermented kefir grains and milk. It contains up to 34 strains of probiotics.

2. Sauerkraut: Sauerkraut is made from fermented vegetables such as cabbage, and is quite popular in Germany.

3. Kombucha: The centuries-old probiotic drink is basically a fermentation of black tea originating from Japan.

4. Coconut Kefir: Not a fan of dairy? Fermenting kefir grains and the juice of young coconuts offers most of the probiotics contained in traditional dairy kefir – plus it tastes great.

5. Natto: Natto is a Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans. It contains several probiotics, including the potent Bacillus subtilis strain.

6. Yogurt: Arguably the most popular and easily accessible probiotic food, yogurt is processed from milk – especially from grass-fed sheep, goats, and cows.

7. Kvass: This ancient beverage has roots in Eastern Europe, and it’s made by fermenting barley or rye. Alternatively, you can use root vegetables, beets, and probiotic fruits.

8. Raw Cheese: Unpasteurized and raw cheese is high in probiotics such as acidophilus, bulgaricus, bifudus, and thermophilus.

9. Apple Cider Vinegar: This popular drink can significantly ramp up your probiotic intake while providing other health benefits.

10. Salted Gherkin Pickles: Salted gherkin pickles are a little-known source of probiotics, but quite potent.

11. Brine-Cured Olives

12. Tempeh: Tempeh is an Indonesian product created by fermenting soybeans.

13. Miso: Miso is a Japanese spice made by fermenting brown rice, barley, or soybean with Koji, a fungus.

Please note that this content should never be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinicians.