So we had a flood recently of people emailing in, asking for more information on how and when to use ginger. The research study we looked at a few days ago seems to have hit a nerve.

Ginger is one of my all-time favorite foods, because it can be used in SO many ways. It is used in cuisine all over the world in almost every culture where it grows…which is all over the place since it’s so hearty.

So I thought in honor of Independence Day coning up, and to celebrate a staple of 4th of July picnics, we would look at a great recipe that combines both ginger and watermelon.

I want to note, though, that even if you don’t like yogurt, you’ll still like this smoothie. It’s absolutely yummy and all of the ingredients are packed with nutritive benefits.

You’ll need (amounts listed below in the recipe):

Watermelon– This incredible summer fruit is delicious in its seedless form but if you prefer the seeded, un-tinkered with organic form make sure to take out at least the black seeds.

What are you getting with watermelon? Vitamins A and C (immunity booster), lycopene (great for your heart), and beta-carotene (great for your eyes).

Limes– Move over, lemons. This little sister is not only a tremendous source of Vitamin C, but also has Vitamins A and D, along with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and fiber.

Honey– I prefer the locally grown stuff myself. Not only will this support your local growers, but you will also be receiving the benefit of nature’s antihistamines. This is especially helpful if you have seasonal allergies or asthma.

Yogurt– Greek yogurt is all the rage right now, but if you are watching calories and trying to increase your pro-biotic intake to regulate your digestion, there are a bunch of them out there that will fill all your needs.

Ginger juice– to get this, I peeled and chopped fresh ginger root and ran it through our juicer. This takes out the pulpy part and leaves the smoothie very…smooth!

Ice– To make it easy on your blender, use crushed ice. Or, at least grab the cocktail ice from the local market freezer.

Once you are done whipping up this yummy treat, you can store the leftovers in the freezer and it comes out as a bit of a sherbet later.

Watermelon Ginger Smoothie:

4 Cups ice
½ medium watermelon (no rind)
1 4-oz container of yogurt (I used Activia 70- cal vanilla)
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon ginger juice (you can use ginger puree from the spice aisle, just might need to cut back the amount)
Juice of 1 lime (I peeled and chopped up my lime…I like the pulp)

Cut 1 watermelon in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pink fruit from one of the halves into a blender. Add the honey, lime, and ginger juice. Blend until the fruit mixture is pureed and spins freely. Pour the mixture back into the “bowl” you made scooping out the fruit.

This is the part where you can go healthy and make a meal out of it, or go “party” and make summer cocktails.

For summer cocktails, pour 1 cup the puree you just made over a glass of crushed ice and add 1 shot of clear liquor of your choice. Garnish with lime wedge and you’ve made a unique drink.

For a healthy meal replacement, grab that yogurt.

Place 2 cups of the crushed (or small cubed) ice into the blender. Add the yogurt and 1 cup of the watermelon puree combination. Blend till it’s smooth and creamy.

This will make 3, 1C servings. If you use the rest of just the one half watermelon mixture, you should have enough to make 2 more batches. Half a watermelon could make 6 small smoothies.

It won’t take much to fill you up, which is why I recommend a small serving. But even aside from its filling characteristics, it is really refreshing after being outside in the morning watering plants or mowing.

The ginger is tangy and stays with you, but the whole combination of flavors is really mellow yet invigorating at the same time.

This has a little more sugar in it than what we would normally recommend for a diabetic diet, but it’s still coming in at under 15 grams of carbohydrates and 90 calories total (if prepared without alcohol and using the fat free, reduced calorie yogurt.)

For more recipes and recommended foods for Type 2 diabetics, see Shelly Manning’s guide published by Blue Heron Health News. For more information on other ways to naturally treat your Irritable Bowel Syndrome or High Blood Pressure, see our full library on the right side of the page.

Cheers,

Julissa Clay

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