J’s Summer Berry Cooler

Hi I’m Evangeline! Welcome to my blog. I am mom and lover of all things health and wellness. By profession- a Registered Massage Therapist and Yoga & Ayurveda consultant. I started this blog back in the early days of Covid19 as a way to stay in touch with my clients, and it’s grown into a space to share what I love most. Here you’ll find health tips and nourishing recipes I make for my family, sprinkled with Ayurveda and Yoga wisdom. My hope is that these posts inspire you to care for yourself in small, joyful ways and feel a little more balanced in everyday life.

A few days ago my son had a great idea to make a berry drink when I asked “What should we do these leftover berries?”

We had returned from cottage country and brought back blackberries and raspberries but they got a bit mushy. Inspo!

“Let’s mash it up and make a berry drink!” he announced. We ended up creating a simple refreshing and nutritious summer drink with a mint tea base, sweetened with sucanat, unrefined cane sugar. You could substitute maple syrup or honey for the sucanat if you wish.

Berries are loaded with antioxidants, and are high in fibre and Vitamin C. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, unstable molecules that damage your cells. Fibre aids in metabolism, digestion and overall health. Vitamin C plays a number of roles in the body including neutralizing free radicals, fighting infection, healing wounds and are needed for making collagen, a type of protein found in connective tissue throughout the body.

Blackberries - also contains Vitamin K and high in manganese

Red Raspberries - also contains Vitamin K, high in manganese

Mint - cooling, refreshing for summer

Sucanat - unrefined cane sugar for sweetness

J’s Summer Berry Drink

1 cup mint tea cooled or 1 cup spring water

⅓ cup blackberries and raspberries

2 tsps sucanat

You can mash up up the berries and mix all together with the sucanat and water/tea or blend all together for 30 seconds in a blender.

Enjoy!

References

Antioxidants - https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-antioxidants

Fibre - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7589116/

Vitamin C - https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-c/