by Vic Shayne ph.D.

When I was a child I used to visit my grandparents’ house every summer. And it was HOT in Miami. To put out our fire, my grandmother used to go out to her lemon and lime trees, pick the fruit then mix up a batch of limonade (as she called it). The fresh fruit was fantastic, but there was one other thing that made it so great — no refined sugar. Grandma knew enough to use honey instead.

By the time I had my own family I started making my own version of a fantastic summer beat-the-heat drink using not only limes and lemons, but also green tea.

Here’s my Summery Green Tea Iced Tea Recipe:

1. Boil some filtered water (don’t drink the tap if it’s not filtered, because it contains fluoride, chlorine and other bad stuff)
2. Pour the water into a half-gallon pitcher
3. Add 2 Organic Green Tea bags and 2 Organic Black Tea bags
4. Squeeze in one organic lime or lemon
5. Add organic honey to taste

We already know that citrus fruits such as limes and lemons are full of vitamin C and other nutrients, but in the last few years, a stream of great scientific reports have been coming out about the health benefits of green tea.

Green tea’s antioxidants, called catechins, scavenge for free radicals that can damage DNA and contribute to cancer, blood clots, and atherosclerosis. So drinking green tea every day is great for your heart and blood. It’s also good for your teeth, can reduce risk of stroke and slow prostate cancer and delay diabetes. And, a little lemon peel in your tea has been shown to reduce the risk of certain skin cancers!

This recipe is so easy to make, we usually just keep a pitcher of tea made and cool in the fridge as a refreshing and healthy drink to have on call!

photo via flickr by thebittenword.com

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