This healthy, homemade ginger ale comes together in minutes. Whether you want to celebrate, need a pick me up, or are trying to settle your tummy, this crisp, bubbly drink has you covered. No need to make syrup, use sugar or rely on processed ingredients. Let's go!
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Homemade Ginger Ale vs. Commercial Ginger Ale
Have you made your own ginger ale? It's so easy, and like me, you'll get addicted to the crisp, spicy flavor.
Best of all, this healthy version will leave you forgetting the syrupy (problematic) commercial versions.
Unfortunately, most commercial ginger ales use club soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is a highly processed type of sugar derived from genetically modified corn starch. It is associated with many negative health outcomes ranging from diabetes to DNA damage and cancer to heart disease to gastrointestinal disorders.
Why HFCS isn't banned from our food supply is appalling to me. No doubt it has to do with the power behind Big Food lobbyists. Be sure to check your ingredient labels for this highly processed, toxic form of sugar that is associated with impairment to the hippocampus (brain region responsible for learning and memory) of children and teens.
That's where this bubbly, nutrient-rich ginger ale comes to the rescue. It brings to life all the ingredients, flavors and health benefits that a ginger ale should have, with none of the drawbacks of the commercial versions.
And to be honest, lots of homemade ginger ale recipes aren't much healthier. Most call for club soda (sweetened with the notorious high fructose corn syrup mentioned above) which sort of defeats the purpose of a homemade ginger ale, IMO.
And yes, there are some better ginger ale versions on the market like Reed's and Q Mixers, but I'm not crazy about all of their ingredients and sweeteners (cane sugar and agave).
Speaking of ingredients, let's look at what makes this homemade Pear Honey Ginger Ale unique and nutritious!
5 Fabulous Brain-Gut Healthy Ingredients
Whether you want to enjoy a fun beverage, need a pick me up, or want to settle your tummy, this refreshing homemade ginger ale has you covered.
It only has a few ingredients, but they come together magically to delight your palate, support your brain, immune system and gut:
Pear: Pears are a delicious source of vitamins and minerals, like vitamins C and K, copper, potassium and manganese. They also are rich in water-soluble pectin fiber which supports gut health, detoxification and immunity. They sit beautifully in this ginger ale, but can also be muddled to release more flavor, fiber and nutrients.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet. Among its many benefits, it has formidable immune boosting properties against viruses, bacteria and fungal infections and even cancer. It also works against candida overgrowth. I love it for its potent blood sugar balancing properties making it a preferred ingredient for diabetics and those who struggle with blood sugar issues. Plus it supports brain health by preventing build up of proteins in the brain linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Ginger: Ginger is the star of the show in this recipe-- the reason most of us gravitate towards ginger ale when we have an upset stomach. It is food-as-medicine at it's finest. Ginger supports the GI tract by reducing bloating, gas, nausea and heartburn and it also aids in digestion and gut motility (pooping💩). Plus it's a powerful natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that boosts immunity against various illnesses ranging from common colds and viruses to heart disease to many types of cancer. And it's associated with many positive neurological outcomes for brain and memory health. One of my favorite gut-brain foods! We eat it daily here!
Lime: Limes are rich source of vitamin C which supports heart, brain and immune health. They are also supportive of the kidneys giving the body a good dose of citric acid which has been shown to help break up oxalates (that can lead to kidneys stones among other issues). Limes are a traditional ginger ale ingredient that harmonize all the flavors together. This recipe uses juice of a whole lime.
Raw Honey: Raw honey is soothing for the digestive tract and works against a variety of harmful gut pathogens, including H. pylori. Unlike processed sugar and other sweeteners (agave, artificial sweeteners), honey is a blood sugar stabilizer. You can add as much or as little as suits your taste.
My favorite, clean (non-toxic) brand of cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon is Simply Organic! I'd love to know of any other clean brands or sources you like. Comment below!
Grab this simple ingredients and get ready to stir it up!
Pear Honey Ginger Ale (Homemade & Healthy)
Prep: 5 minutes Total: 5 minutes Servings: 1
This recipe is for one 16-20 ounce glass of Pear Honey Ginger Ale. It's easy to multiply it if you want to make more! I do recommend making in individual glasses (like a cocktail) so each person gets their fair share of the goodies! Also, I don't use club soda as most of them have high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or other fancy names for highly processed (toxic) sugar. A simple unflavored sparkling water is ideal although Q Mixers makes a Club Soda without HFCS. Enjoy immediately!
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Ingredients:
1/4 ripe pear, sliced
1-2 cinnamon sticks
2-4 inch ginger knob, peeled (more ginger = more spice)
1 whole lime, juiced
1/2-1 tablespoon of raw honey (clear and runny; local is ideal, but this one is good)
16-20 ounces of unflavored sparkling water (I like Voss or Q Mixers Club Soda)
Equipment:
microplane or other fine grater or this awesome garlic/ginger press
Instructions:
Drop pear slices, cinnamon stick(s), and honey into your drinking glass. Optionally, you can muddle the pears before adding the other ingredients if you want to release more pear juice, fiber and nutrients.
Fill half the glass with sparkling water. Add lime juice. Stir to dissolve honey.
Grate or squeeze fresh ginger directly into glass to capture all the juice. If using a ginger press, I like to drop in all the pressed ginger chunks for extra spice (immune and brain boosting properties).
Top the rest of glass with sparkling water. Stir, taste and adjust flavors. You may like to add more ginger or more honey.
Enjoy!
Try this easy healthy, homemade ginger ale recipe and let me know what you think! Comment below or tag me on social media at @nourishandcherish.ntp
Need personalized nutrition help to balance your brain and hormones? Feel free to contact me for a free 20-minute Discovery Session to see if we are a good fit. You can learn more about my services here.
Check out my Clean Shop for all my favorite non-toxic resources for your kitchen, home and family! You can grab a FREE BRAIN HEALTH BREAKFAST GUIDE below to get some nutrient-dense breakfast inspo!
References:
Axe, D. (2020, September 22). How high fructose corn syrup destroys your body (it's not a pretty picture). Retrieved from https://draxe.com/nutrition/high-fructose-corn-syrup-dangers/
Ka, H., Park, H. J., Jung, H. J., Choi, J. W., Cho, K. S., Ha, J., & Lee, K. T. (2003). Cinnamaldehyde induces apoptosis by ROS-mediated mitochondrial permeability transition in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. Cancer letters, 196(2), 143–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-3835(03)00238-6
Kageyama, I., Yamada, H., Munetsuna, E., Yamazaki, M., Ando, Y., Mizuno, G., . . . Ohashi, K. (n.d.). Differential effects of excess high-fructose corn syrup on the DNA methylation of hippocampal neurotrophic factor in childhood and adolescence. Retrieved from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0270144
Kirkham, S., Akilen, R., Sharma, S., & Tsiami, A. (2009). The potential of cinnamon to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 11(12), 1100–1113. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-1326.2009.01094.x
Mashhadi NS, Ghiasvand R, Askari G, Hariri M, Darvishi L, Mofid MR. Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of ginger in health and physical activity: review of current evidence. Int J Prev Med. 2013 Apr;4(Suppl 1):S36-42. PMID: 23717767; PMCID: PMC3665023.
Nikkhah Bodagh, M., Maleki, I., & Hekmatdoost, A. (2018). Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials. Food science & nutrition, 7(1), 96–108. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.807
Penniston, K. L., Steele, T. H., & Nakada, S. Y. (2007). Lemonade therapy increases urinary citrate and urine volumes in patients with recurrent calcium oxalate stone formation. Urology, 70(5), 856–860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2007.06.111
Peterson, D. W., George, R. C., Scaramozzino, F., LaPointe, N. E., Anderson, R. A., Graves, D. J., & Lew, J. (2009). Cinnamon extract inhibits tau aggregation associated with Alzheimer's disease in vitro. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 17(3), 585–597. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2009-1083
Wang, G. S., Deng, J. H., Ma, Y. H., Shi, M., & Li, B. (2012). Mechanisms, clinically curative effects, and antifungal activities of cinnamon oil and pogostemon oil complex against three species of Candida. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan, 32(1), 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0254-6272(12)60026-0
About the Author
Roxie Daggett is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) with a virtual holistic nutrition practice in Sedona, Arizona. Her passions include studying nutritional research pertaining to brain health, gut health, genetics and longevity. When she is not geeking out on nutrition she enjoys cooking, hiking, organic gardening and hanging out with her wonderful husband, and her adorable, energetic son who happens to have Down syndrome. Learn more on her About page and stay in touch by grabbing your FREE BRAIN HEALTH BREAKFAST GUIDE above or below!
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