Rooibos, Pomegranate & Cinnamon Iced Tea

Image 1 Comment

With temperatures soaring across the country Summer is definitely in full swing. Our latest NutritionConfidence recipe is a refreshing, delicious Rooibos, Pomegranate & Cinnamon Iced Tea. We love it because it’s packed with flavour and the perfect alternative to sugar-sweetened ice tea!

Cinnamon, the spice hero:

Cinnamon provides a natural sweet taste to food and beverages, without adding calories and research suggests that cinnamon may have a beneficial effect on short term blood glucose control in type 2 diabetics. In traditional herbal medicine cinnamon is considered a remedy for respiratory, digestive and gynaecological ailments.

Ingredients

(Makes 2 L)

4 rooibos teabags

2 L water

1 cinnamon stick (+/- 5g)

1 orange, sliced with skin on

1 pomegranate, pitted

Honey, xylitol or sugar to taste (optional)

Ice to serve

How to make it

– Boil 2L of water.

– Put the tea bags into a large jug or bowl (min 2L), and add the boiling water.

– Add the cinnamon stick and orange slices.

– Leave the tea to cool to room temperature, or even better, leave to steep over night.

– Strain the tea to remove the teabags, cinnamon and orange

– Stir in honey, xylitol or sugar adding little bits at a time until the desired sweetness is reached. Diabetics, remember to use xylitol for a sugar-free option.

– Add the fresh pomegranate jewels and top up with ice to serve.

– Serve in large jars for a vintage feel and add some fresh herbs or edible flowers for a fresh summery touch.

 

Beetroot is the new super veg!

Image Leave a comment

The website lovebeetroot.co.uk says the vegetable became popular in Roman times and it was used to treat fever, constipation, wounds, skin problems – and was used as an aphrodisiac. Most beetroot on sale is round and red, but yellow, white and stripy versions are available.

The beetroot taste is described as sweet, earthy and tender to eat. It is grown in the ground and is related to turnips, swedes and sugar beet. Beetroot has featured in recipes from top chefs including Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal.

If you’re considering beetroot as one of your 5-a-day, it contains potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B6 and C, folic acid, carbohydrates, protein,antioxidants and soluble fibre.

Researchers have known for some time that juice may help lower blood pressure, but in 2010 UK researchers revealed that nitrate is the special ingredient in beetroot which lowers blood pressure and may help to fight heart disease.

In a Queen Mary University of London study, healthy participants had to drink a glass of beetroot juice while others had a dummy (placebo) drink. Others took nitrate tablets. Blood pressure was lowered within 24 hours in people who took nitrate tablets and those who drank beetroot juice.