Superfood Hibiscus Green Tea Refreshers

While it’s still technically winter, I’m all about the cold drinks all year round. If you know me you know I HATE being hot. I’m constantly drinking ice cold water and eating hydrating foods. I’ll admit, I do have to use the bathroom 24/7 because of it, but you really can’t complain once you see the difference in your body’s health. Hydration is vital for flushing out toxins in the body and keeping you energized.

Did you know the human body is made up of over 60% water? The brain, heart and lungs are over 70%!

Water is essential. However not everyone enjoys the lack thereof flavor. I personally crave water as is, but if you’re one of those people that struggles to get in their 8-10 glasses a day I have a solution for you. This green tea refresher is perfect for keeping you hydrated and aiding in digestive health. With the added perk of chia seeds you’re also getting protein and essential omega fats. The neat thing about this superfood is that they actually absorb the water and expand to three times their size. Once they soak up all that water they create this slime-like coating that actually lines your intestines and helps you digest foods more efficiently. So not only are you getting in your water, you’re actually improving overall gut health.

If you didn’t know, gut health is the key to a healthy immune system. It’s like a domino effect of positivity. By increasing your water consumption you’re able to feed your body’s basic systems and increase your energy and outward health – i.e. clearer skin. Adding in chia seeds will only help keep your digestive health in check. It’s a fantastic superfood with multiple benefits that I can’t even begin to boast about enough. If you’re feeling like you could use a boost, give this recipe a try and see how it effects you over the span of a few weeks. You can also check out a few other recipes that use chia seeds, here.

Using my absolute favorite tea at the moment from Vitacost – Organic Berry Green Tea Hibiscus Strawberry. This stuff is usually out of stock it’s so incredible. Only 4 simple ingredients too – organic green tea leaf, organic hibiscus flower, organic spearmint leaf and organic strawberry. I highly recommend it if you’re a tea drinker. I personally love to make this and chill it overnight, which is what this recipe talks more about. But you can always make this drink hot as well.

To boost the flavor even more I’ve served up this refresher with homemade blueberry lemonade ice cubes. When I think refreshing, my mind instantly goes to lemon. I’m kind of a citrus fanatic. The combo of all of these ingredients and flavors really comes together to make for an incredible beverage. Way more exciting that typical water, it might convince you to increase your hydration.

Since the ice cubes are strong, I recommend only using 1-2 per cup. You can of course dilute the lemon juice, I’ve mixed it with coconut water and stevia in the past and it’s just as delicious. Totally up to your personal taste preferences. Top it all off with fresh mint and you’ve got yourself a party! I really can’t rave about this enough. It’s such a simple concept and this combo really does it for me. Hopefully you’ll give it a try and agree!

Feel free to use any sweetener of choice. If you’re using something in powder form you should go ahead and dissolve it in the tea while it’s still hot. Same goes for really thick, liquid sweeteners – like coconut nectar or bee free honey. I enjoy the taste of stevia, so I like to stick with that in liquid form. The drops easily mix in with a few shakes, in either cold or hot tea. Be sure to adjust to taste, too many drops will leave a strong aftertaste that isn’t pleasant. I usually add about 1/4-1/2 a teaspoon of liquid stevia per quart of tea.

If you would like to check out Vitacost and all the amazing plant-based products they have to offer, you can use this link to receive $10 off your first order of $30 or more. I also receive a $10 off, which is greatly appreciated!

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