Lemon Ginger Soda: A Refreshing And Healthy Drink

The festival season is almost here. The month of August is all lined up with major festivals like Rakshabandhan on August 11, followed by Varalakshmi on August 12, Janamashtami on August 19, and Ganesh Chaturthi on August 31. These special days are marked by some incredible dishes but this is not about a festival recipe but a recipe for a drink that will help you detoxify after consuming all that lavish food. It facilitates a smooth movement of the bowel through the digestive tract.

An occasional dose of 1½ grams of ginger can alleviate nausea. This drink is a great way to consume ginger and enjoy its numerous benefits. Ginger also alters memory and mental processes and enhances cognitive function.

Ginger belongs to the same botanical family as cardamom and turmeric. It is believed to be employed as a tonic in China and India to draw benefit from its medicinal properties. Ginger was brought to Europe throughout the Middle Ages via the spice trade, and it was even used in candies. Since then, ginger has been used as a garnish in a variety of ways, including fresh, dried, pickled, crystallised, powdered, or crushed. 

So, drinking Lemon Ginger Soda doesn’t just make one feel refreshed but also maintains brain function and lowers the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This drink has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Lemon and ginger also promote good blood circulation, which is good for the heart. As this drink has water, it helps one to stay hydrated. It is crucial for the health of intestines, heart, and other internal organs. It’s never a bad idea to consume water.

Lemon contains Vitamin C, which strengthens immunity. Consuming this drink can help ward off illnesses.

Now let’s talk about soda which is a carbonated water. The first drinkable artificially carbonated water was developed in 1767 by an Englishman named Joseph Priestley. Torbern Bergman, a Swedish chemist, created a device that produced carbonated water from chalk using sulfuric acid three years later. 

It was thought to be healthy to drink mineral water, whether it was natural or synthetic. American pharmacists who sold mineral waters would flavour plain mineral water with therapeutic and palatable plants like Birch bark, dandelion, sarsaparilla, and fruit extracts. Some historians believe that Dr Philip Syng Physick of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, created the first flavoured carbonated soft drink around 1807. 

In this drink, bitter tartness of ginger is combined with lemon’s sour flavour to churn out a wholesome and delectable concoction. So, here’s a recipe for a lemon ginger soda drink which will help to digest heavy food during this festival season. Indulge guilt-free in your favourite modak, fried savoury, sweet pongal, payasam, puri, or ghevar dipped in ghee, because this drink will watch your back. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• ½ tsp salt 
• 2 tsp - sugar
• 2 tsp - ginger juice
• ½ cup water
• 500 ml - soda 
• Ice cubes, as needed

Method:

• Squeeze one full lemon and add ½ tsp salt. 
• Add 2 tsp ginger juice, 2 tsp sugar and mix well. 
• Now, add ½ cup water and 500 ml soda to it. 
• Your lemon ginger drink is ready.