These 5 homemade juices will keep you refreshed and energized during the festive season

With the Chinese New Year song played mostly everywhere, it is not difficult for us to forget the joyful festival that is just around the corner. Alongside the company of food, soft drinks, late-night catch-up it is easy for us to get caught up with the case of stomach bloating.

Therefore, this is a curated list that you could make for your family and friends during the festive season.

Watermelon Lychee Granita

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cubed watermelon

7-8 lychees

1/2 tablespoon honey (honey is used as a substitute for sugar)

10 mint leaves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated ginger

Instructions:

1. Remove the skins and seeds from the lychees.
2. Blend the mint leaves, ginger and honey. Stop once to release the flavours.
3. Add 1/2 cup of cubed watermelon, lemon juice and lychee.
4. Blend it into a smooth puree and transfer it to a bowl.
5. Blend the remaining watermelon to a smooth puree and combine with the previous mixture, mix well.
6. After mixing, put the mixture into the freezer.
7. Once the mixture is frozen, use a fork to rake the mixture starting from the sides then proceed to the middle.
8. When everything is all raked up, put it back into the freezer.
9. After two hours of the wait, take the mixture out of the freezer and rake it. Keep it in the freezer until it is ready to serve.
10. Decorate the drinks with some mint leaves.

Benefits:

Watermelon does not only keep you refreshed but it also helps to clean your kidneys. It is the perfect beverage to consume for the coming days to stay well and healthy. If you are worried about getting sunburnt during the holidays, you may consume some lychee fruit as it can help in healing the skin. Both fruits help in strengthening your heart by pumping oxygenated blood continuously over your body whereas the mint is a herb that can calm your nerves whilst soothe stomach upset and indigestions.

For the ladies, if you are worried that the watermelon could be too cooling for your body then you could add some ginger to the mix.

Cool Kiwi Juice 

Ingredients:

4 kiwi fruits

2 cucumbers

1/2 galangal or crushed ginger

2 celery sticks (as stirrers)

2 scoops of crushed ice

1 cup of water

Sprouts for decoration

Instructions:

1. Peel the fruits and cut it into small pieces.
2. Chill the fruits for 1 hour.
3. Add crushed ice and water into a powerful blender
4. Drop all the fruits into the blender and blend it at the fastest speed for 1 minute.
5. Pour the mixture into a glass and you can now serve it with sprouts as decoration.

Benefits:

Kiwi has a high content of Vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. It also has dietary fibre which can help to reduce cholesterol level. The fruit also helps to have better digestion resulting in a lower risk of stomach bloating. While cucumber can lower your blood sugar when high content sugar drinks are practically flowing in your bloodstream during house visiting. Thus, it can provide extra hydration for your body and works wonders for those with bowel problems.

Orange Basil Juice

Ingredients:

2 oranges

6 fresh basil leaves

a drop of honey, own preferences

4-5 ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Peel the oranges and blend it along with other ingredients.
2. Blend for a few seconds and then sieve it into a glass. Serve it with a few basil leaves as garnishment.

Benefits:

Oranges contain a rich amount of Vitamin C, which could help to protect your immune system and defend free radicals from damaging your cells. It can also reduce heart-related disease as well as pressure. The basils on the other hand, make a wonderful addition to the drink as it could help preserve your youthful innocence.

Pomegranate and Beetroot Juice

Ingredients:

1 fresh leaf aloe vera

1/2 cup chopped beetroot

2 cups Pomegranate juice

Instructions:

1. Take the sharp knife and peel the outer rind from the aloe vera plant leaf and dispose of it.
2. Scrap off the yellow layer beneath the rind with the back of the knife and what is left would be the clear aloe vera gel (the flesh).
3. Wash the gel before adding into the juice.
4. Blend the pomegranate juice and chopped beetroot together.
5. Add the aloe vera gel and stir it.
6. You can add some honey depending on your preference.

Benefits:

Aloe vera is known for its soothing qualities, however, what is unknown to most is that you will get to enjoy its maximum healing abilities if you consumed it orally. Aloe vera can assist those with constipation, making sure toxins are removed from your body as well as a pain reliever for those with arthritis. Pomegranate can also slow down the progress of you losing your memory.

Bonus point for athletes: both beetroot and pomegranate are able to increase your sports performances.

Lychee Dill Juice

Ingredients:

250gm lychees

1 squeezed lime

A few stems of drill

4-5 ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Peel and remove the skins and seeds of the lychees.
2. Put the lychees along with other ingredients and blend for a few seconds.
3. Filtre it into a glass and put some ice cubes.
4. Place the stem of dill as food plating purposes.

Benefits:

Dill is able to boost your vitamin A intake which can improve your eyesight, skin growth and more. Your body will also be equipped with sufficient vitamin C to fight against infection. For healthy bones, cell division and production of DNA, dill is the right addition for this juice.

Images via foodndtv, istockphoto, vaya.in, alis limyen/Shutterstock, Lychee and Dill Juice, Salty Canary, Billion Photos/ Shutterstock