‘The Juice Lady’ Says Mocktails are a Great Treat for Body and Mind

    Cherie Calbom
    Cherie Calbom

    With warmer temperatures on the way, people may be looking to lose weight, try new things and prepare for summer fashion. That is where a refreshing drink option called a mocktail comes in.

    Mocktails are non- alcoholic cocktails, and they are a favorite of “The Juice Lady,” or Cherie Calbom, MSN. Calbom, a longtime juice maker and drinker, likes mocktails because they offer a wide range of ingredients like fruit juices, veggie juices, spices, herbs, mineral water, ice and sweetener.

    Also known as mock cocktails, they’re a delicious, refreshing alternative to an alcoholic drink. And for people who don’t want to broadcast that they’re avoiding alcohol, mocktails are the perfect answer. They’re also the perfect answer for weight loss. If you ditch the alcohol and choose healthy ingredients, including a healthy low-calorie sweetener such as stevia, you can avoid a boatload of calories not to mention a hangover, Calbom said.

    d3Calbom MSN holds a Master of Science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University. Known as “The Juice Lady” for her work with juicing and health, she is the author of 32 books including her latest, The Juice Lady’s Guide to Fasting and Sugar Knockout. She has lectured worldwide on juicing, detoxing and fasting including consulting for the Royal Family of the UAE.

    So if you want to get rid of the winter weight and that muffin top, add mocktails to your spring shape up plan. You should also feel a lot better when you wake up in the morning, Calbom said. You may also want to try a short juice fast with mocktails before dinner. You can lose at least a pound a day with juice fasting, get rid of foggy brain, and recharge your energy.

    Here are 3 recipes, one savory and two sweet mocktails.

    d5Icy Spicy Gazpacho

    2 tomatoes, cut in chunks
    1 cup fresh carrot juice (about 5–7 carrots)
    1 lemon, juiced, peeled (if putting it through a juice machine)
    1/4 cup cilantro, rinsed and chopped
    1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
    1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/4 small jalapeño, chopped (more if you like it hot)
    3 radishes

    Place the tomato chunks in a freezer bag and freeze until solid. This is optional. (Or you can use fresh tomatoes placed in the blender; then you would need to add ice cubes.) Pour the carrot and lemon juices into a blender and add the frozen tomato chunks, cilantro, salt, cumin, jalapeño, and radishes. Blend on high speed until smooth but slushy; serve immediately. Serves 2.

    d1Twisted Ginger Berry

    2 green apples juiced or 1 cup apple juice
    1 cup blueberries
    1-inch-chunk ginger root, peeled
    4-6 ice cubes

    Pour apple juice in a blender along with the berries and ginger root. Add the ice cubes and blend. Serve your icy cocktail with a sprig of mint.

    d2Lemon Sipper

    With less than 10 calories, this is an ideal low-calorie, vitamin C–rich thirst
    quencher.

    1/2 lemon, washed or peeled if not organic
    1 cup unsweetened mineral water
    2–3 drops liquid stevia
    4 ice cubes

    Juice the lemon and pour the juice into a glass over ice. Add the mineral water and stir to combine. Sweeten with stevia to taste.