Winter Meyer Lemonade and an Update

Okay, so I told you this wasn’t going to be Meyer Lemon Week on THIH … and yet, here I am, sharing another recipe. What can I say? Can’t trust a Happy Jessie.

I’ll begin with an update on a duo of posts I wrote last fall concerning my recent tendency to spend more time sick than healthy and my resolve to fix this problem. In the latter post, I outlined five ways I planned to boost my health and immune system.

I’m happy to say I’m right on target. I’ve made a conscious effort to eat more fruit and veggies, including a greater variety of both (Step 1). My appetite has long returned, but I’m still taking a multivitamin (Step 2). Why? Partly to cover any nutritional gaps, and partly because I still have over half a bottle of vitamins hanging around. Note: I am not taking a multivitamin in lieu of a healthy diet, but rather in ADDITION to a healthy diet. There’s a huge difference between the two.

I’ve been exercising 4-6 days per week and have made a concerted effort to include strength-training on some of those days (with reluctance, I admit, but there we are) (Step 3). And, I’ve got a standing desk now – bonus!

The hardest step has been #4: Stress Less. Couldn’t we all use a lesson in this? Fortunately, engaging more in the community has done wonders for reducing stress. As well as being so busy with new clients, new contracts, and new consulting jobs that I’ve had no time to be stressed. Ironically. I wish I could say that my ability to stress less comes from within rather than outside forces, but that would be untrue. I’m brave enough to admit I need a legitimate purpose in life to reduce stress and feel … well, like a whole person.

And, #5! Oh, #5 (Sleep like a THIH baby). I had such struggles with you in the past. My 2 am emails and half-finished projects can attest to that. However (joy of joys!), things have improved on that front. As I hinted in this post, Peter and I have been searching for a new bed. And we’ve done more than found one – we’ve MADE one! To be featured in a future post. Since then, I’ve been sleeping quite a bit better. Of course, some of that has to do with a healthier lifestyle and stressing less. Everything is connected, dear reader.

The Grand Conclusion? Not a single cold since September. Not even a sniffle.

Part of eating more fruits and vegetables is coming up with new ways to enjoy them. In honor of this pseudo-Meyer Lemon Week, I decided to take an old favorite and put a twist on it.

What’s that, you say? As if the title of this post didn’t give it away, I proclaim it Winter Meyer Lemonade. I’ve taken Meyer lemon juice, sweetened it with simple syrup and orange juice, and winterized with cardamom, cinnamon, and heat.

A Honeybell orange, a gift from a dietitian friend:

Use green cardamom pods, not black ones. The black ones have an extra layer that makes them less flavorful.

This winter lemonade is quite orange and opaque because I like stronger flavors. Feel free to dilute your lemonade 2-3x.

Q: How have you been staying healthy this winter? (If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, of course.)