The Healthiest Pink Lemonade Juice Recipe

This is the ultimate pink lemonade juice recipe.  It's a bit more pink then traditional pink lemonade, but it tastes spot on.  Bonus: It's detoxifying and liver cleansing.

When I was a little girl my family would often vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 

We'd take the old Ford down route 95, and after a 13 hour drive, we made it!

All we wanted to do was soak up the sun and go to some tasty restaurants.

One of my favorite places was a Southern style log cabin that had, you guessed it, PINK lemonade!  I'd order it every time, even though it was cooler to order the sweet tea.

I didn't know what really made it pink, and I was a kid, so I didn't care.  It was so good and so cool.  Anything pink is cool (of course).

Today, I now know that the pink lemonade I had was really just sugar-flavored water.

So, I won't be having that anymore... but I do have this.

I've made a hot pink lemonade that's to die for.  It's healthy, contains NO white sugar and is absolute yum.

I have it all times of the year, not just in the summer...because, why not? :)

The juice ingredients and the benefits

This juice is rich in iron and pectin.   Beets, lemons and apples together create a highly nourishing and detoxifying cocktail for your entire body but particularly your liver.

APPLES  The peel and pulp are rich in anti-inflammatories, antioxidants and fiber.  The nutrients present in apples may help to slow the signs of aging and improve some bodily functions.  They may even help deter the development of certain chronic health conditions.

LEMONS  Lemons have a tart, acidic flavor but an alkalizing effect once they arrive in the stomach. Like vitamin C, certain flavonoids in lemon (specifically hesperetin, naringin and naringenin) have antioxidant properties, helping to prevent cell damage from free radicals.  They can also act as anti-inflammatories.  The potassium in lemon helps to regulate the pulse and promotes the maintenance of normal blood pressure.

BEETS  Beet contain several vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients.  Pyridoxine (vitamin B6), folate (vitamin B9), vitamin C, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus and fiber are all present in substantial amounts and contribute to overall health and well-being.  Beets are also an excellent source of betalains, a group of phytonutrient pigments that research indicates can provide support for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying mechanisms. Recent research on cancerous human cells indicates that some of the betalains in beets might inhibit their growth – specifically, tumor cells taken from colon, stomach, nerve, lung, breast, prostate, and testicular tissue.

 

Here's the Hot Pink Lemonade recipe

This makes enough for 2 small glasses or juice or one large glass (16 ounces).

 

INGREDIENTS

2 apples

2 lemons, peel on

1 red beet

 

METHOD

Core the apples and cut them into wedges.  Cut the lemons in quarters.  Cut the beet into quarters.

Juice the beet, apples and lemons together. Mix it together and serve immediately.

Optional variations for the Hot Pink Lemonade

If you don't like the sourness of lemons:  The essential oils in the lemon peels really pack a nutritional punch and helps your body to detox.  Some people find the lemon peels a little too sour to juice.  If this is you, no problem, just remove them before juicing.

 

If you want less sweet:  I don't think this recipe is too sweet, but if you're really watching your sugar intake, only use one apple and add 1 zucchini to the ingredient list.

If you like a thin, watery juice:  If you like a watery lemonade, add about 1/2 to 1 cup of water to stretch the recipe and make it weaker.

 

Enjoy!  Let me know what you think of it below.