Natural Sunblock Juice!?

All my life I've had a love hate with sunscreen, as a child I loved it then, from 11-13 (ah those tween years) I was too good for it, then I reembraced it for it's antiaging properties loving spf 100 and for the past few years I have not used any chemical (standard) SPF products and rely on my beloved Zinc based mineral sunscreen.  The diffence between chemical and mineral sunscreen is this chemical products are filled with toxins, breakdown quicker and typically do not protect from UVA (the most harmful of rays) and that number on the bottle basically only protects the skin from UVB rays.  Mineral sunscreens especially zinc oxide (heaven for the ghost-like) protects from both UVA and UVB rays and doesn't break down as readily in the sun all while providing longer lasting protection.  Just for reference you can check your sunscreen's safety at Environmental Working Group.

Now that I have rambled on about sunscreen, I mean it Memorial weekend and the first of the major "fun in the sun" holidays this weekend, I only found it appropriate.  I have recently discovered a new blogger (new to me, that is), My New Roots and I have stumbled upon her raw recipes section and found her Goji Ginger Lemonade.  Needless to say I am kind of obsessed since I have been craving tartness, nothing says summer like a chilled tart bev.  The recipe is soo simple and you can customize it to your preference:

- 2 Tbsp goji berries (soaked in 1 1/2 cups water (I pH balance my water with the santevia system) for an at least an hour)

- 1-2 tsp grated ginger

- juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lemon (I used whole because I love lemon and cannot get enough vitamin C)
- if this is too tart for you you can add a touch of your fave sweetner (honey, stevia, agave, etc)

**once your gojis have soaked in your blender add the ginger and lemon juice and give it a whirl until it is nice and juicy.  Add ice and enjoy**

I also love to use this as a way to incorporate herbs like echineca, pau d'arco, reishi, etc. because we are blending it and the boldness of this juice hides the herbs very well.

So why call this a Natural Sunblock Juice, first an formost this is mega mega high in antioxidants.  It DOESN'T replace sunblock but the ingredients help to aid in free radical damage caused by sun exposure.  Let's talk about the Goj, goji is extremely high in antioxidant scoring high on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) meaning that it will slow the oxidative process to prevent that free radical damage as previously mentioned.  My all time favorte goji berries come from Dragon Herbs they are really moist and supple.  I recenly read that ginger (and turmeric) are high in antioxidant proteins that protect human keratinocytes (aka the cell type in our outer layer of skin) from DNA damage and toxicity to our living cells, it also helps to absorb UV rays by neutralizing free radicals.  As far as the lemon goes, it may not have any SPF benefits taken internally but it is a natural coolant for your body (among a ton of other benefits) making this the perfect addition for a fun day in the sun.

Grab your zinc, make your drink and enjoy!!