Recipe: Barley Water with Ginger, Lemon and Vitality™ Oils

You can also add Young Living™ Peppermint Vitality™ Essential Oil to this recipe if preferrred.

I remember my lola prepares this drink once in a while but I never knew it has loads of medicinal benefits as well. I thought it was just an aid for digestion. Upon reading books and on legitimate sources online, I found out that health benefits include:

• Lowering your Cholesterol
• Treats Urinary Tract Infections
• Supports Weight Loss (oh, yes)
• Keeps your Heart Healthy
• As a Digestive Aid 
• Controls Diabetes (if you omit the sugar or use sugar substitute like stevia.)
• May Reduce the Risk of Cancer
• Supports the Immune System

Though I may not be a health authority but it pays to research these claims on your own. Word of caution to those who have wheat and gluten allergy, Barley contains a lot of gluten. So this drink is not for everyone to take especially if you have Celiac Disease. And the calorie count of one glass of this is equivalent to one meal, so drink moderately. This is not a meal substitute either, unless you use the barley grains in a meal.

This recipe uses Young Living™ Lemon Vitality™ Essential Oil. 

You may ask me for orders.

I use Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley for this recipe.
You can find this at Rustan's Fresh, Metro Gaisano or Healthy Options and other health foosd shops.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup washed barley
• 5 cups drinking water
• 1-3 lemon slices 
• 1-3 ginger slices
• Honey or Stevia (optional)
• Glass Pitcher (important)
• 3 drops Young Living™ Lemon™ Vitality Essential Oil

1. Boil the washed barley in drinking water with the lemon and ginger slices for 20 minutes. 

2. I like to stir the mixture while boiling and mash the barley with a potato masher before draining it a metal sieve, into a glass or metal pitcher. The pitcher material is important if you are using EO in this recipe because the oil has properties that will break down the plastic. 

3. Add 3 drops of Young Living™ Lemon Vitality Essential Oil to the mixture. 

3. Sweeten the drink with honey or stevia. 

4. Add ice and more lemon slices. 

Enjoy.

Remove the lemon and ginger slices in the remaining drained barley grains. You can use this for puddings, fried barley grains (like fried rice), or toss in salads.