Mojito Water

A mojito is a popular drink around here, especially in the summer. It has mint, lime, rum, sugar, soda and ice. I don't drink much alcohol, but I do drink quite a bit of water. I have found that if I flavor my water, I am more likely to drink adequate amounts each day. The past two summers, my favorite drink was water with mint and lemon verbena from my garden, and a little bit of Xylitol. Xylitol is a natural sugar that is actually good for you. It is safe for diabetics to use, because it is metabolized by the body differently from sucrose. It keeps plaque-forming bacteria from adhering to the teeth, so look for gum and candy sweetened with Xylitol. One drawback with Xylitol is that in large quantities, for some people, it can cause upset stomach and diarrhea. I recommend using it, but start slowly to avoid the above-mentioned GI problems.
My mint survives from year to year, so I have a large 'crop' of it in my garden. The lemon verbena I have to plant new each year, because it does not survive our cold winters. I don't like to use the leaves from the plant until it is well established, so I was looking for a substitute. I found a bag of small limes very inexpensive at my grocery store, and decided to try making 'mojito water'.
In a 48 ounce pitcher, I put 8-10 gently crushed sprigs of mint, about 50 leaves altogether. I cut two limes in half, remove the seeds, and squeeze the juice into the pitcher, and throw two of the lime 'shells' into the pitcher after squeezing them. (I like the taste of lime peel, but all four 'shells' is too strong for me. Omit the 'shells' if you don't like the taste of citrus peel.) I toss in 1 1/2-2 heaping teaspoons of Xylitol, and fill up the pitcher with water. Stir the mixture, and let it sit to 'marinate' for a half hour or so. Stir before pouring, and each time you pour more to drink. Some days I put the pitcher in the refrigerator, other days I don't, depending on weather and mood. If you like yours refrigerated, let it sit out for about 15 minutes to let the Xylitol dissolve first.
This mojito water is refreshing, healthful, and a fun way to keep yourself hydrated in summer. You can serve it to company, or keep it all for yourself. Since I am the only one drinking this concoction, it suffices for a full day. Sometimes I will reuse the mint leaves, adding more lime, Xylitol and water. If there is any left at the end of the day, I do put it in the refrigerator over night. You can adjust the amounts of the ingredients for your own taste. My mint is fairly mild, if using a stronger mint, less might taste better.
Enjoy!

Refreshing Herb Water to Drink

I have written about my garden off and on.  I want to share here one of the simplest ways I use my garden every day during the warmer months.  I love the smell and taste of fresh herbs.  Many of them are easy to grow.  I have a huge 'bush' of lemon mint that I started last year.  I also have lemon thyme also from last year, and lemon verbena, which did not survive the winter so this one was planted about 5 weeks ago.   You may notice a theme in the plants that I picked.  I also have cinnamon basil and lavender, newly planted this year. 
Every morning I go out to my garden and pick 2 bunches of mint and 3 sprigs of thyme.  Later in the season, I will vary which herbs I use, but right now I am giving the newer plants time to grow before I start using them.  I take my fresh picked herbs into the kitchen, and crush them a little to release their essence, then put them in a 64 oz. container of fresh water.  I add 2 teaspoons of xylitol, which is a natural sugar which is actually good for you.
I put the lid on the container and shake it.  I let it sit awhile to let the xylitol melt and the herbs to infuse into the water.  I leave the bottle on the counter, because I don't like cold (refrigerated) water.  After about 15 minutes, it is ready to drink.  I fill up my water bottle, trying not to let too many pieces of herb into the bottle (if some gets in, that is okay, I will munch on the bits of herb when they enter my mouth while drinking).  The herbs give the water a light herby taste, varying with the chosen herbs.  It is very refreshing, and encourages me to drink more water throughout the day.  When my water bottle is getting empty, I fill it up again with herb water from the 64 oz container.  At the end of the day, I throw the herbs into the sink disposal and grind them up to make my kitchen smell good.  The next morning, I make a fresh batch of herb water.
I have never been much of a pop drinker, and I never acquired the coffee habit that so much of the civilized world has. I mostly drink herbal tea or water, so this herb water is just my 'cup of tea'. It is very healthy to drink.  It likely has some vitamin/mineral/etc. content, though I can't tell you what or how much.  I can tell you that there is nothing in it that is unhealthy.  The xylitol adds the only calories, and very few, at that (10 per teaspoon, I believe, so a total of 20 in the whole bottle). Some people do have gastrointestinal issues with large quantities of xylitol, but this is not a large quantity.  No caffeine, no alcohol, no artificial sugars or additives.  Mint is very easy to grow, in fact, if you are not careful, it likes to take over garden areas.  You can use it alone, or with other herbs.  If you don't want to or can't grow your own herbs for some reason, you can still enjoy this herb water by buying herbs at your local store or farmer's market.  Happy sipping!    

The Sweetness of Xylitol

People with Sjogren's Syndrome, and other illnesses that cause dry mouth, need to take extra care of their teeth and mouths.  Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweetener that tastes like sugar, looks and dissolves like sugar, but has 40% fewer calories.  The best part of all, is that xylitol is actually good for your teeth!  According to xylitolinfo.com, benefits of xylitol include:
Helps reduce the development of cavities (dental caries)
Resists fermentation by oral bacteria
Reduces plaque formation
Increases salivary flow to aid in the repair of damaged tooth enamel (remineralisation)
Compliments fluoride in oral hygiene products

Xylitol has been recommended by several dental associations worldwide through endorsement of sugar-free products in which xylitol constitutes at least 50% of the total sweetener.  Xylitol is metabolized independently of insulin and is slowly absorbed. The low-glycemic effect of xylitol metabolism makes xylitol an ideal sugar substitute for diabetics.  The only downside of xylitol is that in large quantities, it can have a laxative effect.  According to xylitolinfo.com, most adults should be able to tolerate 40gm/day. 
http://www.yourdentistryguide.com/xylitol/ states: To help prevent cavities, you need approximately six to eight grams of xylitol taken (chewed or ingested) throughout the day. To help prevent ear, nose and throat problems such as sinus conditions and middle ear infections, approximately 10 grams daily is recommended.  If used only occasionally or just once a day, xylitol may not be effective, regardless of the amount. Use xylitol at least three times each day – five times is preferable – for at least five minutes right after meals and snacks.

Dr. John's Candies has a variety of xylitol candies, including taffy, hard candies and lollipops.  They have developed a program they call SimplyXylitol,. These are specifically designed products (candy, gum, chocolates, lemonade, etc.) with measured amounts of xylitol.  Dr. John (a dentist, by the way), suggests 3-5 servings of these products spread throughout the day, preferably after meals, lasting 5 minutes each, to get the recommended 6-10 gm of xylitol. 

I buy xylitol in bulk, and use it instead of sugar for all my sweetening needs (I don't use much sweetener, I wouldn't recommend doing this if you do use alot).  Some xylitol containing products include:

Spry has a line of xylitol products, including gum, mints, toothpaste and oral rinse.  Xlear, the parent company, has other products, including a nasal rinse and bulk xylitol.  Trident Gums have varying amounts of xylitol, I like the Blueberry best.  This website has some cute (some might say annoying) little doodads, including a nonsensical multiple choice quiz to match you up with the gum that is perfect for you.  They matched me up with citrus blackberry Splash.  I will try it to see if I like it.  I found xylitol jam at globalsweet.com (I haven't tried it, if anyone has, let me know how it is).  The Biotene line of mouth care products, mouthwashes, toothpastes, moisturizers, gum,etc., all feature xylitol.

There are many more xyltol products out there, this is only a sampling.  I highly recommend using these products, especially if you have dry mouth issues.  As a great fan of candy (see my post a couple of days ago on Jelly Belly Jellybeans, which, unfortunately, don't contain xylitol), I think it is wonderful that finally, I am being told that candy (at least some candies) are good for me!  Now, to convince Jelly Belly to change their recipe...