Say it’s the morning of something. (It could be anything…say an event you’re speaking at, or a lunch where you’re meeting clients, or an interview with a potential employer…basically anything where you want to look halfway decent.)
You wake up like any other day and head to the bathroom. Sleep blurring your vision, you glance in the mirror and do a double take as you notice that the worst is upon you.
A huge shiny red zit right on the end of your nose, Rudolph-style. :/
We’ve all been there, right?
When that happens, I always (stupidly) try to retroactively fix the problem. I head to the kitchen and guzzle a cup of warm water with a hefty squeeze of fresh lemon (no sweetener!) for a quick system flush.
The problem is, that thing in the middle of my face is still smack dab in the middle of my face. Why not take a more proactive approach?
I’ve started taking more precautionary measures lately. I’ve had a few digestive issues – nothing serious, but even when something is a little off with your tummy it can really impact how you feel overall – so I added chia seeds as a regular part of my daily eating. I’ve noticed everything seems to just work better…and I am truly sorry if this is TMI, but most people I know share these same issues at least sometimes so I think we’re all in this together. (Full Disclosure: I am NOT a doctor, so don’t take anything here as medical advice!)
Along with chia seeds, green tea and fresh berries are also things I try to incorporate into my eating when possible (hello, antioxidants!), so this elixir is basically just deliciously thirst-quenching refreshment that happens to come with a few nutritional benefits.
And it might look a bit weird to some, but I think it’s a pretty drink. Why not hydrate in style, right?
- 7 cups (1.66 L) cold water
- 7 green tea bags
- ½ cup mashed strawberries
- ½ cup sliced strawberries
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- Fresh mint leaves, for serving (optional)
- Ice cubes, for serving
- Stir together all ingredients except the mint and ice in a large pitcher and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.
- Remove the tea bags. Stir well and serve over ice, garnished with mint if desired.
- Store in the fridge up to 2 days.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
This looks so good, Faith! I’m glad the chia seeds have been working for you. I am definitely going to try them!
Super smart to put all of these little natural remedies in one pretty, sparkly glass. And there’s so little work required – it can probably all be prepared in advance, right? Love it!
ah yes, the zit out of nowhere! You’re right, this is a perfect and beautiful preventative measure!
I have yet to try chia seeds, but this looks like a great place to start!
I’ve tried a few of the chia seed drinks on the market and they just do NOT live up to expectations…so I think I need to take a page from your book and just make one myself! This iced berry green tea would hit the spot, especially since this week is going to be a sweltering one in NYC!
This sounds like a really interesting combination. I look forward to trying it.
So pretty and refreshing, I’d love to sip this tea by the pool!