AIP strawberry hibiscus iced tea - hibiscus and mint steeped, chilled, then blended with fresh strawberries, lemon, and honey

1 afternoon of work turns into 1 week of not having to think about what you'll drink. That's worth something on a protocol where decision fatigue is real, and every small thing you can hand your future self, tired and hot and just wanting something good, adds up.

Hibiscus owes its deep color to anthocyanins, and some research keeps circling back to a possible role for that pigment family in quieting oxidative stress over time. Keep that loosely held, this is a beautiful drink first. Strawberries and citrus are worth a second thought if you're managing a low-histamine plan, so adjust the fruit if that's you.

Fill your glass with ice first, then pour, and actually look at the color for a beat, that deep magenta is doing more for the moment than most of us give it credit for. A pitcher this pretty in the fridge is its own kind of encouragement to keep going.

Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried mint
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried hibiscus
• 1 pound hulled strawberries
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Ice, for serving

Method

Bring the water to a boil. Load the dried mint and dried hibiscus into a tea ball.

Steep the tea ball in the hot water in a pitcher for 15 minutes.

Remove the tea ball, let the tea come to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Blend 1 cup of the chilled tea with the strawberries, the lemon juice, and the honey until smooth. Stir the puree back into the pitcher and serve over ice.

A note on swaps: if loose dried hibiscus and mint are unavailable, use two tea bags of each, or four bags of a pre-blended hibiscus-mint tea. Adjust the honey to taste.

Instant Pot variation

The steep can be done in the Instant Pot if you would rather not heat a separate pot. Add the water and run Saute until it reaches a boil, then turn the pot off, drop in the tea ball, and let it steep with the lid off for 15 minutes. Remove the tea ball, cool, and chill as above. The blending step is unchanged. This is a convenience only and saves no real time over the stovetop.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*