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Credits:
Host – Dr. Sabrina Falquier, MD, CCMS, DipABLM
Sound and Editing – Will Crann
Executive Producer – Esther Garfin
©2025 Alternative Food Network Inc.
Show Topics Include: Nutrition, Food as Medicine, Microbiome, Metabolism, Weight loss, Gut health, Healthy recipes, Lower cholesterol naturally, Reverse heart disease, Health, Inflammation, Mediterranean Diet, Longevity, Turmeric benefits , Cortisol Stress, Blood sugar, Protein, Magnesium, Sleep quality, Immunity, Hormone balance, Sunday meal prep, Medically tailored meals (MTM), Produce Prescription (PRx), ROI of Food as Medicine programs, Healthcare cost reduction, Prevention nutrition, Culinary medicine program curriculum for hospitals, Teaching kitchen, Health equity, Evidence-based nutrition interventions
Episode Transcript
Welcome. I'm doctor Sabrinafalki, a host of culinary medicine recipe.
Today we're making easy mocktails, colorful, refreshing, and made with
simple ingredients that could even come from your backyard, and
many of these ingredients did. More and more research shows
that reducing alcohol, or even taking regular breaks from it,
can make a real difference in how you feel. Alcohol
affects your sleep quality, hydration, and even how our body
(00:26):
regulates energies and moods. As a physician, I see firsthand
how small mindful shifts like enjoying a beautiful mocktail instead
of a cocktail can support better rest, clearer thinking, and
overall well being. And honestly, you don't miss the alcohol
when the flavor and the experience are this good. These simple,
naturally delicious mocktails are hydrating, satisfying, and perfectly aligned with
(00:49):
culinary medicine where flavor, health, and enjoyment all come together.
So let's start with our first one. This is a
hamaika or hibiscus lime spritzer. These are dried hibiscus flowers
that you can get if you have a Latin market
here in San Diego. You can get them at pretty
much any grocery store. You can also buy them online.
They create a gorgeous, deep crimson color that feels perfect
(01:11):
for the holidays or any festive occasion. I love hibiscus tea.
I drink it warm in the winter months and cold
in the summer as an iced tea, but this version
feels extra festive. And all you need to do is
simmer the dried flowers in water, and simmering means a
low boil for five to ten minutes, turn it off,
drain off the flowers, and then put it in the
fridge and it'll last up to a week. Make sure
(01:34):
it's cold before you make this drink. It's one of
the classic ingredients in a traditional Mexican Christmas punch, and
it brings back beautiful memories of family gatherings that I
had when I lived in Mexico City as a little girl.
So here we're going to add to our shaker. There's
ice in there already. I've added some of the hibiscus
tea and the ice and lime juice. And it's a
(01:54):
squeeze a half a line and half a cup of
the hibiscus tea to shake it up, and then I
have chosen my glass. I have a large ice cube
in there, or you can use a few ice cubes.
Fill up two thirds of the way with what came
out of the mixer, and then top it off with
sparkling water, and that's it. The next one I'm making
(02:18):
is a strawberry basil sparkler. It's a mix of freshness, color,
and simplicity. This one is a favorite in my house.
My daughter asks for it all the time. And you
can use fresh strawberries in the summer and frozen strawberries
in the winter. So you muddle, which means squishing your strawberries,
which is about four or five strawberries, and you're gonna
put two large basil leaves, and you can also add
(02:39):
two or three mint leaves as well. We're gonna squish
it down once it's squished or muddled. And again for
a muddler, you can use anything you might have in
your bar equipment. If you have that, you can also
muddle using a fork or the back of a spoon.
I'm going to put in a shaker. This shaker has ice,
but it also has still water in it. Half a
cup of still water. You're gonna add your muddled strawberries.
(03:03):
You're gonna shake, shake, shake it up, and then we're
gonna pour it out and we're gonna see this one
has this beautiful light pink color. I'm filling that again
two thirds of the way full. Top it off with
sparkling water, and that's our second refresher. And finally the
mint moheto refresher. It's crisp, hydrating and uplifting. This one's
(03:24):
based on my wedding specialty drink and I still love
it today because it's so refreshing and completely family friendly.
So in this case, we're gonna put the juice of
one whole lime into a muddler or a cup with
a flat bottom. I'm gonna add spragu of mint, and
there's about eight mint leaves in there, and now we're
gonna get muddle that down. And what the muddling does
(03:46):
is it helps the natural oils from the mint be
released into that lime juice. And this one you can
actually have right there. You can leave the muddle mint
at the bottom of your glass and you're gonna add
some ice cubes and top it off again without sparkling water,
and you can use whichever glass you want. And I
love to bring out barware that I've had in my
(04:08):
house or that has been passed down from generations. And
for all of these you can add an edible flower.
So here I have some pansies from my garden, or
you can skip that all together, and you can add
a slice of your favorite citrus. Since you've been using lines,
you can use a slice of that. All of these
add beauty, and they just add the celebratory aspect and
the beauty before you even take your first sip. So
(04:29):
these simple, naturally delicious mocktails prove that health and flavor
go hand in hand. Thanks for being here. If you
want to see my videos, you can find them all
on Alternative Food Network YouTube channel. Until next time, Salud
and Bona Betti. Was this episode helpful, I hope, so
please share great, leave a review, and follow culinary Medicine
(04:51):
recipe on your favorite podcast listening platform. Please note that
the content or opinions in this episode are for informational
per possess only and are not a substitute for professional
medical advice. If you are uncertain if an ingredient mention
here is suitable for your diet due to allergies or
other reasons, please discuss with your doctor or other qualified
(05:12):
healthcare provider.
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