We love the nostalgic taste of ginger ale and that it can soothe the nausea and upset stomach that can accompany a migraine attack. We don’t love that most ginger ales on the supermarket shelf are just soda with artificial flavors and corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Our friend and colleague Jason Boyd shares a simple upgraded version in this week’s blog.
Guest post by Jason Boyd, FDN-P
Few things are as soothing and healing to an upset stomach as ginger ale.
Unfortunately, most ginger ale you find in the store contains very little (or no) real ginger -which is where the “medicine” is. It also typically comes in an aluminum can, along with high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and other nasty stuff that’s not going to serve your best self.
The good news is that making your own ginger ale is super easy, healthier, and tastes better, too.
I like to grate a small knob of ginger with a microplane to extract the maximum amount of medicinal compounds -although slicing works fine too if you don’t have one -into 4 cups of spring water, and heat it up as though you were making tea.
Let it steep off heat for 5-10 minutes and then strain.
At this point, you have ginger tea, and it’s probably pretty spicy (which I like). If you like, you can drink it as is, or soften it a little with more water and/or honey to taste.
To make ginger ale, just experiment with whatever ratio of ginger tea and carbonated spring water that you like (say, 50/50 to start), and add freshly squeezed lime (or lemon…or both) and honey to taste.
Since carbonated water loses its fizz soon after opening, I like to use smaller bottles of San Pelligrino and make ginger ale by the glass.
Keep in mind, little ones may not appreciate the spiciness of ginger so you may need to soften the ginger tea with water first.
Homemade ginger ale is also a great alternative to Sprite or Mountain Dew, so if you’re trying to cut back or kick the soda habit this is a great alternative.
Also, if you’re feeling adventurous –you can sweeten your ginger tea with organic sugar and then let it sit out on the counter with an airlock to ferment and develop its own natural carbonation (along with beneficial enzymes and probiotics) -this is called a “ginger bug”, and can be used to make an even healthier ginger ale or other natural sodas.
Let me know how it works for you!
note: That’s a homegrown Mexican lime in the picture that’s ripened from green to yellow.
To learn how to use fresh ginger and other natural remedies most effectively as part of your migraine relief toolbox, check out our Ultimate Migraine Relief Course.
About the author:
Jason Boyd is a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and owner of Bio+Logical Health and Nutrition
I created Bio+LogicalHealth & Nutrition out of a profound desire to help people live their best life. I’m not interested in diagnosing you or treating you for specific diseases, nor am I merely going to help you manage your symptoms. My goal is to empower you with the knowledge you need to make the right decisions so you can enjoy a long life in good health -free from a system that profits from keeping you ill.
You’re not the disease you’ve been labeled with. You’re not the victim of bad genes.
You’re the creator of your best life…it’s time you start living it.
What the what?! I had no idea this was even possible! I can’t wait to make my very own ginger ale.
I made my own ginger ale and it was easier than I expected.
This sounds great! My mom always gave us ginger ale when our stomachs were upset. I never even considered making my own.
Ginger ale is such a useful thing from health point of view.Thank you for sharing how to go about making it.
I’ve never even thought about making my own ginger ale before, but I like how you explained how simple it really is. Such a healthier alternative to store bought, so I’ll definitely try my hand at it soon!
It is really simple to make.
I absolutely love making my own stuff like this. I’ve never attempted soda before though! YUM!
This sounds so good right now. Ginger ale is my favorite soda but I rarely drink it because of the ingredients. This is a much nicer option.
I seriously need to give it a try!
When I was pregnant and felt nauseous, I would drink ginger ale. It helped a lot.
Glad it was helpful.
I’m very much interested in ginger’s health benefits. Using ginger ale is a good way of getting it.
I just had a lightbulb moment! i just bought 4 pounds of ginger, I have lemon and honey and now I want to run to the store to get some sparkling water to make my own ginger-ale I am excited. Thanks for sparking this as I have been saying for year Ginger-ale from the stores barely have any real ginger in it.
wow 4 pounds of ginger! you are going to be making ginger ale for the neighbors 🙂
Gotta share this with my daughter. She loves ginger ale. I needed it yesterday. I had surgery Friday and I was so nauseous afterwards.
Thank you for passing this along.
I am sooo going to save this post, print it out and put it on the recipe board in my kitchen. Did not know that making your own Ginger ale is so easy. Thank you.
You are welcome!
Making your own ginger ale is quite an enterprising project. I like ginger ale