cover image 100 Health-Boosting Drinks: Juices, Smoothies, Coolers, Infusions and Soups

100 Health-Boosting Drinks: Juices, Smoothies, Coolers, Infusions and Soups

Hamlyn, Sterling Publishing Company. Hamlyn (UK), $14.95 (224pp) ISBN 978-0-600-61328-2

Claiming that the right combinations of fruits, vegetables and herbs can do everything from ""warding off bacteria and viruses"" to promoting healthy hair, this volume offers eclectic recipes for various coolers, smoothies, infusions and soups. Whether or not readers buy into the medicinal properties of ingredients like lavender and parsnips, they are sure to find a few tempting ideas: Blood Orange, a delicious mix of oranges, currants and strawberries, is perfect for a summer morning, and the Tropical Trio is sweet and satisfying enough to count as dessert. Other recipes, however, are much less appealing, like the deep green High Kick, a slimy concoction of spirulina, banana and linseeds. Nevertheless, most of these recipes are winners, and anyone looking to improve digestion, soothe a sore throat, or just relieve a hangover could do worse than to turn to these offbeat brews.