When I was little, my Grandmother and I used to have tea parties in front of the fireplace whenever I slept over her house. To this day, I am still an avid tea drinker and I can often be found attached to a cup of Matcha or English Breakfast Tea. There is just something so comforting about a warm cup of tea!
Although I love so many different varieties of tea, when I feel a cold coming on or like my immune system needs a bit of a boost, I automatically reach for spicy ginger tea with lemon! It's super easy to make and helps me feel better in no time!
Here's what you'll need:
- Water
- Ginger Root
- Cayenne Pepper
- Lemon Juice
- Maple Syrup, Raw Honey, or Agave Nectar
- Himalayan Pink Salt
The immune system is incredibly complex, but its primary objective is to protect the body from disease. Research suggests that ginger helps balance the immune system and restore proper function. Specifically, in 2008, scientists discovered that ginger activates T-cells (article here). T-cells are white blood cells that migrate to the thymus to mature and differentiate before becoming active in the immune system. These cells play a critical role in the body's adaptive immunity, the body's tailored immune response to specific pathogens.
Just as ginger aids digestion, you've probably heard that cayenne pepper stimulates gastric juices that bolster the body’s ability to metabolize food and toxins. But that's not all that this potent spice has to offer! Cayenne pepper is full of beta carotene and other antioxidants that support the immune system. It also aids in breaking up and moving mucus so that it can be eliminated from the body to help relieve congestion.
Lemon is rich in vitamin C which stimulates white blood cell production and protects your cells from oxidative damage. Because the atomic structure of lemon juice is similar to the digestive juices found in the stomach, it too aids digestion and helps ease an upset stomach.
I like to incorporate maple syrup in this tea because it is packed with antioxidants and I enjoy the flavor that it adds. However, raw honey (check out my post about honey here) and agave nectar also add a lovely sweetness that balances out the tart kick from the other ingredients in this tea.
Finally, I add a little bit of Himalayan pink salt because it helps support a healthy pH balance and promotes sinus health.
For one cup full of tea, I like to steep 1-2 teaspoons of fresh ginger root in 1 cup of boiling water for about 5 minutes (the longer, the better). I keep the pieces of ginger pretty large so that I can easily pick them out, but if you grate your ginger, it will pack a spicier punch (just make sure to strain your tea if you go this route)! I then add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a pinch of pink salt. Just give your tea a little stir and you're good to go!
I also like to make a concentrate of this tea so that I always have it on hand when I need a boost! All I do is add 3 tablespoons of ginger to 1.5 cups of boiling water and let it steep for about 15-20 minutes. Next, I add the juice of 2-3 lemons, 1.5-2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and a generous pinch of pink salt. This concentrate can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or so in an airtight container. Just give it a shake before you add it to about half of a cup of hot water. Obviously, the less water you add, the more potent your tea will be.
Enjoy!