It is so important to acknowledge what your body is needing with each passing season and keeping our bodies on the warm side when it's cold outside is a very healthy practice. There are many other ways than just living in ugg boots and jumpers that we can do this.

Warm up from the inside!

A great way to do that is to drink some warming drinks and even better, drink some warming herbs that are traditionally used to increase heat in your body. This will help increase your immune system and immune response, decrease inflammation in the gut and in any sore and achy places and keep your digestive system (which let's face it, runs the whole body) much happier.

And in fact, no matter the weather outside, this sort of morning drink will run your body better in Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring!

This little recipe is very simple but when it becomes your morning ritual, you will feel so much better for it!

I will just give you a brief rundown of all the ingredients and what they are good for to make you extra happy you are doing this for yourself 🙂

Ginger

This fabulous herb is very warming as it stimulates peripheral circulation. It's a carminative so it promotes gastric secretion which makes it great for any digestive upset including nausea, gas and colic type conditions and it also has a very strong anti-inflammatory action, so will help with any muscular and arthritic type pain as well as help any inflammation in the gut.

Turmeric

Also known as the 'Queen of Spices', this herb is anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and a strong antioxidant. Turmeric contains the phytochemical 'curcumin' which will help increase your gut health, cleanse your liver, improve your digestion, help control your blood sugar levels (it reduces insulin resistance) and helps fight free radicals in the body which will in turn help with preventing cancer and degenerative diseases of the brain such a Alzheimers and dementia. Yes. get on your daily dose of turmeric!

Water

We are 80% water. Water flushes our systems. Water is the make up of our blood and all our cells. Water heals. We need more water. The end.

Lemon

Alkalising, high in Vitamin C, increases lymphatic health (toxin removal) and increases bile production which helps liver, gall bladder, pancreas, intestines and basically all our digestive organs to be doing a better job at breaking up our food and getting nutrients where they are supposed to go all while keeping your body from getting too acidic.

Coconut Oil

If you have read anything on coconut oil lately, you will know that I could tun this list of benefits into a book. It does everything except brush your hair in the morning (although some of you might actually have it in your hair right now!!) and so I will direct you to googling coconut oil and finding out for yourself why this oil is good for you but for the purpose of this recipe, I have added it to help increase your MCT's (medium-chain triglycerides - these are a good thing by the way and help with weight loss and appetite control) as well as help your body absorb the turmeric.

The bioavailability of 'curcumin' in your turmeric is a lot lower than other phytochemicals so the addition of coconut oil will help make sure all that lovely curcumin will actually be absorbed by your gut and do its clever thing instead of coming out in the toilet, so to speak.

If you can't stand the taste of coconut oil or it doesn't agree with you for any reason, you can use some black pepper in your tea. Definitely not as nice but will be just as effective as black pepper has a compound called piperine which also aids in getting the curcumin absorbed. Definitely add the honey in if you go with the pepper option!

Raw Honey

This is an optional addition if you need to sweeten your tea. Make sure it is raw honey (unheated, untreated) and it will add some lovely anti-bacterial properties while sweetening your tea. To keep the health properties of the honey active,  add the honey in once the tea is just warm (not hot).

Warming and Healthiest Best Tea Recipe

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients: 
1 tspn of fresh ginger (or 1/3 teaspoon of dried)
1 tspn of fresh turmeric (or 1/3 teaspoon of dried)
1 cup of water
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, depending on how much you like! (or 1/4 tspn of black pepper)
raw honey to taste

What you do:

If using fresh herbs, just use a microplane or fine grater to grate a teaspoon each of your ginger and turmeric into your cup or teapot or infuser or whatever you are using. Add 3/4 cup of boiled water and allow to steep for 5-10 minutes.

Top up with 1/4 cup of room temperature or cold filtered water and then add juice from half a lemon and your coconut oil or pepper. Add honey to taste if you wish and drink!

TIP - I keep my fresh ginger and turmeric in the freezer so I always have it on hand. I simply cut off the amount I need with a sharp knife and microplane it into my cup (it grates fine while frozen!)

If using dried herbs, the process will be a bit different as it takes a bit more to release those active constituents. Pop your dried ginger and turmeric into a little saucepan with a cup of water and simmer for 5-10 mins and then proceed as above.

This is a very easy and very sure way to keep your gut healthy and your insides warmed up every day. You will truly notice a difference to your health just by adding this little routine into your day.

So go on, make it a habit, I dare you!

Yours in health,

Alisha x

*Consult with your personal healthcare professional about drinking this tea every day if you have any digestive disorders or take blood-thinning medications.

It is so important to acknowledge what your body is needing with each passing season and keeping our bodies on the warm side when it's cold outside is a very healthy practice. There are many other ways than just living in ugg boots and jumpers that we can do this.

Warm up from the inside!

A great way to do that is to drink some warming drinks and even better, drink some warming herbs that are traditionally used to increase heat in your body. This will help increase your immune system and immune response, decrease inflammation in the gut and in any sore and achy places and keep your digestive system (which let's face it, runs the whole body) much happier.

And in fact, no matter the weather outside, this sort of morning drink will run your body better in Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring!

This little recipe is very simple but when it becomes your morning ritual, you will feel so much better for it!

I will just give you a brief rundown of all the ingredients and what they are good for to make you extra happy you are doing this for yourself 🙂

Ginger

This fabulous herb is very warming as it stimulates peripheral circulation. It's a carminative so it promotes gastric secretion which makes it great for any digestive upset including nausea, gas and colic type conditions and it also has a very strong anti-inflammatory action, so will help with any muscular and arthritic type pain as well as help any inflammation in the gut.

Turmeric

Also known as the 'Queen of Spices', this herb is anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and a strong antioxidant. Turmeric contains the phytochemical 'curcumin' which will help increase your gut health, cleanse your liver, improve your digestion, help control your blood sugar levels (it reduces insulin resistance) and helps fight free radicals in the body which will in turn help with preventing cancer and degenerative diseases of the brain such a Alzheimers and dementia. Yes. get on your daily dose of turmeric!

Water

We are 80% water. Water flushes our systems. Water is the make up of our blood and all our cells. Water heals. We need more water. The end.

Lemon

Alkalising, high in Vitamin C, increases lymphatic health (toxin removal) and increases bile production which helps liver, gall bladder, pancreas, intestines and basically all our digestive organs to be doing a better job at breaking up our food and getting nutrients where they are supposed to go all while keeping your body from getting too acidic.

Coconut Oil

If you have read anything on coconut oil lately, you will know that I could tun this list of benefits into a book. It does everything except brush your hair in the morning (although some of you might actually have it in your hair right now!!) and so I will direct you to googling coconut oil and finding out for yourself why this oil is good for you but for the purpose of this recipe, I have added it to help increase your MCT's (medium-chain triglycerides - these are a good thing by the way and help with weight loss and appetite control) as well as help your body absorb the turmeric.

The bioavailability of 'curcumin' in your turmeric is a lot lower than other phytochemicals so the addition of coconut oil will help make sure all that lovely curcumin will actually be absorbed by your gut and do its clever thing instead of coming out in the toilet, so to speak.

If you can't stand the taste of coconut oil or it doesn't agree with you for any reason, you can use some black pepper in your tea. Definitely not as nice but will be just as effective as black pepper has a compound called piperine which also aids in getting the curcumin absorbed. Definitely add the honey in if you go with the pepper option!

Raw Honey

This is an optional addition if you need to sweeten your tea. Make sure it is raw honey (unheated, untreated) and it will add some lovely anti-bacterial properties while sweetening your tea. To keep the health properties of the honey active,  add the honey in once the tea is just warm (not hot).

Warming and Healthiest Best Tea Recipe

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients: 
1 tspn of fresh ginger (or 1/3 teaspoon of dried)
1 tspn of fresh turmeric (or 1/3 teaspoon of dried)
1 cup of water
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, depending on how much you like! (or 1/4 tspn of black pepper)
raw honey to taste

What you do:

If using fresh herbs, just use a microplane or fine grater to grate a teaspoon each of your ginger and turmeric into your cup or teapot or infuser or whatever you are using. Add 3/4 cup of boiled water and allow to steep for 5-10 minutes.

Top up with 1/4 cup of room temperature or cold filtered water and then add juice from half a lemon and your coconut oil or pepper. Add honey to taste if you wish and drink!

TIP - I keep my fresh ginger and turmeric in the freezer so I always have it on hand. I simply cut off the amount I need with a sharp knife and microplane it into my cup (it grates fine while frozen!)

If using dried herbs, the process will be a bit different as it takes a bit more to release those active constituents. Pop your dried ginger and turmeric into a little saucepan with a cup of water and simmer for 5-10 mins and then proceed as above.

This is a very easy and very sure way to keep your gut healthy and your insides warmed up every day. You will truly notice a difference to your health just by adding this little routine into your day.

So go on, make it a habit, I dare you!

Yours in health,

Alisha x

*Consult with your personal healthcare professional about drinking this tea every day if you have any digestive disorders or take blood-thinning medications.