Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Ginger Root Tea

Ginger root is quite ugly to look at and think "food", but it is one of THE BEST foods you can eat! It tastes great in different meals, but it also makes a great tonic for your health.

Whenever I have a sore throat or sniffles or other cold symptoms, ginger root becomes my close friend. A single cup of hot ginger-lemon tea warms me and soothes me better than even a bowl of chicken soup. I'll even share my recipe with you:

Ginger-Lemon Tea
approx. 2 inches of fresh ginger root, grated
1 fresh lemon
honey to taste
2 cups of water

Bring the water to a boil. Add the ginger root and let it boil for a few minutes (maybe 5-10). Remove from heat and squeeze juice from one half of the lemon. Stir it and let it sit to cool down to a drinkable temperature. Add honey to your liking and pour up a cup. Be sure you strain the tea you are drinking from! It's ok to allow the rest to remain in your pot to steep further. It will just make it a stronger tea. Sip on it and relax.
If for some reason, it is too strong for your enjoyment, you can add juice from the other half of the lemon or add more honey, or both! Refrigerate the rest and warm it before drinking it next time.

Ginger has been used for many digestive upsets and inflammatory conditions, and is quite helpful in most aspects of health. One thing to keep in mind is that ginger has a blood-thinning nature, so those who use blood-thinning medications should probably use it only occasionally, sparingly, and with the doctor's knowledge.

To your health!