As an English lass, I’ve always been one for a nice cup of tea and there is no more soothing and delightful cup of tea than the first one poured in the morning. ‘It’s the best way to start my day’ I used to think to myself as I crawled back under the bed covers at 6am with the newspaper and a cup of Twinings English Breakfast.
That all changed 6 weeks ago, when I attended my first ever silent meditation retreat. I went to the retreat to give my mind a detox, but it turned out my gut got a detox too!
My Saturday morning tea cup contained not tea leaves but Lemon, Ginger and Turmeric – and it was not only delicious, it made me feel great too.
Once I got back looked up the blend to find out more about this magical combination and found that:
- Lemons – can aid the body in flushing out the kidneys which can lead to the prevention of kidney stones and urinary tract infections. It is also a good source of vitamin C.
- Ginger – increases the speed at which food empties from the stomach into the intestines; helping with indigestion and bloating. It’s also great for helping with inflammation.
- Turmeric – another anti-inflammatory which is high in antioxidants. The main ingredient in turmeric, Curcumin, supports the immune system in its ability to fight infection.
So here it is – the new start to my day. I take my lovely mug and infuser set and place a few slices of lemon in the infuser along with some thin slices or coarsely grated fresh ginger and fresh turmeric. I then pour hot water into the infuser, put the lid on and let it all brew for around 5 minutes.
Voila. A delicious and healthy new way to kick start my day!
Update: I now add a dash of MCT oil! Why? It seems that although Curcumin provides many benefits it does have one challenge – it is not easily absorbable. It needs to be combined with ingredients that help it pass from the stomach and into the bloodstream. Curcumin is fat soluble; meaning it only digests in fat and Coconut Oil (MCT oil specifically) is considered one of the best sources of fatty acids in any food.