When you need a quick pick me upper or soothing elixir for a troubled tummy or throat, make your own using a variety of organic teas, herbs, fruits and spices. Homemade teas can have detoxifying properties that support the liver and soothe the gut, where almost 80 percent of the immune system lives. When you have a sore throat or tummy troubles, take a shot of crushed garlic, ground turmeric, fresh squeezed lemon juice and raw honey. The combination of warm ginger, lemon and honey can also help calm a bellyache. The fragrant dandelion tea is said to have liver cleansing benefits and is perfect for detoxifying. Brew roasted dandelion root tea bags with some ground cardamom and a cinnamon stick then top it off with fresh squeezed lemon and honey. Drinking a variety of detox teas are one tasty way to keep your body well-maintained and receive the nutrients and antioxidants it needs to function at its optimum.
It’s a spicy one and it burns going down, but boy o’ boy is it a sore-throat saver as well as a gut healer! This has saved me many, many times. The garlic helps kill bad bacteria in your gut and turmeric helps fight inflammation. Take 2 teaspoons two times a day for a sore throat or tummy trouble.—Excerpt from EATING CLEAN by Amie Valpone. Copyright © 2016 by Amie Valpone. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Recipe serves 1
INGREDIENTS
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons raw honey, plus more if needed
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine the garlic and turmeric. Using a fork, mash to form a paste. Add the lemon juice and honey and mix well. Remove any leftover chunks of garlic. If the shot is too spicy or tart, add more honey. Serve immediately.