As you know, I (Lyssie) have confessed…I tend to get a few (some may say, a bit odd) obsessions. BUT in my defense, Tammy’s obsessions are just as odd, or at least almost as unusual! And if you didn’t know about them, you can check a few of them out here. But what you may not know, is that while we were writing our latest book, The Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure we called Lyssie, “Mikey”. That’s right, just like the little boy, Mikey, on the Cereal Commercial, Lyssie had that same, excited expression every time she tried any recipes we tested for our book. She didn’t seem to have even one discerning taste bud. And what we soon learned was that if ginger was in the recipe, she not only liked it, but LOVED it. And a new obsessions was born 🙂 !
Lyssie now adds ginger to everything. (Hello Soy Ginger Salmon, Kale Recharge Smoothie, Ginger and Carrot Slimdown Smoothie, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Shallots and Ginger, Ginger-nana Pineaplle Smoothie!-just to name a few creations). It tastes awesome and gives everything a little kick, plus it really seems to help fight inflammation and our clients love that when you’re feeling a bit puffy (read about this below) it seems to work wonders at getting your body back to normal!
And Lyssie whipped up this de-puffing number! 🙂 We both drink this all the time, especially when we need make an appearance and need to feel confident. 😉 This is the ideal drink if you overindulged on food and drinks and your intestinal tract is not letting you forget it, i.e.–you’re feeling bloated and your tummy is just full of discomfort. You simply need to calm down your insides so they can start settling down, repairing, de-puffing, restoring and rinsing the bloat. Your body responds to poor food choices and toxins with inflammation. Chronic inflammation in the body leads to diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. So preventing that inflammation means not only will you have a less less inflamed inside and less stomach distress, but also that you’ll be healthier in the long haul!
This drink is so simple, yet it works wonders. Here’s why:
The ginger:
- We added Lyssie’s obsession, ginger, which is often used to aid in digestion by alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress and relieving nausea. It promotes elimination of intestinal gas and acts as an antispasmodic by relaxing and soothing the intestinal tract (goodbye puffiness and bloat, hello calmer, flatter tummy!)
- Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties, so it protects the cells from damage done by free radicals and other toxins–like those from not-so-great food and drink choices.
The Lemon: (you’ve likely realized this is no stranger to our healthy recipes 🙂 )
- The ideal flushing food–packed with potassium and water to restore normal fluid balance and flush out any bloating salt that may be causing you to store water and puffiness.
- Let’s face it, when you don’t eat right and you overindulge in junk, you put your body to the test. Lemon gives you a shot of vitamin C and acts as an immune-booster to help strengthen your body after all the havoc it’s just been through.
- Helps to neutralize free radicals before they can do any further damage and prevents inflammation so that the body can stay calm.
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 lemon, cut in half, half reserved for garnish
- Boil water and make ginger tea by pouring hot water into a cup with the ginger.
- Allow to steep for 2- 3 minutes.
- Pour the water from the ginger tea through a strainer to remove the ginger and pour into a glass.
- Squeeze juice from ½ lemon into ginger tea.
- Slice remaining half of lemon and use to garnish.
- Drink warm or cool.