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Recipe: Quick And Easy Bright Sparkle Spice Tea

Food | Lifestyle

It’s no secret that juicing is great for you in moderation. However, long ago, I traded in my juicer for one of those fancy pulverizing blenders that could make concrete into a green smoothie. Seriously, it’s witchcraft.

Admittedly though, my use of this white magic ebbs and flows. Sometimes I want a green smoothie, sometimes I want to make a soup, but more often than anything else—I use it to make a killer watermelon jalapeño margarita. I digress.

Making Healthy Habits Easy

For me, healthy habits have to be quick and easy. Being on the road more and more has given me a strong sense of appreciation for being home and spending my time wisely. So here is a quick and easy way to pack a punch into your day with nothing more than a peeler, a knife, and some hot water.

We’re going to use ginger and turmeric to make this spicy tea. Ginger is fantastic for any kind of stomach upset as it contains chemical components that act as intestinal spasmolytics. You don’t need to remember that. Just know that these little guys make their way in and calm the belly.

Both ginger and turmeric are excellent sources of natural anti-inflammatory components that reduce cellular swelling. I could bore you with details, or you can email me at info@taylorharkness.com if you would like more information on these fascinating spices. I love to talk science.

Alright, let’s get to it.

What You’ll Need

  • thumb sized piece of fresh ginger root
  • pinky finger sized piece of fresh turmeric root

Side note: I prefer organic since ginger and turmeric are rhizomes—root like stems that stay underground and are exposed to chemical fertilizers and insecticides, if non-organic.

Optional Ingredients

For added benefits and flavor:

  • sprinkle of cayenne pepper
  • squeeze of lemon juice (I prefer Meyer lemons)
  • a spoonful of honey

Easy Step-by-Step

  1. Rinse and peel the ginger and turmeric. I use a cheap-o carrot peeler. Note: Good, fresh turmeric is bright orange inside and will stain your fingers a light orange. Fear not, it’s a neat badge of honor to have turmeric fingers. It goes away.
  2. Finely dice the ginger and turmeric into tiny pieces. If you have a muddler or a pestle, I always like to put the ginger and turmeric into the bottom of the mug and muddle it to a fine pulp.
  3. Place in a mug and add boiling water. The heat is needed to release the flavors. Muddling the ginger and turmeric makes this more flavorful and releases more of their healthy goodness into the tea.
  4. Let cool to a drinkable temperature, and enjoy. Optional and delicious: You can add cayenne pepper for added cleansing benefits, a squeeze of lemon juice for vitamin C, and a spoonful of honey to sweeten.

This spice tea is great to start the day and wake up your system, to ease sore muscles, or to soothe an upset belly. I drink it several times a week after my early morning workouts, or in the middle of the day after a post-lunch food baby. Either way, I see a big difference afterwards in my aching muscles and/or my bloated food pit.

It’s safe and beneficial for daily consumption, especially if you’re very active. Always consult your physician if you have dietary questions. You’ll get used to the spiciness, and I’ve gotten to the point where I enjoy much larger amounts of ginger and turmeric and smaller amounts (if any) of sweetener.

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