Drink to your Health!

I am starting the year off with a bang of health but don't worry I will be back to my regular recipes which will undeniably be healthier since all the festivities are over. I will continue to exercise though, I have to offset all of this food. I went on my first run in a long time yesterday and I could barely get out of bed today. I didn't realize I was so out of shape....
I am posting two drinks that I have most days. One is just plain good, the other is a really simple way to start your day on a good and healthy note. Okay I think this completes my health benefits section for a while, tomorrow I will be back with real food. I am hanging up my Doctor's hat ;)

Drink #1
Ginger, Honey, Lemon Tea


I first had this little concoction while I was in India. There is no true recipe just adjust to your own taste. I make my favorite tea (green or black) add a few squirts of lemon, a squeeze of honey and a few slices of ginger. It's a great remedy to soothe the stomach and we all know how good tea is for us.
To make sure I always have ginger available, I pickle it and keep it in the refrigerator.
Buy a big piece of ginger, using the back of a small spoon peel it and slice into ovals. Fill a glass jar with equal parts water and plain vinegar (just eyeball it, it doesn't have to be perfect) then add the sliced ginger. This is a great way to always have ginger on hand even for cooking, it retains it's flavor and will not taste vinegary.

Drink #2
Water, Lemon, Maple Syrup and Cayenne Pepper


Make it a part of your daily routine to start every morning with a mug of warm water, lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. The detox drink is rich in vitamin E, vitamin C, and carotenoids that help in improving your overall health.
Benefits: due to excessive intake of processed and junk food, very little nutrients enter into our bodies. Hence, our bodies have to really work hard to get rid of these low nutritional valued food. Also, ingestion of numerous chemicals and toxins in the body while breathing keep getting built up over the years.
This lemon cayenne pepper drink increases the body's metabolic rate and improves the flow of stomach secretion that helps to sooth the digestive tract and remove toxins from the body. Regular intake of the detox drink boosts your energy levels and helps in weight loss. I sometimes omit the maple syrup and it seems to work just fine too.

Directions
2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon (don't use concentrates and drink mixes as they contain preservatives)
2 tbsp organic or natural maple syrup
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, as per taste
8 oz. fresh water
Mix the above mentioned ingredients and enjoy either hot or cold.

Chai Tea

Okay yesterday was a day full of food and giving thanks...a lot of food. Today I thought I would add a nice soothing Chai Tea. I first discovered this in India and there are millions of variations and methods of making it, I copied this recipe from my favorite one and it is just like the original. Now that times are tough for so many people, buying a $5 Chai Tea at Starbucks looks less and less attractive. The recipe is easy to double or triple so you can enjoy mug after mug of this delicious tea for pennies a day. Cardomom pods (pictured below) is a key ingredient and nowadays it is fairly easy to find, oh and it is great.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups water
1 stick of cinnamon
8 cardomom pods, crushed
8 whole cloves
2/3 cup milk
6 tsp. sugar (or to taste)
4 black tea bags

Directions
Put 1-1/2 cups water in saucepan.
Add the cinnamon, cardomom, and cloves and bring to a boil.
Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the tea bags, boil 5-10 minutes longer
Add the milk and sugar and bring to a boil until the milk rises*.
Strain the tea into two cups and serve immediately.

To serve top with whipped cream and/or powdered nutmeg and cinnamon.

* when the milk starts to rise you will have to remove from the heat immediately so it doesn't overflow. Do not leave unattended

Hibiscus Tea (Flor De Jamaica)

I first had Hibiscus tea in India and when I stopped for a visit in Colombia it was everywhere.... Not only is it tasty but it is good for you - yeah! Something I actually like and it's good for me.... It's tart like cranberries but sweet as well..
It's originally from Africa and was later introduced to Mexico. It has great medicinal values - it is said to be a diuretic, natural laxative, and best of all it lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. In Colombia you can find the actual dried flowers, here in Florida I have only found the tea but it's just as good, you can find it in most health food stores. So if you find it, get it....very soothing and delicious.