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.