I’ve got a cold

So it happened. After enduring a late winter (snowing in March – like heavily snowing, think mountains of snow); I caught a cold.

My throat is sore and my nose is running. I’m desperately trying not to pass it on to my toddler – because who wants a sick child right? – so I took a trip to the supermarket and bought myself some ginger roots.

Yeah, herbal teas are great for one’s health but ginger tea is amazing!

Ginger’s healing powers are given by the pungent phenol compounds (gingerols,shogaols).

These compounds help relieve nausea, are highly antioxidant and they help with inflamed airways – puuuuurfeeect.

Brewing ginger releases in the water some well needed vitamins such as vitamin C, it has a high concertrcion of amino acids as well as calcium, zinc, phosphorus etc – needless to say it’s waaaaaaay better than swallowing a vitamin pill every morning.

Drinking ginger tea can help you absorb nutrients, fight nausea, ease irritable bowl syndrome, stimulate appetite, help with weight loss, ease menstrual pains and help with the oh-so-nasty cold.

Tea begun as a medicine and grew into a beverage – Okakura Kakuzō

Although having a cup of tea nowadays is more of an excuse to get out of the house and meet your friends at the local teahouse, it did begin as a medicine and ginger tea is the perfect example for it.

I am a strong believer of the benefits of this fiery drink – just ask my hubby.

I like to brew ginger as follows:

• Take ginger root (aged ginger is better but you need a food processor for that or a spice market nearby)

• Scrape the skin off and take a very sharp knife that helps with cutting thin slices of root – it’s important for the bits to be thin as it helps releasing flavour quicker (the longer you boil it the more benefits it looses)

• Put them in a pot and add water; bring to boil

• When the water starts to boil I leave it for another 5 min or so and add a dash of lemon juice; turn the hob off

• Let it cool for a bit and then add honey to taste – VERY IMPORTANT: don’t add honey immediately after taking the brew off the hob. Honey must not be added to water or drinks hotter than 60 degrees because it looses it’s benefits and some say it can enable cancerous cells

• Enjoy your cup of health

Although during summer people prefer ice-cold drinks, having hot beverages is actually healthier – it doesn’t give your body a temperature shock; it’s not that good to put your stomach through cold cold temps for a second. I, personally, always sweat after drinking an ice-cold drink because the body works more intensely in bringing your body temp back to normal after being instantly cooled down (I am a fan of iced tea though).

Warm ginger tea in summer is even better – due to it’s fieryness (is that a word?) that we can feel, it helps speeding up digestion and killing bacteria that develop inside our bodies faster in a warmer season.

Yeah, so there you go, a drink for all seasons and you can enjoy whether you feel good or not.

Forever grateful for this amazing root! Thank you, mother Earth!

With fiery love, Ale.