I love starting my morning with a delicious and healthy Daily Refresher Drink.  With the season beginning to change and the air turning a little crisper, I want to protect my body against the temperature changes and germs which surround us every day.

Not only is this power packed drink a great fighter against illness, but it’s great for cleansing the body, clearing up your skin and those pesky blemishes, building immunity, slimming your waistline (with proper nutrition) and kicking up your metabolism.  Yes, you can choose to drink this when you feel a cold or flu coming on, but I recommend it every day and throughout the year.  Plus, it’s delicious!

There are SO many benefits to every ingredient in this yummy concoction.  I know a lot of people get freaked out when they hear the words “detox or refresh,” but this isn’t some “crazy liquid diet, only drink this all day, magically make you healthy drink.”  It’s safe enough to drink daily (even several times a day) and year round.  It does help you cleanse your body, but there are other benefits, as I mentioned.

Warm Lemon Water:  i love warm lemon water!  There are so many benefits with these two ingredients alone.  warm lemon water balances ph in your body, aids in digestion, hydrates and rejuvenates skin, flushes out toxins, reduces inflammation, helps purify and stimulate the liver and has been linked to weight loss.

ginger:  this spice is a power house of health benefits.  it helps to boost the immune system, eliminates gas, has anti-inflammatory effects, helps to prevent cold and flu symptoms, provides headache and cramp relief, aids in allergy prevention and reduction of symptoms, helps with motion and morning sickness and provides heart health.

turmeric:  this powerful plant is actually a part of the ginger family, so you know it’s got to be kick ass!  turmeric helps to detox the liver, improve the appearance of skin, improve digestion, reduce bad cholesterol, helps with weight management, reduces fever, heals wounds quicker and helps to relieve arthritis pain.

honey:  did your mom ever tell you to drink warm water with honey when you had a sore throat?  That’s what i always thought it was for, but i had no idea how many other benefits honey provides.  honey does help to relieve sore throats, but it also has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.  it also helps to strengthen the immune system, provides energy to the body, can aid in proper digestion, improves skin quality, helps with improving sleep, helps with inflammation and has been shown to improve allergy problems.  it’s also a great natural sweetener.  i recommend local, raw honey to all of my clients.  It’s much healthier than tablespoons of sugar or “fake” sweeteners

apple cider vinegar: this is another ingredient that i’ve been using for several years.  it’s definitely got a power punch of a taste, but combines well with other ingredients.  apple cider vinegar helps to detoxify the body and warn off cold and flu symptoms.  it also acts as a natural appetite SUPPRESSANT, slims the waistline, lowers cholesterol, clears skin, reduces inflammation, helps with arthritis, regulates ph in the body, helps to relieve gout, helps relieve sinus pressure and infection and helps with nausea symptoms.  it’s very universal in that it can be combined in a drink, taken in a diluted shot and used in many recipes.  i often use apple cider vinegar in my salad dressing recipes.

As you can see, these ingredients together (and alone) provide a phenomenal combination of health benefits.  This drink can be modified to your liking, so I welcome you to switch it up.  Even though the raw honey is healthy, I encourage you to not go too overboard.  It does provide a nice sweetener and boost of benefits, but you don’t want to add too much.  One half to one full tablespoon should be plenty.  The apple cider vinegar is optional and a splash should do just fine.  I provided a gauge with the measurements because everyone has different taste buds.  Play around with it and see what combination you like the best.  I welcome you to message me if you have any questions or if I can help you in any way.

Have you found a healthy drink or detox combination that you love?  I welcome you to share it below.  Wishing you a happy and healthy day!

 

daily detox drink recipe

One cup of hot water (to steep)

lemon juice (1/2 of an organic lemon, freshly squeezed)

1/2 tsp of fresh turmeric (you can use the powder if you cannot find it fresh)

1/2 tsp of fresh ginger (i zest mine fresh from the root, but you can also use 1/2 to 1 tsp of ground ginger in the powder form)

1/2 to 1 TBSP of local, raw honey

a splash of apple cider vinegar (you can measure a 1/2 tsp as well, but some prefer a splash)

Directions:

Carefully pour the hot water into a mug of your choice.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into your mug.  I prefer organic, but it’s not imperative.  Add in your turmeric and ginger.  If you’re using fresh ingredients, you can cut your ginger and turmeric into pieces or zest them into the cup.  If you’re using the powder version, measure out and add into your cup.  Finish off your drink with the raw honey and apple cider vinegar (optional).  Stir to combine all ingredients and let cool until warm.  You may notice some of the ingredients settle while you’re enjoying this yummy, healthy drink.  Stir occasionally to mix all of the ingredients.  Enjoy!

XOXO~

Kim