You know the dreaded feeling…your throat is tickling, your head starts aching and your body feels absolutely exhausted. These are the warning signs that a cold or flu is looming if you don’t tackle it quickly!
Today I want to share with you my go-to recipe for a warm and toasty immune boosting tea. It’s a fabulous way to ward off illness as we move through the peak of cold and flu season! I love this tea and will drink it even if I’m not sick when I’m craving a warm, nourishing drink (it’s also great for detoxification!). If I’m coming down with a cold or flu then it’s guaranteed I’ll be drinking a batch of this immune boosting tea daily as part of my recovery.
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You know the dreaded feeling…your throat is tickling, your head starts aching and your body feels absolutely exhausted. These are the warning signs that a cold or flu is looming if you don’t tackle it quickly!
Today I want to share with you my go-to recipe for a warm and toasty immune boosting tea. It’s a fabulous way to ward off illness as we move through the peak of cold and flu season! I love this tea and will drink it even if I’m not sick when I’m craving a warm, nourishing drink (it’s also great for detoxification!). If I’m coming down with a cold or flu then it’s guaranteed I’ll be drinking a batch of this immune boosting tea daily as part of my recovery.
This immune boosting tea contains everyday immune boosting ingredients like lemon, fresh ginger and cinnamon and is very simple to make. Lemon is high in vitamin C and also has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that will strengthen your immune response. Cinnamon not only tastes delicious, it’s also antimicrobial and therefore helps to directly support immunity. Ginger is what’s referred to as a diaphoretic and lymphatic in herbal medicine, which means that it supports the immune system while promoting sweating and helping to break a fever. It’s also a well-known remedy for nausea and works wonders to calm an upset stomach!
In this recipe I add the entire lemon to the tea (rind intact) and therefore recommend using organic lemons if possible. Conventionally grown lemons are often coated with wax and other chemicals that you don’t want to ingest, especially if your immune system is already burdened. If using a non-organic lemon you can simply remove and discard the rind when making your tea. Similarly, when using organic ginger I wash it but don’t bother with peeling it (purely because it saves me time). If using non-organic ginger I remove the peel to decrease the likelihood of drinking pesticides with my tea.
I suggest drinking a full batch (6 cups of tea) per day when you’re feeling unwell or to fend off an illness. Adding up to a teaspoon of raw unpasteurized honey to each cup of immune boosting tea not only adds sweetness but also is very soothing for a sore throat. Honey also has antimicrobial properties, which makes it a much more immune savvy option for sweetening than other sugars (which I recommend avoiding entirely if sick).
The tea mug pictured in the photo is a Libre Tea Mug, which I use all the time and absolutely love because it’s perfect for steeping loose teas on the go! If you feel a tickle in your throat on your way out the door you can use this mug to make a quick and easy version of this tea on the fly. Simply add 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger, 1 tsp of honey and 1 lemon wedge to the mug and then fill with boiled water. The lemon and ginger will infuse the water and the wire mesh insert at the top will filter the tea as you sip it. I skip the cinnamon when making the immune boosting tea on the go because it needs to be boiled for a longer duration (decocted) for the active immune boosting ingredients to be released into the tea.
I hope this immune boosting tea helps you stay healthy this winter and that it becomes a trusted remedy to help kick your colds or flus!
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Enjoy!
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Servings: 6 Cups
- 1 organic lemon, quartered
- 8-10 slices of fresh ginger (approx 2-3 inch piece)
- 3-4 small cinnamon sticks
- 6 cups filtered water
- Raw unpasteurized honey (to taste)
- Add the ginger, cinnamon sticks and 2 of the 4 lemon wedges to a large pot. Note: If using organic lemon and ginger there is no need to remove the rind or peel (although you should still wash them). If using non-organic lemon and ginger I suggest you remove the rind or peel.
- Add 6 cups of filtered water to the pot, cover and bring to a boil on the stove over high heat.
- Once boiling, decrease the heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
- Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon wedges into the tea (discarding the rind).
- Filter the immune boosting tea through a mesh sieve and drink freely through the day. Optionally you may add honey to sweeten.
- Allergen info: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Vegan, Paleo
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Comments 4
Is there another option /ingredient if one is citrus free.
Author
Hi Sheri! I often make the tea with either ginger alone, or only ginger and cinnamon. So, lemon can simply be left out if you’re avoiding citrus.
Can you store the tea in the fridge for later use
Author
Hi Wendy! Yes, the tea can be stored in the fridge for several days. You can reheat it or instead drink it cold.