Start your body with a gentle pick-me-up. Can serve as an alternative to your morning coffee.
I like this drink because it does two things at once: it gives me a gentle start to the morning, and it combines several ingredients that are interesting from a health perspective. It doesn't replace a good diet, but it can be a simple ritual with some real qualities. The liquid itself is a great way to start the day, and the taste makes it easier to consume something warm and fresh early on.
Recipe
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Juice of 1 whole lemon
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2–3 slices fresh ginger, or approx. 1 tsp grated
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1/2 tsp turmeric
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A small pinch of black pepper
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A tiny pinch of salt
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5-6 dl warm water
Squeeze the lemon into a cup. Add ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and a little salt. Pour in warm water, stir well, and let it steep for a minute before drinking.
Why drink this?
Lemon provides acidity, freshness, and a little vitamin C. For many, it simply makes warm water more palatable to drink in the morning.
Ginger is perhaps the ingredient in this drink with the clearest documented specific use: it has been particularly studied in connection with nausea. It is also traditionally used for stomach issues, but the research is stronger on nausea than on more general, broad health effects.
Turmeric is interesting because it contains curcumin, a substance known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Research on turmeric and curcumin is promising in some areas, but not conclusive enough to promise significant effects from a single cup alone. Nevertheless, it is precisely its anti-inflammatory aspect that makes turmeric an exciting ingredient to include in a daily ritual.
Black pepper is important here because it contains piperine, and piperine can increase the bioavailability of curcumin. In other words: the body can absorb curcumin better when turmeric is combined with black pepper than when turmeric is used alone.
A little salt can provide a rounder flavor, and sodium is a mineral the body actually needs for fluid balance and normal nerve and muscle function. At the same time, a very small pinch is enough, as most people already get enough salt through their diet.
PS! Lemon contains a good deal of acid that can be harmful to tooth enamel, so I drink this with a straw. And the best straws you get from geneco.no.