My number one drink I consume every single day is my morning turmeric ginger lemon shot. I drink it on an empty stomach right after waking up, before even having my morning green tea. This powerful concoction re-hydrates me after sleep, boosts my immune system and kick starts my metabolism. So, ditch that coffee and give this a try instead :)

A few words about the ingredients:

Warm filtered water
It is important to consume water close to body temperature on an empty stomach (and in general) to protect the sensitive lining of this important organ. You don’t want to burn, or shock freeze the first defense line of your immune system with all those good bacteria, right? Also, it is very comforting to body and soul to drink something warm in the morning.

Lemon
I’m a person who always has freshly squeezed lemon juice in her fridge. I use it for cooking, in my morning tonic, or simply in my water bottle to constantly provide my system with Vitamin C during the day. I normally squeeze 2-3 lemons into a small glass bottle each weekend and use up the juice during the week. If anything remains by the end of the week and it’s getting a bit funky, I just toss it in my water boiler to remove limescale.
We all know the amazing benefits of lemons apart from Vitamin C but let me list here a few as a reminder: aids digestion, supports weight loss, freshens breath, prevents stone formations in organs, balances body pH, detoxifies by supporting the liver, reduces inflammation, protects our cells from oxidative stress.

Turmeric
If you are reading my recipes, you might have discovered already, that I put a pinch of turmeric into as many dishes as possible. It is truly a versatile medicinal herb, that doesn’t alter the flavour of the food much, but in turn has tremendous health benefits. Just to mention a few: fights inflammation, natural painkiller, neutralizes free radicals, helps in cancer prevention, prevents degenerative brain diseases, promotes digestive health, naturally elevates mood, promotes oral health.

Ginger
Ginger is another staple in my kitchen. I love it in my food or as a tea. Some of its major health benefits are the following: powerful antioxidant & anti-inflammatory properties, prevents & alleviates nausea abdominal cramps, eases muscle soreness, promotes digestive health, supports reproductive health.

Here’s how my morning tonic is made.

Every few months I buy a big pile of fresh ginger roots (about 2 kg) and turmeric roots (about 500g). I juice these with a juicer into a glass container. (Warning! The turmeric roots can leave yellow stains on anything they touch. Therefore, I use playing clothes when I do the juicing and rubber gloves on my hands. Even while washing the juicer I leave the gloves on, otherwise my hands would be yellow for days – believe me, I experienced this personally :) (Turmeric might stain your juicer as well, depending on what material it is made of.)

Then I pour the turmeric-ginger juice into ice cube trays, let them freeze overnight, Once frozen, to save space in my freezer, I move the cubes into a freezer bag or box. Having these frozen cubes ready saves a lot of time and hassle in the mornings.

Each morning I pop a cube into a mug, pour about 200ml of hot water on it, add dash of fresh lemon juice and a drop of doTERRA Lemon essential oil. Voila, your morning immune tonic is ready in just 2 minutes! You can add the lemon juice to the ice cubes too, then you are even faster in the morning.