Sunrise Drinks to Balance Your Body
Tea, Glorious Tea!
I have curated drinks, meals and snacks that will heal you from within. All of these recipes are what I personally consume as someone who is recovering from Rheumatoid arthritis and epilepsy.
In this article, let's explore how you should be starting your day with a healing cup of tea.
In order to maintain a healthy gut and not overeat, I strongly recommend that we all begin with adopting an intermittent fasting (IMF for short) routine. If you'd like an IMF plan designed specifically for you, you can book a consultation and we can have a discussion about your needs. The routine will be designed in accordance with your dietary requirements and overall lifestyle.
After waking, DO NOT REACH FOR YOUR PHONE!
The first things you should do upon waking are :
- thank the Universe that you are living another day
- stand up immediately and do some light stretches to get your blood flowing
- go to the bathroom and release all of the excess fluids from your body i.e. phlegm, urine, saliva and mucous
- brush your teeth or rinse your mouth
- rinse your face
- drink a full glass or two of warm water, nothing should be added to this water
- go outside and ground yourself or do some quick breathing exercises indoors
- journal your dreams, thoughts and feelings
- make some tea and plan your day
Tea Recipes
Here are my top three recipes for tea together with the benefits of each brew. Remember that you can have tea any time of the day!
1. Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea is a staple in most South African homes and is quite affordable. Its name is an Afrikaans derivative of the term 'red bush'. My grandmother MaMvulane used to call it 'bush tea' which is the common term for it in the eastern and western Cape where it is widely cultivated.
It is made from the fermented leaves of the Aspalathus Linearis shrub. The fermentation process gives rooibos its distinctive red colour. We normally consume this tea as it is with some brown sugar and milk. Replace the sugar with honey and the milk with unsweetened almond milk for a healthier option.
The benefits of rooibos tea are :
- it is safe for the whole family
- rich in antioxidants which protect your body cells from damage
- supports healthy skin and bones
- helps with weight and blood sugar management
- naturally soothes the mind and supports good sleep
Rooibos tea doesn’t contain caffeine so you can have as much of it as you want. One of my favourite summer coolers is rooibos and lemon ice tea.
2. Green Tea
Green tea was brought to South Africa by our Asian community during the colonial period of our history. Originating from the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China, green tea is made from the unfermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Legend has it that the tea was discovered when the leaves of this plant fell into Emperor Shen Nung's cup of boiling water during the Ming Dynasty.
This tea can be enjoyed with a squeeze of lemon and some ginger slices that will alleviate any inflammation in the body.
The benefits of green tea are :
- supports weight and cognition management
- decreases the risk of certain cancers
- improves brain and oral health
- prevents heart disease
- boosts your energy
Green tea does contain some caffeine so limit it to 2-3 cups in a day.
3. Turmeric Tea
Turmeric comes from an herbaceous plant known as Curcuma longa which is part of the ginger family. It has been cultivated in India and Southeast Asia for over 4000 years. It is revered as a sacred spice and a sacred dye rooted deeply within Vedic culture and traditional Ayurvedic medicine.
The most ideal way to brew tea from turmeric is to grate a fresh piece of stem (using gloves to prevent yellow skin) and steep it in hot water for about 5 minutes. You can use a strainer if you don't enjoy the pulp, I usually keep the solids from turmeric and ginger in the tea so I can chew it and extract even more healing properties.
The benefits of turmeric are :
- reduces joint and other pain due to its anti-inflammatory properties
- improves digestive health
- improves memory and cognitive function
- boosts your immune system
- improves liver function
Turmeric tea can be enjoyed with a squeeze of lemon and some sliced fruit like apples and pears. This will improve the taste which is similar to saffron and quite challenging to get used to.
Making tea part of your daily routine and overall lifestyle will greatly improve your health and overall wellness. I'm a firm believer in consuming medicine directly from nature instead of popping supplements whose contents you can never truly be sure of.
What does your daily routine entail and what type of tea is your favourite? I would love to hear from you in the comments.