I don't know if you've noticed or not, but this has been a brutal cold, flu and virus season! With that being said, are you and your family taking the necessary precautions to stay well? If not, then I have a treat for you! Even if you think you're doing a great job at building up your immune system, I would like to offer another helpful suggestion to you.
Years ago, I started making huge batches of Immune Support Tea (by the Yogi Brand) to keep in the fridge during the Fall and Winter months. Over the years, this Immune Support Tea has morphed into my "Stay Well Tea" a.k.a. SWT and it is truly amazing! As a matter of fact, there's a batch of SWT brewing in my kitchen as I type. I will provide the ingredient list below this post. Whenever we consistently consume SWT, we have very little instances of sickness in our home. Now, let me say that this tea hasn't kept every bug and virus away, however, it has kept us all well 95% of the time and I swear by it!
It is vitally important that in addition to eating healthy, drinking lots of water and taking vitamins/probiotics, that you take extra steps to keep your immune system in tact, especially during the Fall and Winter months. When it's cold outside, we are inside more often and our homes, schools and offices become hot box breeding grounds for germs. So, give my SWT a try and let me know how you like it!
Stay Well Tea Ingredients
Water
Fresh Ginger
Fresh Turmeric
Yogi Brand Immune Support Tea
Freshly Squeezed Lemon
Honey (preferably local honey)
Fresh Cinnamon Sticks (optional)
The measurements will vary based on the size of the pot that you are brewing and your personal preference. I normally make 1 - 1.5 gallons at a time. Therefore, I use about 1 gallon of water, 1-2 ginger roots cut into small pieces, 1-2 turmeric roots cut into small pieces, the juice of 5-8 lemons and 1-2 cups of honey. Sometimes I add fresh cinnamon sticks, cayenne pepper and/or fresh lime juice to take it up a notch. I only add the cayenne pepper to my personal cup because it's too spicy for the kids.
I bring the ginger root and turmeric root to a rapid boil for about 15 minutes, then turn it on low and simmer for 4-6 hours. Next, I add in the tea bags and let them steep for about 30 minutes. At the very end, I pour in fresh lemon juice and honey. I let it cool on the stove for several hours and strain out the ginger, turmeric and tea bags before pouring it into a large glass beverage dispenser. I then refrigerate it immediately and we enjoy the SWT for days to come! Be sure to let me know if you make it and feel free to post your questions/comments on my Facebook Page.