Ginger Root Remedy: Brew this For Colds, Morning Detox and as a Refreshment
I used to take ginger root shots every day for quite a while, some years back. I LOVED it. Yes, it is so strong that it feels like your throat and stomach are burning big time but that’s part of what I loved also. In fact, only after a few days of taking it I was hooked… addicted… and eventually I added lemon to the concoction.
Lemon and ginger shots were a thing to be proud of – a good friend of mine who is never afraid of taking in good, strong, healthy alternatives was not as brave when it came to the lemon/ginger shot. Yes, I had proven my enthusiasm for the burning root!
I’d love to talk below about ginger root and lemon benefits and a few more interesting facts (I learn as I research and publish) but before let me show you how we make our lemon and ginger root home remedy.
*Here’s a very interesting study on ginger (as a plant).
Lemon and Ginger Tea Recipe
My ideal is to make our home brews as ‘witchy’ and potent as possible. That means the pot we’re using at the moment doesn’t have the ‘looks’ for what I’m envisioning… But bear with us as we ‘backdate’ our pots and pans to ‘witch times’ while we learn more and more about home remedies and grow our understanding over time.
I added some rosemary to the mix
1. In a pan add fresh water. I use water I filter with my Britta water pitcher [aff link]. I make sure I add water to last all day (for the 2 of us).
2. Put the water to the boil. When it boils, add your chopped ginger root. Make sure to add enough ginger root (I added 9 pieces for around 1 litre of water) otherwise it’ll be too weak. Add the lemon and cover while it simmers.
3. Because it is a root it takes a bit of time for the therapeutic properties to be extracted. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Turn the heat off. Enjoy hot or cold. Remember to not leave it longer than one day to avoid bacterial growth.
Preparing Infusions and Decoctions
Learning which herbs work for us enables us to learn more about the plants that surround us, as well as our own healing processes. [Source]
Ginger root is not a herb so it would be best prepared as a decoction. Herbs can be infused (tea) as it is a soft part of the plant. Let’s have a quick look at how to prepare the different parts of the plants:
- For soft and delicate (aerial) parts of the plant infusions are best
- For hard and solid (roots) decoctions are best
A Quick Look on How to Prepare the Different Parts of the Plants
Since we’re dealing with two different part of the plants here (root and fruit), I think it would be a good idea to have a look at the different ways to prepare them.
INFUSION – TEA – SOFT PARTS OF HERBS
Leaves, flowers, small seeds and berries can be infused in a tea pot.
Dried herbs >> Per 175ml (6fl oz) of boiling water we need 1 heaped tsp of a single herb. If we’re combining two or more herbs, 2 tsp would be enough.Fresh herbs >> Per 175ml (6fl oz) of boiling water we need 2 heaped tsp of a single herb or 4 heaped tsp if we’re combining two or more herbs.
For a standard infusion add boiling water and cover (to avoid the loss of volatile oils). We then leave to infuse for 5 to 10 minutes.
DECOCTION – HARD PARTS OF PLANTS
When it comes to more solid parts of plants like roots and bark (or even tough seeds) then we need to prepare a decoction as the standard infusion won’t be enough to extract the therapeutic properties of these parts.
The way to do it is to simmer the root, bark, etc in a covered pan for 15 to 20 minutes (which is how I prepared the root and lemon home remedy, see pic above). Make sure to chop first!
I make a pot that lasts us all day. Make sure to not leave it for longer than one day to avoid bacterial growth.
**If you’re mixing roots and leaves you can decoct your root first and when turning the heat off just add your leaves and infuse for a further 10 minutes.
Other ways of preparing plants for herbal remedies are tinctures, honey syrups, macerated oils and herbal balms but we won’t be looking at this today as it is not relevant to the lemon and ginger tea we’re making.
We’ve looked at how to make a lemon and ginger tea recipe but we need to know the full benefits.
Benefits of Lemon
The ripe peel of fresh lemons contain the essential oil which is cleansing and tonifying.
Lemon is cooking, antiseptic, soothing, healing, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and a detoxifying diuretic.
Parts of the lemon used: juice, oil, zest, peel and seeds.
Lemon juice is an alkalizing agent and gastric antacid, neutralising excess acidity in the body. Lemon juice in the mornings helps avoid infections. It also helps balancing the nervous system and reducing high blood pressure (which I have). Lemon juice helps protect blood vessels and maintain tissue vitality, also being useful for alleviating rheumatism and gout. (Reference: “Herbal Remedies‘ by Christopher Hedley, affiliate link).
Benefits of Ginger
I came across ginger later in life, when I went to live in London. Ginger was not used in Tenerife at the time (it can be found everywhere now); at least I had never seen it.
London is a multi-cultural city so you can find every ingredient easily. I remember seeing ginger root in most fruit and vegetable shops, which were owned by individuals from other cultures.
Ginger is stimulating, relaxant, relieves nausea, antispasmodic, diaphoretic and digestive.
Ginger is used to stimulate digestion, reduce nausea and ease flatulence which antiseptic qualities. It helps loose phlegm and clears catarrh. It is anti-spasmodic and it stimulates the immune system. Good for giving the body an extra boost. (Reference: “Herbal Remedies‘ by Christopher Hedley, affiliate link)
Lemon and Ginger Tea we Recommend
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of making your own (I don’t always have the time, believe me, although I do love making everything from scratch) then these are the ‘ready-made’ lemon and ginger tea brands I recommend.
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1. Yogi Lemon Ginger Tea
I saw many people search for this tea and decided to mention it here. I’ve seen this tea in ‘As Nature Intended‘ (in fact they have the whole selection) and I know they sell good quality products so I trust this tea is good. I think it is a little expensive but this brand stood out at the shop so I’m assuming it is a good choice.
2. Twining Lemon and Ginger Tea
Twinings is a classic in Britain (their oldest store in London is 300 years old) and even though I don’t know the brand that well I’ve been ‘brought up with it’ and have tried a few of their varieties, including earl grey tea which I fell in love with. There are new and exciting brands of tea on the market at the moment, but Twinings is always a ‘checkmark’ in my books. Every time I’ve tried it I’ve seen how good this particular brand of tea is – which says a lot as they didn’t really have competition for a long time as far as I’m concerned (the below is a newer brand in Britain, for example). Tradition is what comes to mind when I think of this brand… In the past, if I wanted a ‘special’ tea, I would have most definitely bought Twinings.
3. Teapigs Lemon and Ginger Tea
Teapigs has appeared in the market in the last few years, the thing that made them stood out in my opinion was the shape and material of the bag together with the way the tea showed inside (the first time I saw it I thought it looked absolutely glorious). As opposed to the traditionally classic Twinings, Teapigs was founded by Nick and Louise in 2006, a good 300 years after Twinings (the name of the brand itself is a mark of newer times).
4. Steep by Bigelow Lemon Ginger
I’m not familiar with the brand above but I like the idea of organic tea. I know that selecting organic products is not as easy as people might think, so I appreciate it when I see that a product is organic. The above option seemed like a good choice also because of the price.
5. Organic India Tulsi Lemon Ginger Tea
This brand has very good reviews and the price is excellent.
6. Pukka Lemon and Ginger Tea
Pukka is another brand that is seen around the natural remedies shops as well as top supermarket chains. I LOVED their peppermint tea! It was as good as buying the fresh herb and making it yourself. (or better because of their mix of herbs). The price is not cheap, but these teas are top class.
Last Thoughts
Making your own brew is always the best option. Not because it will taste better, save you money, be fresher or provide you with the ‘real’ thing… but because it will put you IN TOUCH with the plant that will heal you, mano a mano, one-to-one.
I think the most important thing around making your own home remedies is to have direct contact with nature, a special relationship where you touch the plants, understand them as healing medicine as well as a part of you. You’re healing yourself with something that has your same basic structure… Plants are not distant or alien to us, they’re our brothers and sisters from mother earth and we have to learn to love them, respect them and give back to them.
When we buy products that have already been ‘prepared’ for us we can easily lose touch with mother earth: the chain somehow gets broken. We take something to heal us without any regard of where it came from or how it was made… It is a cold process, very inorganic and definitely an ‘ego’ strengthener (‘me’ and ‘my pain’ that ‘I need’ to get rid of).
When we make our own remedies, we start to find out where plants come from, what their particular benefits are, how did they come to land into our hands… we touch and treat them in a different way, we understand they are sacred. It is not about ‘me’ anymore but ‘us’. We feel grateful the plant heals us and the plant is happy to do so. It is a completely different process, and it is definitely the healthy way to health.
Never use a plant for medicinal purposes without saying ‘thank you’ first!! Not only it is your duty, but it is what gives power to the plant. Think of it as a sort of ‘permission’ for the plant to heal you. It is a ‘pact’ between us and them, us and nature. All one, never forget.
