I’m feeling particularly nostalgic at the end of this year, mainly because it was our first full year of parenting. This year Adriana blossomed from a 3 month old baby in January into a 15 month old hilarious, chatty, and very strong-willed toddler by December. The change!!! We witnessed first words, first crawls, first teeth, and first steps in 2015. My iphone filled capacity countless times (breathe…), but I still worried that I wasn’t capturing enough. The sheer amount of development, growth, and experiences that we’ve shared together in 2015 are enough to make my eyes well up with tears. Even though I know there were tough times in every area of life, right now I’m reflecting through rose coloured glasses. I hope the memories will stay a part of me in one way or another, even if I wasn’t so great at documenting everything like I did in the early months.
Like every year, I consumed more than my fair share of treats this month. After we got home from visiting family, I found myself at the grocery store stuffing my cart with produce galore and planning homemade plant-heavy meals in an effort to bring back the balance. The great thing about plant-based eating is that it only takes a day or two to get back on track and feel energized once again. I’m not someone who shuns sweets entirely at the start of a year (I love my dark chocolate way too much), but instead prefer to focus on what I’m adding to my diet. Celebrate that stuff!
I love, love, love experimenting with homemade hot tonics, and I’ve been tweaking my favourite concoctions for a few years now. I know anything detox is so cliche this time of the year, but this drink really does make me feel amazing after weeks of indulgences so I don’t even care. In the past, I’ve often used fresh turmeric, fresh ginger, cayenne, and sliced lemon (see my “Healing rooibos tea” on page 69 of The Oh She Glows Cookbook), which is awesome, but it requires a trip to the grocery store, and finding fresh turmeric can be hit or miss. Recipes need to be accessible so I came up with this delicious “pantry” version for those times when I want it now. It’s fast, there’s no grating/peeling involved (unless you opt for the fresh ginger version), and you can keep the ingredients on hand in your pantry (aside from the lemon, but I usually have those miracle workers on hand!) to enjoy any time the craving strikes. Yes, you will crave this drink…it’s that good. I know this is going to be my reset button drink all winter long.
Hot Detox Tonic
Yield
2 cups (500 mL)
Soak time
7-8 minutes
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Get ready to feel warm, energized, and ready to tackle the day! This is my new go-to hot beverage of choice when I want to hit the reset button, amp up my metabolism, and boost circulation. It comes together fast with ingredients that I tend to keep on hand. I love to drink this throughout the day, but it’s especially effective when consumed on an empty stomach after waking. I use a ginger tea bag for a quick option, but I provide a fresh ginger option below too. Also, if you ever have some kicking around, fresh mint is an invigorating, tummy-soothing addition.
Ingredients
- 1 ginger tea bag or 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger*
- 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water
- Few dashes cinnamon, to taste**
- Few dashes ground turmeric, to taste
- Few dashes cayenne pepper, to taste (use less if you don’t like heat)
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) apple cider vinegar
- 1 small lemon slice
- Pure maple syrup, to taste (I use 1 teaspoon/5 mL)
Directions
- Grab an extra large mug or a small teapot (3-cup capacity). Place ginger tea bag inside.
- Boil 2 cups of water and pour all the water into the mug/teapot. Cover and steep the ginger tea for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Remove tea bag. Set aside the tea bag to cool. Once the tea bag has cooled a bit you can gently squeeze it into the pot to infuse the tea with even more ginger flavour.
- Add the cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne. Whisk until combined.
- Add the vinegar and drop in the lemon wedge. Whisk to infuse the lemon.
- Add maple syrup to taste, and whisk to combine.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tip:
- * For the fresh ginger version: Pop the fresh grated ginger into a tea ball or mesh tea steeper, and steep tea for about 6 to 7 minutes. Proceed as usual.
- ** The spices tend to settle at the bottom of the mug/pot. Simply whisk it now and then to redistribute.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
I’d like to wish you all a New Year filled with happiness, health, love, and your wildest dreams becoming reality! Thank you for all your support, comments, love, and encouragement in 2015. I can’t wait to share the fun things we have coming up in 2016.
Angela
This post is so good! I can’t wait to try this one, love it!
I made this tea this morning using some fresh ginger and it was incredibly tasty! I’m just curious what kind of health benefits this combination of ingredients offers?
Am looking forward to trying this out—-love, beyond love the teapot and must have it !!!
A healthy, blessed and best 2016 to all !!!!
Made this earlier today… it was so delicious!!! Ended up making a second pot and drank it within 10 minutes. Thanks for another amazing recipe. I’m counting down the days until your second cookbook is released.
hi Angela,
I love your site,,,,
very inspiring…
Happy New Year 2016.
This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it!
www.nikkisplate.com
i love your recipes and there always spot on, but my question is why dont any of the recipes include nutritional info like fat calories etc
What a great tonic! Do you think this could be made in a large-ish batch to last over 2-3 days? I would love to start my mornings with this, but getting out the door to work and my 4.5 yr old triplets off to school is a challenge… Thanks!
This tonic is great. I tried it for the first time yesterday with my son (7) and he liked it too, until he got to the cayenne at the bottom! He wasn’t expecting it to be that intense. Now I serve it with a spoon so we can stir between sips. Today I also added a chunk of apple and it was great. Thanks!
Hi Angela!
I’ve only had the chance to try this tea once but i am in looove with it!!! But I’m currently in residence (from Ontario but living in Montreal for highschool during the weekdays) and we don’t have acces to the kitchen. To you think it could stay in the fridge some days so I could pour myself some on the evening?
Thanks and happy new year! :)
This tonic is delightful (I used half a lemon’s worth of juice rather than just a slice). It makes me feel satiated and helps me start a healthy day. And it’s so easy! Thank you!
So delicious! I’ve made a similar tonic in the past, but the addition of turmeric and cinnamon is a lovely touch! I was out of pure maple syrup, so I used raw honey, which works just as well. Thanks for the pick me up!
I absolutely adore this tea! Tried it for the first time this week and my energy level is so much better in the morning and throughout the day :) Was wondering where you got the lovely teapot Angela? :)
This is THE best tonic I’ve ever had. It’s like a delicious apple cinnamon tea. It’s great cold, too!
Everyday I find a way to get 1 tsp of turmeric into me for its anti-inflammatory benefits. Needless to say, I’m pretty sick of turmeric at this point and sick of my go-to ways of getting that much into me daily. This tonic is something I look forward to everyday now, especially since you can’t really taste the turmeric.
I recommend making a huge batch (with everything but the ACV and lemon) to store in your fridge so it’s easy to use all week long! Just add the ACV and lemon after re-heating.
Thanks, Angela! I’ve been telling everyone I know to make this!
I’d like to try this but I’m not a fan of hot drinks. Is it just as good cold? Any substitutions I should make?
Yes, it is delicious cold! And better in a way because it’s not killing the enzymes in the ACV and lemon. I often drink it at room temperature to help with digestion. Definitely give it a try cold!
This sounds so soothing!!! I’ll have to make this! Bummed your tea shoppe is gone – It was soo good!!!
Hi Angela, what time of the day should I take this drink? or is it all day drink?
Please let me know when is the best time. Thanks for the recipe, Rebeka
Hey Angela, do you have a recipe for a black beans with coconut milk soup?
Just made this this morning in my new glass 4 cup coffee pot. LOVED it! Love the taste and love it in my cute new pot! Going to go take the goods to my sick friends this AM and make her a pot. It’s just so tasty and darling (the pot that is :) Thank you! Keep this wonderful recipes coming. XXOO
Ahhhh! I’ve been making something similar to help my poor marathon fatigued body, one unexpected bonus was the brightening of my skin!
Hi there! Have been a big fan of yours for years and preordered your first cookbook way back when! I started drinking this detox tonic at the start of the year to help cleanse as I am cleaning up my diet (again) and plan to lose a little weight before a yoga retreat in Honduras that I am leading in March.
I’d like to add one thing: in order for the body to best absorb turmeric, it must be consumed with fat. I’ve adding a 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil to the tonic and find it actually improves the taste while ensuring I am reaping all the benefits!
Thank you for your inspiration and Happy New Year!
This looks so yummy. I found this because I often refer to your site for the avocado crema which I love on toast. I can’t wait to try this next!
I love the citrus tea recipe in the book that has that hint of cayenne, it’s one of my favorites! I love hot detox drinks/teas too, so I’m excited to try this one! Happy New Year, Angela!
My body definitely needs some detoxification. Hope your recipe will help out. :)
Drinking this at work right now instead of my usual coffee. So refreshing and warming at the same time. How is this possible? Lol! Thanks for the simple idea.
Can you tell me where you purchased your tea pot? Its so beautiful!
Thank you for the recipe! My friends and I are all hooked! I have two questions though! Is this okay to drink every day? I’m trying to replace coffee and also where can I get that tea pot?? It’s so cool!
I absolutely love this drink. I must have made it at least a dozen times by now, mostly with fresh ginger. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!! :)
These ingredients are powerful anti-inflammatories and antioxidants to the body. Drink that, and your body will be very thankful. I swear – I know from experience! <3
I drink this all day at work, hot, cold or in-between. I’m now using twice the spices (or more). The intense flavours satisfy my palate much more than weak herbal teas. It didn’t stop me from catching my daughter’s cold tho – darn!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Angela! I’ve been reading about detox teas and wanted to be able to make my own but didn’t know how. Problem solved! Your blog is such an inspiration and I am super excited to try more recipes and keep reading about your experiences.
This is definitely something I would drink instead of my usual morning coffee…I will have to try it tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe!
I received your email yesterday about having a new newsletter and to sign up to receive new in but when I hit submit nothing happens. I’m wondering if there is a glitch in it and you aren’t aware of it. I tried to reply to the email but it came back as a no reply address
Thank you I’m looking forward to future newsletters from you. I have your cookbook and love it and looking forward to your new one in the fall
Thank you JoAnn
Hi JoAnn,
I’ve submitted the newsletter request on your behalf. You should receive an email that will ask you to confirm your subscription. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! I just wanted to say that this detox tonic is incredible! Of course it tastes amazing and makes me feel warm and comforted throughout the day, but it has almost completely healed my reynaud’s syndrome. The combo of tumeric and cayenne has done wonders. Thank you so much for that – and yet another amazing recipe!!!
xo
Sarah
Great recipe, this tonic left me feeling light and clean. I felt like this was a detox drink that actually worked. Looking forward to reading more wonderful recipes.
Great recipe, this tonic left me feeling light and clean. I felt like this was a detox drink that actually worked. Looking forward to reading more wonderful recipes.
This sounds great. Im starting a 3 day detox tomorrow in hopes of kicking my bad snacking habits to the curb. Do you have any other detox tips or good breakfast ideas?
Also, excited to hear about the new newsletter. Thanks
K
I can’t wait to try this! I loved your healing rooibos tea, a quicker version is even better!
This is such a great digestive tonic. Brava!
What is also interesting about these ingredients is separately they all have their purpose and best times to consume. Like hot water and lemon alone first thing in the morning wake up the body like no other. An agni herbs like ginger helps digestion along so to actually maximize the nutrients you digest. That’s why what you drink can define what you eat.
Hi :) this looks and sounds lovely…but I thought the turmeric was soluble in fat, therefore required a tad bit of fats for the curcumin to be absobed.
If you hold any extra info on this subject it would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers!
Hi Serina, I’m not super familiar with the subject, but if you’re concerned about the absorption I think you could try adding a small amount of coconut oil into the tea. Hope this helps!
Having this tea right now!!! I love hot drinks and i am always looking for new ones. Love your recipes!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Char! Enjoy the tea. :)
Can’t wait to try this! BTW, I just order the teapot, so beautiful! I have been looking for a teapot and was in a tea store just 2 days ago and just could not decide, it just was not what I was looking for…I came here today to grab a recipe for dinner tonight and boom, there it was! Thank you for sharing!
Where is the teapot from?
Hey Jessica, it was a gift from a friend many years ago and I’m not sure where it’s from. So sorry about that!
Looks interesting – all this combinations in one tea… I have to try
Congrats on the pregnancy! I’m 20 weeks so we are not too far apart and wondering if this is safe to drink in pregnancy? I’ve been having a black tea daily and would like to have something hot and caffeine free as I love the ritual of sitting with a hot cup
Of something in the morning and this sounds great.
Wow! I want to do immediately. Thanks! great information! I am waiting your next articles.
I made the recipe as written and it was really delicious. It’s the perfect tea to have on this rainy day! I will definitely have to try the mint addition next time :)
I would like to get recipes! I have heard you have delicious recipes.
Really wonderful stuff! Thanks : )
Glad to hear you like it, Leslie!
I made this with a Tazo Organic Spicy Ginger tea bag (which I did Not like alone, perhaps due to the fennel). Had everything else except the cayenne & I Love it! Thinking of trying it with orange as well. Thank you!
I have been drinking this tea since spring, I am keeping my psoriasis under control with this tea. Has any one else had good results with this tea?
Am just drinking this tea as i write this. It tastes amazing -love it. I brewed it in a vintage Corningware teapot which my adult kids laugh at. It’s not pretty but it works!!! I bought your “oh she glows” cookbook before Christmas and am super happy with what I have made so far. Love your story. Thanks!
I’m so happy you’ve been loving the cookbook, Jenn. Thanks so much for your support, and enjoy that tea!