Ginger and turmeric shot – a boost for the immune system

Sometimes I feel like boosting our immune systems. Usually after one of us had, had a cold or a few days without energy. Recently ginger and turmeric shots have been quite hyped. It’s suppose to have many health benefits such as reducing inflammation in the body, helping with nausea and even helping to prevent Alzheimer and even cancer. For different health reasons – and because I was curious what all the fuss was about – I read up on it and decided to give it a go with my own recipe. I found a few recipes online for different variations of ginger and/or turmeric shots, but some had to much ginger for my liking or didn’t take into account that turmeric needs piperine (found in black pepper among others) and to be heated to get the most out of it. After a few tries I’ve therefore come up with this recipe that I think tastes great without being too pungent.

Whether it works or not, I can’t say, but it does feel good to start the day of with a shot of this drink. And it tastes great! Especially if you add the juice from one freshly squeezed orange to your shot. It takes some of the heat and adds some sweetness. Yum!

So why should you make this recipe?

Besides the fact that it tastes good, here’s just a few of the many health benefits that the different ingredients provide:

• Ginger contains the compound gingerol which is a great aid for the digestive system, is super effective against nausea, has several anti-bacterial and anti-flammatory properties, and is known as a natural pain reliever.
• Turmeric’s primary active component is curcumin. It’s a powerful anti-flammatory, aids the digestive system, increases energy, reduces high blood pressure, and is even suppose to inhibit cancer cell growth and prevent Alzheimer’s.
• Peppercorns contain the compound piperine which greatly helps with the absorption of curcumin from the turmeric by up to 2,000 percent (!).
• Lemon provides a nice dose of vitam c, helps with indigestion and constipation and aids in combating diseases and viruses.
• Raw honey is known to help boost energy, relieve symptoms of allergy, and to help promote the growth of good bacteria in the intestine.

Recipe: Ginger and turmeric shot

Usually I prefer organic, but in this recipe I think it’s extra important. Especially if you drink this with the intent to boost the immune system.

You’ll need (for 1 liter /4,2 cups):

• 250 grams (8,8 ounces) fresh ginger root
• 120 grams (4,2 ounces) fresh tumeric root
• 2 medium-large lemons
• A generous dash of ground pepper (or you could use 10-15 whole pepperkorns instead)
• 1 liter (4,2 cups) water
• Optional: 3 tablespoons unheated honey (can be left out if vegan. I haven’t tried adding something else in it’s place)

The drink will keep for 1-2 weeks in the fridge.

Tip: The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. It’s soluble in fat, so to really help with the absorption, I would recommend drinking this shot with a meal, which contains fat. Or maybe just eating a handful of nuts or an avocado. 

How to:

1. Clean the tumeric and ginger roots thorougly. You don’t need to peel the roots if you use fresh organic produce. But if you don’t, you could just peel the roots. Just remeber that tumeric rubs off on everything and can be quite difficult to get off afterwards, so be careful and maybe wear gloves.

2. Cut up the tumeric and ginger roots or throw them in a blender and chop them up finely. I prefer the last method to get the most out of the roots and to avoid getting completely yellow hands.

3. Add the water to a pot and boil the tumeric, ginger and pepper at a simmer and under a lid for about 10-15 minutes. 

 

4. While the mixture boils squeeze the lemons and save the juice. You could save the lemon peels and either add it in the next step or use for something else.

5. Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then add the honey and lemon juice. You could add the lemons peels here if you wanted to. Just make sure the they have been washed.

6. Leave the mixture in the fridge for about 24 hours. If you’re impatient you could skip this step. I did this this when taking the photos for this post, and to be honest I really couldn’t taste the difference. Leaving the ingredients to soak for 24 hours just helps getting that extra bit out of the roots – and lemon peels if you added those.

7. Drain the liquid using a strainer and add it to a container for storage. I used a metal strainer and a 1 liter glass bottle ready. If you like, you could save the pulp and maybe make some veggieburgers, in some buns or whatever you fancy.

That’s it. You’re done. Now go ahead an enjoy it! You could water it down a bit if the drink is too strong for your liking, or like me, add some orange juice.