Ginger Lemon Tea to Boost Your Immunity

by Noor H. Salem, Certified Holistic Health Coach

In the previous column, we’ve discussed various foods and remedies you and your family can intake to boost your immunity, as the fear of the coronavirus continues to spread. Ginger and lemon are two foods mentioned, and this delicious tea is the perfect drink to consume right now.

Honey and ginger are both mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). There’s no doubt the benefits they both carry are astonishing. While some people may claim that sugar is sugar, many holistic healers, including myself, put honey in its own category due to its unique beneficial enzymes, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral benefits. Of course, I’m talking about organic raw honey. Anything taken from the Sunnah of our Prophet (PBUH) should not be questioned, let alone the Qur’an! None knows what’s better for us than the One who created us, to begin with.

“Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [for you]. There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.” [Quran 16:69]

Honey is a superfood mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah. I often recommend it to clients and cover it in-depth in my book, Sunnah Superfoods. The benefits of truly pure honey are simply outrageous. Put aside swallowing capsules of antibiotics, and skip unnatural medicine that bandages our sicknesses instead of heals us from within. Honey has healing properties for ulcers, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, blood sugar control, cough suppressant, and it even boosts your immunity. Honey soothes the intestinal linings of your stomach as well. I always advise my clients with allergies and food intolerance issues to take a spoon of organic raw honey, local if possible, every morning. Believe it or not, some studies prove that doctors who use honey as healing for cuts and wounds heal faster and cleaner than those treated with alcohol and iodine. Eating a spoon of organic raw honey every morning could do you wonders, and after a workout, it helps with glycogen restoration in your system too. 

A question I receive often relates to how to know if honey is good. It’s essential to note that the cute looking teddy bear honey that’s on sale for 99 cents at the supermarket is honey I’d advise you to completely avoid eating. Not only is this honey heavily processed, but it’s also unnatural. Believe it or not, they add sugar to the majority of brands. A recent study has found that 76% of supermarket honey goes through a process called ultra-filtration. The honey is over-heated, watered down, and forced at high pressure to be filtered. This kills the benefits, removes the pollen, and then the honey can be filled with high fructose corn syrup, other sweeteners, and traces of antibiotics. Pollen contains enzymes, anti-bacterial properties, antioxidants, and many more benefits, and allows you to verify the origin of your honey. Even honey that does not come in a teddy bear container may not be 100% natural and have been tested in this study as well. Raw honey is unpasteurized and unfiltered, thus, it contains optimum benefits for your overall health. 

We have a food crisis today; we see an emphasis to eat food is that low-calorie, sugar-free, fat-free, or carb-free. That leads to an obsession with calories, while being oblivious to a ton of chemicals  So, instead of aiming for natural sweeteners like organic honey, many are filling their tea or coffee with artificial sweeteners made in a lab. They weren’t produced by bees and plants, and they are very unnatural. Putting these chemicals into your body could be toxic and harmful in the long run. Not to mention, these sweeteners are not satisfying, they chemically turn on your brain to crave for more. So, enjoying that spoon of organic raw honey daily is much more satisfying than pouring these sweeteners in your drinks. I always advise my clients to stop the obsession of counting calories but instead start counting chemicals. Stocking up on “sugar-free” and “low-calorie” snacks full of a couple of dozens of ingredients, hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, and plenty of chemicals we can’t pronounce is not a healthy diet. The same goes for your cup of tea or coffee. The spoon of honey may contain sugar, but it is a natural sugar with amazing health benefits. With your enjoyment of eating it comes numerous healing benefits, too. What more can we ask for? 

Fresh ginger is another superfood we discussed. Fresh ginger has a wonderful aroma and a very pungent taste. I enjoy putting ginger in my salad, soup, and yes, my tea as well. It contains anti-cancer properties, aids in gastrointestinal relief, carries anti-inflammatory properties, heart health benefits, and builds immunity. Ginger is also great for nausea and vomiting; try that instead of hastening to the medicine cabinet. Pairing your ginger with lemon can do wonders, whether in tea or soups and stews. Lemons are extremely high in Vitamin C, contain unique antioxidants, and carry anti-cancer properties. Besides that, lemons contain unique healing properties, specifically for the immune system. Consuming enough Vitamin C will aid in preventing colds, or speed up your recovery time if you’ve happened to catch one already. You can find immune-boosting tea recipes in my book, Sunnah Superfoods, available on Amazon. You can find this recipe, as well as many other recipes, loaded with ginger, honey, dates, as well as black seed. 

Don’t wait until you’re sick to begin taking remedies; include these foods in your daily diet to prevent illness and strengthen your immunity. Take precautions, stay safe, and enjoy a cup of warm tea as you sit home with your family. 

Noor H. Salem is an author, speaker, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, from Michigan. Noor works with clients in better understanding their bodies and healing with natural foods through her wellness practice, Holistic Noortrition. She presents various workshops, school lectures, group coaching classes, and community lectures on the topic of holistic health. Noor recently published her book, SUNNAH SUPERFOODS, a culmination of life-changing recipes and remedies, with a foreword by Dr. Waleed Basyouni. Her book consists of prophetic hadith, modern research, and delicious recipes, and is in the process of being translated into other languages.