Allergy Friendly Recipes

Gut Healing Tea

I honestly had a hard time coming up with a title for this post because this tea has so many uses! A few ideas I had were:

Immune Boosting Tea

ACV + Honey Elixer

Weight Loss Tea

Detox Tea

I finally chose a winner with “Gut Healing Tea” because it encompasses all of the above names. The best part…

It’s AIP friendly!

Why Drink This Tea?

If you haven’t caught on yet, the main ingredient in this tea is apple cider vinegar (ACV). You probably see the word vinegar and think YUCK! I promise you it is not that bad (and if you think it is, just add more honey!)

This concoction of ingredients have so many benefits (scroll down for the specific benefits of each individual ingredient).

• Gut healing
• Immune boosting
• Weight loss
• Detox
• Feeling better about what you are putting in your body (okay… not a physical benefit but a mental one!)

My main use for it is the gut healing and immune boosting benefits.

Being a special education teacher, I am constantly around germs. If I know something is going around at school, I will come home and immediately make/drink this tea.

After making and drinking this on a semi-regular basis, I find that my body even craves it.

Main Ingredients

Apple Cider Vinegar:

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is essentially fermented apple cider. It is a miracle elixir that has internal and external benefits. One amazing benefit of ACV is that it helps kill bacteria. Not only this, but it has been shown to lower blood sugar levels which can help fight diabetes. When taken daily, it can also help you lose belly fat and weight!

Honey:

Honey is a natural sweetener given to us be bees. It is rich in antioxidants which is linked to beneficial effects on heart health. If you have a bad cough, honey is also a great, natural alternative to help suppress the cough.

Optional Ingredients

Lemon:

Lemon juice improves digestive health and had been known to help with weight loss. It provides the body with vitamin C which has been linked to improvements in the skin.

Ginger:

Ginger has powerful medicinal properties. It can help treat nausea, inflammation, digestion, and infections. Apart from these amazing benefits, it also lowers blood sugar and improves heart disease risk factors.

Cinnamon:

Cinnamon is full of antioxidants and has great anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps fight bacterial and fungal infections.

NOTE: There are two common types of cinnamon:

• Cassia cinnamon: This is the more common variety and what most people think of when they think of “cinnamon.”
• Ceylon cinnamon: This is the “true” cinnamon.

It is important to know which form of “cinnamon” you are consuming. It is better to use ceylon cinnamon because cassia cinnamon contains significant amounts of a compound called coumarin. Coumarin is believed to be harmful in large doses.

To Make

• 1 cup water
• 1 shot (~2 Tbsp) apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• Optional Ingredients:
  • Juice from half a lemon or 1 drop of lemon essential oil
  • 1/2 inch ginger
  • 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Basic Recipe:

1. Heat the water on the stovetop to just below a boil
2. Add the apple cider vinegar and honey
3. Stir until the honey is dissolved
4. Transfer to a cup and enjoy!

Add ons:

1. Heat the water on the stovetop to just below a boil
2. Add the cinnamon stick and/or ginger to the pot. Leave for 3-5 minutes to allow the ingredients to seep
3. Add the apple cider vinegar, honey, and lemon juice
4. Stir until the honey is dissolved
5. Remove the ginger and cinnamon stick by straining the tea or using a spoon to scoop them out
6. Transfer to a cup and enjoy!

My Favorite Combos

• ACV + Honey + Cinnamon
• ACV + Honey + Cinnamon + Lemon
• ACV + Honey + Ginger + Lemon
• ACV + Honey + Ginger

While using all five ingredients would make a killer tea, I can’t promise how good it would taste but it’s up to you!