Detox Tea For The Holidays and Beyond

It’s that time of the year when people start asking me about detox ideas. I always tell clients/friends it’s probably a good idea to detox after the year ends coz from Thanksgiving to New year’s its feasting all the way.  But there are some people who like to detox between Thanksgiving and Christmas and while I am not sure how much that will help I know drinking a simple detox tea and some Cran water can go a long way to help with bloat and to keeping the  the liver healthy through the holidays. Cran water works very simply by acting as a natural diuretic and can help get rid of fluid retention. All those salty, savory snacks and sweet treats which I personally believe (the practical nutritionist in me talking) should be indulged in during the holidays can lead to water retention. Cran water helps rid your body of that and makes your clothes fit a little better. Detox tea will do the same and help your liver as well. I will admit I don’t follow my own advice all the time but when my clothes start to get a little snug, I drink both cran water and detox tea and it works 😊!

A detox tea will gently and safely clean your liver which is the powerhouse of your body. To help your liver you should drink at least 2 cups of detox tea everyday while detoxing and one cup to continue the healing effect. You can buy detox tea at the grocery store for about $5 a box and you would probably need at least 2 boxes a week which is not bad at $10/week or you can make my detox tea which works out to about 10 cents/day and drink as much as you want. You can also customize your detox tea if you make it at home and homemade tea is usually more potent.

 My detox tea is very simple. I use dandelion root as the base, and I buy it on amazon for about 10 bucks a bag and this little bag makes several gallons of tea. I also add slices of ginger, fennel seeds, fresh turmeric and herbs. You can add anything you like but just make sure you have dandelion root or dried dandelion leaves as the base. I usually make a huge jar (a weeks’ worth) and store it in the fridge. I boil it for about an hour, let it steep overnight and then strain it in the morning. That way I get the maximum benefit of the root and all the other good stuff. Then I flavor with lemon, stevia, peppermint or whatever I feel like when I drink it. It is quite delish.

Nutrition Wise: Dandelion has a natural diuretic effect which means that it encourages both urination and reduced water retention by encouraging fluid release from the body. It also lowers blood pressure, helps fight inflammation, helps with liver health and is highly nutritious in that it provides good source of vitamins A, C, K and potent antioxidants. Ginger, another strong anti-inflammatory has great digestive and healing properties. Fennel seeds are these tiny nutrient dense seeds that also have a natural diuretic effect and are believed to heal the gut.

Dandelion Detox Tea

Print recipe

Ingredients

• 10 Cups water
• 5 Tsp dandelion root
• 3 Tsp fennel seed
• 2 Inches ginger (sliced)
• 2 Tsp all spice (optional)
• 2 Inches fresh turmeric root or 2 tsp turmeric powder

Directions

	boil water, add all ingredients and boil for an hour
	Steep overnight or a few hours, strain and store in the fridge
	Drink warm or cold with lemon and stevia

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I love this holiday. Every year amid all the fried turkey, feasting and fun, we share what we are thankful for and sharing with you guys, my readers feels special. This has been one roller coaster of a year. Let’s see, my girls both hit landmark birthdays this year. One turned a sweet sixteen and the other a very grown up 21.  Healthy, strong girls who even as I am learning to let go, give me more joy than I ever imagined. And there is my husband, my pillar who had so much job stress this past year but at the end is safe, healthy, strong and continues to be an amazing dad and spouse. My parents who I was fortunate to be able to visit in India this year. My dad who made it through some serious health stuff and my mom who is an example to me in the way she loves and cares for my dad in his frailty. Other dear family and friends who had their share of joys and setbacks but are afloat and good.  My girlfriend who very tragically and suddenly lost her husband 2 months back and while my heart broke for her, this made me realize how fleeting life can be. This could happen to me or anyone anytime and it makes me want to cherish my life esp. with my man. As long I have him (as in until death do us part) I will be thankful, content, not take for granted and will whole-heartedly cherish what we have, spend more time with love and not strife. Live this happy, sometimes not so happy yet joyful, raw, sometimes perfect, also imperfect life that is not to be taken for granted. To be alive is a gift. This may sound cliché but seriously the last few weeks esp. I have been living every day like it could be a last. I am not online much but grabbing any small snatches of time I get with my friends and family. Choosing to let go of negativity, things that shouldn’t matter, stuff that bogs me down and instead breathe, laugh, cry, live and just love what I have which is more than I deserve. Have a happy thanksgiving everybody. Hug those around you tight esp your spouse ( the person who puts up with all the stuff in your life :)) your children, friends, family and celebrate life.  Love you guys and I am very thankful for you! Thanks for stopping by.

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