Let’s face it – we are all going to enjoy Christmas goodies every day this month. Trying and failing to prevent that certainty will just ruin the celebratory season. So instead of feeling guilty for munching on cookies and cakes, and filling up on all those heavy Christmas party dishes, let’s have fun (in moderation) and help our bodies out by drinking a cup of tea every night.
Many different teas – like green tea, turmeric tea, ginger lemon tea, ginger lemongrass tea – will help detox the body from overeating sweets and heavy foods. But since this is Christmas, we need a Christmas tonic.
Orange Clove Tea.
Orange Clove Tea.
The aroma of orange & clove is warm and Christmassy. And the combination in a tea will make you feel much healthier this season.
Cloves are filled with the essential oil, Eugenol, which can help detoxify the body. Cloves can also soothe abdominal pain, increase circulation, alleviate throat and chest ailments, and most importantly during the holiday season - aid digestion.
Orange peels usually end up in the trash, but they are packed with nutrient rich orange oil, which consists of a compound called Hesperidin that can lower cholesterol and blood pressure. The peel is also very high in Vitamin C.
Finally, a guilt-free Christmas treat!
Orange Clove Tea by
Prep time:Cook time:
Yield: Makes 2 cups of tea
Ingredients:
2 cups of water
Peel from half an orange
3-4 clove buds
1 black tea bag (I used Ceylon tea)
Sugar or stevia to taste (optional)
1. Bring water to boil in small pot.
2. Turn fire to low. With your fingers, crush the round, fragile tips of the clove buds into a powder, and add to the water. Add clove stems and orange peels to water as well. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. Turn fire off. Add tea bag into pot. When tea is ready (dark orange color), pour through fine strainer into two mugs.
-A very thin, oily layer will appear on the surface of the tea. That’s the clove oil and orange oil, which provide you with many wonderful health benefits.
-Wash orange peels thoroughly under warm water before adding to pot.
-If you’re having an orange at home, be sure to save the orange peel. In addition to tea, you can add them to any meat roast for extra flavor, or grate into a zest for baking. You can also use orange peels as kindling, as a cleaning agent, and so much more.
