Using ginger to upgrade your morning hydration

First I will mention, that every morning within 10 minutes of waking up, I hydrate by drinking 16oz to 24oz of filtered water with electrolytes. Often times I create a ginger beverage with electrolytes which is what this post is all about! It is important to hydrate first thing in the morning because our bodies become dehydrated overnight from all the moisture we lose through breathing. Hydrating first thing in the morning is one of my non-negotiables that I have clients add to their morning routine.

How I arrived at this method: The grocery store I used to shop at only carried Organic ginger in bulk, so buying ginger in bulk became my new normal and led me to this method! I went to google and learned that you can peel and freeze small pieces (1-inch chunks) of ginger to prevent it from going bad. For a while, I used to wash and then peel the bulk amount of ginger all at once and it would last for months in the freezer. However, the peeling was tedious and would take over an hour! I experimented with blending the ginger in hot water with the skin still on and using an ultra-fine strainer. Results? No different than peeled ginger, the only difference is that I save time!

Now, I always buy organic ginger in bulk , wash it really well, chop into 1 inch pieces and freeze.

How to make the beverage

There are a couple of ways you can do this. First, you can make one 16oz- 24 oz of ginger tea to drink at a time.  Or, you can prep a large batch of extra strong ginger tea to store in a 32oz mason jar (or large glass jar of choice) in the fridge. With the second option, you would mix 4-8oz of the strong ginger tea into 8-16oz of filtered water to dilute it to the strength of your choice. If you prefer a warmer beverage, use the electric kettle or microwave to heat the water extra hot first and then pour the ginger tea in.

You can play around with the ratio. I think of this as a way to upgrade my morning hydration, rather than drinking strong ginger tea but some days I like it stronger than others.

If making it for one day, the ratio of ginger to water I like is about 1inch piece to ~24oz of water.

If making a large batch, you can use 32 oz of water (the size of a large glass mason jar) and put 4-5, 1-inch,  pieces of ginger in it.

Instructions for single beverage:

1. Boil at least 24oz of water (stovetop kettle, electric kettle)
2. Add hot water and 1-inch ginger to the blender
3. If the ginger is frozen, let it sit in the hot water for at least 30 seconds to let it thaw a bit. This will prevent the frozen ginger from scratching the blender.
4. Blend for ~20 seconds
5. If planning to drink out of a glass cup, before you strain, have some cold filtered water or a couple of ice cubes already in the glass. This will cool it down, to protect the glass, your hand, and allow you to drink it faster, so you can hurry up and hydrate!
6. Using a very fine strainer, strain the ginger tea into the glass.
7. For additional hydration, add electrolytes to the tea. Add a tiny pinch of pink Himalayan salt + squeeze a little lemon juice from a small slice of lemon. Mix and enjoy! Adding electrolytes to your beverage, pulls the solution into your body and cells, instead of it going right through you, making it more hydrating than plain water.
8. You can also add a small amount of honey, apple cider vinegar, or cinnamon for additional benefits or simply, other flavors!

Instructions for making ginger tea in bulk

1. Boil 32 oz of water
2. Add hot water and 4-5 pieces of frozen ginger to blender
3. Let the ginger pieces soak in the hot water for a minute before blending to prevent your blender from being scratched up
4. Blend for 20-30 seconds
5. Pour contents over a fine strainer into a glass mason jar (use a couple of pieces of ice to cool down the liquid to protect the glass)
6. Consider straining twice if you see larger particles in the beverage.
7. Allow to cool before covering and placing in fridge
8. Each morning, warm up (if you prefer to drink warmer water in the morning, I sure do!) 8-16 oz of filtered water in a kettle or using the microwave. Then pour 4-8oz of pre-made ginger tea into the water. Mix and drink!
9. For additional hydration, add electrolytes to the tea. Add a tiny pinch of pink Himalayan salt + squeeze a little lemon juice from a small slice of lemon. Mix and enjoy! Adding electrolytes to your beverage, pulls the solution into your body and cells, instead of it going right through you, making it more hydrating than plain water.

Amazing benefits of ginger

• anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant!
• anti-microbial
• anti-emetic for surgery, chemo, or pregnancy
• anti-lipidemic (great for cardiometabolic health and anti-diabetic)
• anti-tumorigenic
• an immunomodulator (supports our immune system)
• ant anti-hyperglycemic (helps to regulate blood sugar)
• Also great for pain relief, menstrual regulation, gastric motility, and decreasing inflammation in the body!