I’ve been playing with cinnamon and ginger in its various forms for years. From an Ayurvedic (traditional eastern Indian medicine) perspective, ginger “fires” the body’s digestive hearth, to make the stomach and colon more efficient in metabolizing food. Here I’ve combined ginger with cinnamon’s round, sweet flavor to create a modified Chai tea with some great health benefits. Cinnamon regulates blood sugar, while both ginger and cinnamon contain tumor inhibitors. This tea is a great way to wake up both your taste buds and your tummy.

Cinnamon Ginger Tea
4 cups water
4 1/2-inch slices peeled fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons honey

Bring the water, ginger, and cinnamon stick to a boil in a saucepan, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the ginger and cinnamon stick, stir in the honey, and serve immediately.

Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Storage: Store, covered, in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Per Serving: Calories: 13; Total Fat: 0 g (0 g saturated, 0 g monounsaturated);
Carbohydrates: 3 g; Protein: 0 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sodium: 0 mg

Culinary RX: Cinnamon: Appetite stimulant, digestion aid, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antibacterial.

One of my favorite spices for soothing the stomach, cinnamon—or more precisely one of its compounds, cinnamaldehyde—lessens inflammation associated with certain cancers. For those on steroids during chemotherapy, cinnamon also helps to keep blood sugar levels balanced, while its antioxidant and calcium/fiber combination lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of colon cancer.

Labels: Culinary RX