Healthy Morning Shots

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Beginning your day with a G&T may not sound like the norm (or particularly appealing), but this not-so-average G&T shot is an absolute non-negotiable for starting my morning. It's best taken immediately in the morning before anything else - yes, even coffee! It's the perfect thing to get your metabolism going for the day and let me tell you, there's nothing quite like a heady hit of ginger to wake you up on a sleepy Monday morning. It's not just about the invigorating rush of a spicy morning hum though. The amazing health benefits this handful of ingredients have on your bod are endless, which means you've got your daily serve of essential micronutrients before your morning coffee is even brewed. Better yet, you can batch-make as much as you like and freeze in an ice-tray for the coming mornings so all you need to do come 7am is flick the kettle switch.

Health benefits

Remember those essential micronutrients I was talking about? Here's a basic rundown of what exactly this dynamo shot is doing for your system. I'm about to get a little sciencey here but stay with me..

Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. This means it's there to help fight any inflammation you may be suffering from in your joints, muscles, gut, you name it. Its antioxidant properties are there to help protect your cells against free radicals, which can cause things like heart disease and cancer. Basically, it's a wonder ingredient we all want in our daily diet.
Black Pepper may seem like an odd addition, but its role in this ingredient is a vital one! Turmeric's active ingredient, curcumin, is best absorbed when teamed with the piperine compound in black pepper. So while they're still powerhouse ingredients on their own, these best friends always perform best when paired together.
Lemons have been long celebrated for their amazing vit-C content and while it's true, the juice and pulp are vitamin-enriched, the zest is where it's at when it comes to nutrients. The zest and peel of a lemon actually contains a higher dose of vitamin C than the juice and pulp while also boasting small amounts of calcium, potassium and magnesium. These help with strong bones, nerve function and muscle recovery. It also contains high levels of the antioxidant D-limonene which is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes. Because we are using the Lemon skin, I highly recommend using Organic Lemons or at least giving them a good wash and scrub.
Ginger is incredible when it comes to boosting immunity and aiding in digestion. It's been used for centuries in a range of medicines for treating arthritis, autoimmune diseases, and even headaches and nausea. It's best served fresh and its unique flavour works so well with so many things - both sweet and savoury!
Cayenne Pepper - now this one is kind of optional. While it has amazing benefits for your system like waking up and boosting your metabolism, it does however, have a very strong chilli flavour so only do this if you have a good spice tolerance. You can also just experiment with adding little bits into each serve rather than a whale batch when making it. Start with ⅛ tsp.

To serve, place one frozen cube into a cup and fill the cup with boiling water. Be sure to drink everything and not discard any bits in the bottom of the cup. I find it helpful to keep a spoon in the cup and stir before sipping rather than gulping down all the bits at the end.

This recipe makes around 16 large cubes or 28 smaller ones, depending on the size of your trays. If you think you won't have enough lemon juice to cover all the cubes, fill as many as you can, then fill the remaining cubes with water and add the lemon juice when serving.

I hope you enjoy this one and it makes beginning that sleep Monday morn that little bit easier.

Serves: Approx 16-28 serves depending on size of the Ice cube tray/s.
Time: 10 mins prep + freeze time.

INGREDIENTS
You may need 2+ ice cube trays
5 (or more) juicy Lemons (zest and juice)
100g Fresh Ginger
100g Fresh Turmeric
½ tsp cracked Black Pepper
Optional Cayenne pepper

Choose your preferred method-

METHOD OPTION 1- DIVIDED MOST EVENLY (most suitable for slightly OCD personality types)

1. Using the finest side of a grater, take the zest from all the lemons and divide amongst the Ice Cube trays. (approx ½ teaspoon of zest per cube)

2. Add Ginger and Turmeric to the mixing bowl. CHOP / 6 SEC / SP 7. Scrape down sides and repeat 4 SEC / SP 7.

3. Divide mixture evenly into the ice cube tray/s by adding approx 1 teaspoon into each ice cube.

4. Squeeze the juice from the lemons (using a hand squeezer) aiming to get as much juice as possible, then divide into each cube to cover all cubes. Crack black pepper over the ice cube trays to add a pinch to each.

METHOD OPTION 2- SLIGHTLY QUICKER METHOD (most suitable for the "don't care just want to get it done quick" personality types)

1. Using a peeler, lightly take the zest from the lemons being careful not to take the white pith. Place in the mixing bowl.

2. MILL the lemon zest / 15 SEC / SP 9. Scrape down and repeat until finely milled/grated.

3. Add the Ginger and Turmeric and CHOP / 6 SEC / SP 7. Scrape and repeat.

4. With a knife cut the rest of the white part off the lemons so you are left with just the flesh of the lemon and add to the mixing bowl. BLEND / 20 SEC / SP 6.

5. Divide evenly into as many ice cube trays as it needs. Crack black pepper over the ice cube trays to add a pinch to each.

6. Place in the freezer.

Author: Noni Jenkins

Noni Jenkins is a Personal Trainer, Weight Loss Specialist and Thermomix® Enthusiast. With over 15 years experience helping people live a healthier lifestyle.

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