Ginger Tea

A nice cup of freshly brewed ginger tea.

If you suffer from digestive problems like SIBO or IBS, you really must learn how to make ginger tea, one of the kindest drinks ever invented to help calm, warm and comfort your tummy.

Ginger is a first class anti-inflammatory, so it helps to soothe irritated tissues in the intestines and throughout the body. Ginger also has warming and stimulating properties. Ginger tea is well known to aid a sluggish digestive system, and also is effective for reducing nausea due to pregnancy, motion sickness and other causes.

Nothing could be easier than making ginger tea from freshly grated ginger root. Simply use one teaspoon of ginger root (grated or minced) per cup of water, and follow either of the two methods outlined below. A thumb-sized chunk makes 2-3 cups.

A thumb-sized chunk makes about 3 cups of tea.

It's probably a good idea to peel off the ginger skin before grating. If you don't have time, at least scrub the piece you are using to remove traces of outer contaminants. Peeling is essential if you are using conventionally grown ginger, but even organic ginger root should be scrubbed clean. Always discard moldy bits first.

Use a box grater for speed, and don't mind those fibers.

   
*Remember to use approximately one teaspoon grated ginger per cup of water.* That's basically all you need to memorize, and you've got this recipe dialed in.

Quick Method: Place grated ginger in a mug, mason jar or teapot. Pour boiling water on top. Steep 5-10 minutes, strain and drink. The longer it steeps, the stronger the tea.  

Slow Method: Place grated, minced or thinly sliced ginger in a pan, add water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Depending upon how long it steeps or simmers, you often can get a second batch of tea out of previously used, once-steeped ginger root. I've also been known to add this soggy ginger to soups, smoothies and marinades, for a little extra zing. And because waste not, want not.

Enjoy ginger tea plain, or with a squeeze of lemon. If desired, you can also sweeten it with a SIBO-safe sweetener, such as stevia, Lakanto or a touch of raw honey (a touch means 1/2 teaspoon). Just be careful on the honey--not the best choice during a flare, or during early stages of the SexySibo diet, due to high content of fermentable fructose. That being said, honey-lemon-ginger is an outrageously satisfying drink and perfect for colds and sore throats, too.

Note: It might seem more convenient to brew ginger tea using pre-made tea bags, but besides this beverage neither tasting as spicy nor having equal medicinal value as fresh ginger root tea, consider this.

A 2010 study reported that powdered ginger may be "naturally contaminated' with several mycotoxins, aflatoxins and something called ochratoxin A. (I never heard of that one before, either.)

Researchers steeped tea bags containing powdered ginger in hot or boiling water, and analyzed the resulting tea for contaminants. They found that up to 40% of the toxins present in the powdered ginger migrated into the tea, especially the aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. The most toxins ended up in the tea made with boiling vs lukewarm water, contradicting my intuitive feeling that because boiling water kills germs, tea made with boiling water must be safer.

I'm not suggesting that all powdered ginger and ginger tea bags are contaminated with toxins, but after reading that study, I'm sticking with fresh. Fresh ginger is by no means immune to contamination, but when you start with an actual root, you can see what you're working with. I prefer organically grown ginger that is firm to the touch, with a taut skin. Store it loose or in a paper bag in the refrigerator. Ginger that appears soft or moldy, with brown or blue spots, should be discarded.


REFERENCE

Iha MH and Trucksess MW.
Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in tea prepared from naturally contaminated powdered ginger.
Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2010 Aug;27(8):1142-7.

SIBO Green Juice ~ The Cat's Meow

Back in the day, I was a big juicer. Detox and juicing were, in fact, a major part of my whole nutrition program, which you can read all about on my old blog, Eat to Evolve!

Then came SIBO. Since my diagnosis a year and a half ago, I pretty much left raw foods and juicing behind. But not all juice is verboten on Sexy SIBO. Today, I'm plunging back into Juice Land with a scrumptious, 100% green, SIBO-safe juice that is knocking my proverbial socks off. You may like it, too. (Apparently Clyde does, and he's a super cool cat.)

Before

After

SIBO Green Juice

3 Lg peeled cucumbers

1 Lg head romaine lettuce

1 bunch cilantro

1 or 2 juicy limes

Run all ingredients through a juicer such as the Breville juice fountain. Makes one quart incredibly delicious, detoxifying green juice!

Drink your greens - I mean business!

Ridiculously Easy DIY Coconut Milk

Did you know how ridiculously easy it is to make your own fresh, delicious coconut milk? I mean the regular thin kind of coconut milk that stands in for cow or plant milk (i.e. almond milk, hemp milk, etc.)—not the thick, creamy canned stuff.

Well, let me tell you! All you need is two things: shredded coconut and water. Just blend them together in a 1:4 ratio (1 part shredded coconut to 4 parts water). Seriously, that's it!

I'm totally glad that store-bought coconut milk exists but it is far from a perfect food. Besides the fact of being a) produced in a faceless factory far away without love, b) heated to high temperatures that damage the healthy fats and other nutrients it contains, and c) packaged in a sterile box, commercial liquid coconut milk contains "other ingredients" that may not be ideal for SIBO sufferers. I'm talking here, primarily, about gums: a type of soluble fiber that feeds gut bacteria.

Shredded coconut itself in smallish amounts (1/4 cup per sitting) is generally safe for most SIBO peeps. But as for xanthan gum, guar gum, etc—not to mention the flavors, sweeteners and synthetic vitamins that often go into boxed coconut milk—maybe not so much.

Anyway, fresh-made is always better, naturally! So I am thrilled to report what a cinch this is to make! Plus it really tastes yummy and super coco-nutty. You must try.

The recipe below makes a small, 2 cup batch that can be enjoyed fresh and warm. If you want to make more, just increase the amounts, keeping the 1:4 ratio, and store in the fridge. Fresh DIY Coconut Milk should keep well for a few days, but expect it to separate after it sits a while—nothing a little stir 'n' shake won't cure.

Ridiculously Easy DIY Coconut Milk

Ingredients
2 cups water
1/2 cup organic shredded coconut

Directions
Heat water in a pan until it starts to feel warm to your finger. Put shredded coconut in your Vitamix* and pour the warm water on top. Blend on low speed for about 1 minute and high speed for 2-3 minutes. Pour through a stainless steel mesh strainer into a clean bowl and use the back of a wooden spoon to press excess liquid out of the pulp. (You can also use a nut milk bag if you like, that's just never been my style.)

Feel free to save the leftover pulp for another use (could be a nice sub for coconut flour in a SIBO safe muffin or pancake recipe) and enjoy your fresh coconut milk!

*If you don't have a Vitamix or other high speed blender, a regular blender will do—just expect the process to take a few minutes longer.