This morning I was slicing up some ginger to steep with a jasmine green tea, and I thought of you. My boys see me do stuff like this all the time, so health habits like these are almost second nature to them.

You see, ginger has amazing health benefits; perhaps the greatest of which is digestive assistance. Ginger is a known super-spice that helps reduce strain with digestion and assist with balancing gut health.

And since it’s so easy to buy a few branches of ginger and cut a quarter to half of one up before steeping tea in the morning, I almost always do it.

At first, I thought that the taste would be too strong. Although, I learned to portion it differently, not put it directly into the tea, and instead add it to tea leaves as they steep.

Nowadays, I almost always add ginger.

And I’ve gotta say: the combination of switching from drinking coffee to green tea + adding some ginger to my tea has really helped me feel wonderful. It’s gotten rid of the jitters that coffee used to give me if I over-caffeinated. And it’s helped with inflammation and digestion.

And it’s turned into a new morning ritual.

Here’s how I typically start my day:

• Wake up and have a full coffee cup of hot water (nothing else, just hot water). This is about 16oz of hot water, which is a great way to assist in metabolic drive and decrease energy waste as I begin the day.
  • Some bodies retain heat, in which case cold water would be a better choice. For my body type, I lose heat which makes hot water a better choice for my body.
• Next, I steep about 1 tablespoon of green tea with 4-6 small slices of fresh ginger, which I buy from the local supermarket. A bag of ginger lasts for a month or so, so it’s a relatively cheap addition to my grocery list, and it makes a meaningful difference.
• After about 3-5 minutes, I pour the green tea + ginger into the same coffee/tea mug and drink it down.
• I then re-steep the same batch of leaves when I’m looking for a bit of extra assistance with energy level/focus for the day, or if my belly could use the boost.

That’s it. I stop at tea #2.

Every now and then, I have a third cup in the afternoon as I do some focused writing or prepare to go for a hike. This depends upon the quality of sleep I had the night before, what I’ve consumed during the day, and whether or not the day has been more energizing or draining based upon my responsibilities thus far. (If I’m at home no new leaves are needed, as the same tablespoon of tea leaves and slices of ginger work throughout the day.)

Often times, it’s a few simple steps and habit substitutions that make the biggest difference when it comes to nutrition and physical health. Green tea in place of coffee + the addition of fresh ginger are two of the BIGGEST tips I can give you when it comes to energy level and focus.

Honoring you with each post I write, in hopes that you’ll spread healthy habits to others whom you love,