Easy Anti-Inflammatory Drinks You Can Make At Home

You may have seen the word ‘inflammation’ popping up more and more in recent years. You might have read that it can lead to weight gain, digestive troubles, headaches, or even illness. 

While inflammation may sound scary, there is much more to this bodily response than you might realise. Today I’m going to talk about the different types of inflammation that exist and the impact they can have on your digestion and immune system. 

What is inflammation?

Acute inflammation in the digestive system is your body’s short-term immune response, such as vomiting or diarrhoea. Chronic inflammation, as the name suggests, refers to a longer-term response where the digestive system begins to attack healthy cells within the body. So while acute inflammation is important for protecting your body, chronic inflammation may actually lead to long-term problems because healthy tissue can end up being damaged.

Inflammation can be affected by your lifestyle and diet — a healthy lifestyle with regular activity, a well-balanced diet and plenty of sleep can go a long way to reduce chronic inflammation. There are also some types of food and drink that can be helpful for fighting inflammation within the body. 

Below are a couple of drinks you can make at home to help reduce the risk of inflammation. 

Benefits of anti-inflammatory drinks

These make-at-home drinks are so quick to make and enjoy when you’re feeling out of balance.

Immune-boosting Tonic

This tonic is perfect for when you’re feeling run down or want to help your immune system before cold and flu season. 

Ingredients:

• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp turmeric

Method:

1. Pour the lemon juice into a mug and add in the honey and turmeric. 
2. Top the mug with boiling water and stir gently to combine.
3. Allow the tonic to cool slightly before you drink it to avoid burning your tongue.

Turmeric is rich in antioxidants and contains curcumin, so it is helpful for fighting inflammation because it can reduce free radicals that are by-products of the inflammatory process. The bright colour of turmeric really adds a bit of ‘wow-factor’ to this drink too.

Anti-inflammatory Hot Chocolate

There is nothing quite like warming up with a hot chocolate — unless it is a hot chocolate with health benefits!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup your choice of milk
• 1 tbsp raw cacao 
• 2 tsp honey
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 
2. Once heated through, pour into a mug and enjoy.

While this isn’t a drink you would have every day, it is nice to enjoy when you’re feeling a little run down.

Apple Cider Vinegar Tea

To really ramp up your inflammation-busting efforts, you might like to make a bottle of this tea and simply have a few sips each morning. 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chamomile tea
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey

Method:

1. Make the chamomile tea in a heatproof jar according to the directions. 
2. Add the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice to the tea. Slowly stir in the honey until it dissolves. 
3. Keep the jar in the fridge and have a small serve (approximately 2 tbsp) every day. 

You might be surprised to know that inflammation in your gut can lead to symptoms such as bloating, cramping or diarrhoea. The apple cider vinegar in this tea can help to reduce bloating caused by inflammation or a reaction to a food intolerance. 

More anti-inflammatory drinks

The drink recipes above have fantastic benefits but you may not always have access to the ingredients you need to make them. 

Try these instead:

• Water — water hydrates your body, which can help to flush out toxins and play a part in controlling inflammation.
• Black tea — the antioxidants in black and green tea can help your body to defend against inflammation. 
• Green smoothies — dark green leafy vegetables are fantastic for reducing inflammation.  

These drinks are a really simple way to reduce the risk of chronic inflammation in your body. As I always say ladies, listen to your body! If you are feeling rundown, get plenty of rest, nourish your body and do some gentle exercise if you can.