Ginger

I am a facebook follower of Wai Lana, a popular Yoga and Natural Health advocate.

Wai Lana's Kitchen tip of the day: Besides lending zest, vitality, warmth, and energy to fruit and vegetable juices alike, ginger helps conditions like asthma, cough, cold, congestion, flu, high cholesterol, water retention, nausea, irregular or painful menstruation, constipation, and poor circulation.

Here's a simple recipe of Wai Lana's ginger tea (from her post Ginger for Winter Ills, Oct. 16, 2009):

2 cups water
¼ cup diced fresh ginger
2 tsp. honey

Boil the water, then add the ginger and simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain into a cup and add 2 teaspoons of honey (or to taste). If you like, you can add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper to the pot to increase the stimulating, heating effect. Let me forewarn you now, though: This tea is fiery! Sip it—don't gulp it down.