With the festive season in full swing there is plenty of opportunity to be eating Christmas treats most days and sometimes too much of a good thing can leave us feeling bloated, heavy or generally over eaten.
So let's get onboard and help ourselves as we make our way through this time of year.
In Chinese medicine, cloves are "warming" and are used to help with hiccups, vomiting, abdominal pain and aid digestion.
Orange peel or Chen Pi is used to soothe abdominal distension and enhance digestion.
Together they make an excellent after dinner tea with a fabulous "Christmas aroma" to assist that digestive process.
The How:
Orange Clove Tea
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: Makes 2 cups of tea
Ingredients:
2 cups of water
Peel from half an orange
3-4 clove buds
1 black tea bag
Sugar or stevia to taste (optional)
Process:
1. Bring water to boil in small pot.
2. Turn heat to low. With your fingers, crush the round, fragile tips of the clove buds into a powder, and add to the water. Add clove stems and orange peels to water as well. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. Turn heat off. Add tea bag into pot. When tea is ready (dark orange color), pour through fine strainer into two mugs.
Notes:
-A very thin, oily layer will appear on the surface of the tea. That’s the clove oil and orange oil, which provide you with many wonderful health benefits.
-Wash orange peels thoroughly under warm water before adding to pot.
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