This is the Morning Detox Tea (or tisane, if you're particular). It's a bright concoction with decisive notes of spice and heat. There's ginger for digestion, turmeric to cleanse the liver, cayenne to warm the body and amp up metabolism, and cinnamon to serve as an anti-inflammatory. It's a nice way to jumpstart your body at the beginning of the day, because a “detox' regimen doesn't have to cost $400 and deny you of solid food.

More than a straight-up recipe, this is a foundation and guideline to building a morning detox that best suits your taste and needs. The measurements are approximate and forgiving (just make sure not to overdo it with the cayenne and turmeric). Like ginger? Add more. Don't want honey? Skip it.

Ingredients

- 6-inch piece of fresh ginger

- 1 teaspoon turmeric

- 2 cinnamon sticks

- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

- spoonful of raw honey

- squeeze of lemon

Method

1. Peel ginger and slice thinly on the diagonal. Use the side of the knife to smash the ginger (exposing more surface area).

2. Add ginger slices to a saucepan with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the cinnamon sticks, turmeric, and cayenne. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

4. Strain into a mug.

5. Stir in a spoonful of honey and squeeze of lemon.

You'll still have plenty in the pot after that first cup. I like to keep the brew going all day, adding more water or spices with each serving. Enjoy!

—Kathy YL Chan

Photo by Kathy YL Chan. Kathy YL Chan is a tea authority based in NYC and Honolulu. She sources tea for private clients and consults for luxury brands on menus and retail tea lines. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @kathyylchan.