I Drink This Immunity Tea Every Morning To Ward Off Winter Lurgy

If the threat of a scratchy throat, tongue tickle or general sense of malaise is lapping at your heels, allow me to introduce you to my winter immunity hack. It’s super easy – just a handful of ingredients steeped together then shoved in the freezer – but a brilliant first line of defence at this time of year, when it feels like everyone is succumbing to a sickness bug.

What’s immunity tea?

Dreamed up by nutritionist Jessica Shand, immunity tea is a blend of filtered water, ginger root, turmeric root, cinnamon, lemon and black pepper. Rich in anti-inflammatories (which help to reduce inflammation and protect cells from any damage caused by it), it’s also an easy way to prime your digestive system and make sure you’re rehydrating first thing.

How to make Jessica Shand’s immunity tea

An extract from her book, The Hormone Balance Handbook, a recipe-rich guide to happy menstrual cycles, more energy and optimal hormone health, here is Shand’s recipe for bug-fighting tea.

‘The Hormone Balance Handbook’ by Jessica Shand

Ingredients

• 500ml filtered water
• 4 lemons
• 5cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 5cm piece of fresh turmeric, grated – pop a pair of gloves on to protect your hands and nails from turmeric stains
• Generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1tsp raw local honey, to serve

Method

1. Pour the filtered water into a jug, then halve the lemons and juice them straight into the jug.
2. Add the ginger, turmeric, black pepper, honey and cinnamon.
3. Give your immunity water a good stir and pour into an ice cube or baby food tray. Shand recommends putting a plate underneath the tray to avoid spillages, as turmeric stains and it can ruin worktops.
4. Pop the tray in the freezer.
5. Once frozen, add a cube into a cup, pour boiling water over it, stir and drink (adding some raw honey for its medicinal properties if you are feeling run down or fancy a subtle hit of sweetness).

Why is it so beneficial?

“It supports your body’s natural detoxification and hormone metabolism pathways, for optimal functioning,” Shand explains, when I ask her to break down exactly what makes this simple brew so good for you. “Freezing actually preserves the active compounds in ginger and turmeric very well,” Shand says. “Yes, you may lose a touch of the aromatic oils, but the key bioactive nutrients remain intact, which is the most important part when thinking about immune support.”

It’s also the work of a minute each morning. Simply pop out a cube or three (I like to freeze in a muffin mould for larger doses), and add to a mug of hot water. As the cubes melt, the grated ginger, turmeric, lemon juice and other ingredients create a steaming, immunity-boosting tea, ready to enjoy.

Benefit breakdown

• Lemon: supports the liver (critical for hormone detoxification) and provides vitamin C to strengthen immune resilience.
• Ginger: A powerful anti-inflammatory with “pro-kinetic” properties that help to wake the digestive system up and encourage gut movement.
• Turmeric: “A cornerstone of Ayurvedic medicine and one of nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatories,” Shand explains. “It reduces oxidative stress and supports the body’s natural immune defences.
• Black pepper: A key ingredient when using turmeric, as it enhances the absorption of the active compound in turmeric, curcumin, making it more bioavailable. In layman’s terms, this just means it’s easier for the body to extract what it needs. “Black pepper can increase curcumin’s bioavailability by up to 2,000 per cent,” Shand notes.
• Cinnamon: Stabilises blood sugar, which is critical for hormone balance and energy regulation.
• Raw honey: A natural antimicrobial, antioxidant and prebiotic support. “Raw honey helps feed beneficial gut bacteria and support the gut-immune connection,” Shand says.

Around 70 per cent of our immune cells live in our gut, so fostering a protective environment is incredibly important.

When to drink immunity tea?

I drink my immunity tea each morning on an empty stomach, followed by a steaming mug of bone broth for my gut and skin. It’s a delicious alternative to plain water and forms a soothing ritual – especially in winter – that feels like you’re doing something for your body before you’ve even fully woken up.