The next time you’re feeling a little tickle in your throat, and a tightness in your chest that you know surely signifies that a monster cold or flu is coming on, try this recipe:

It’s for turmeric ginger tea, and I swear, the last time I felt the beginnings of an illness coming on, I made a batch of this, and the cold/flu never came. I couldn’t believe it!

I got the recipe from Melissa Costello of Karma Chow. It’s in her new cookbook – The Clean in 14 Detox – and I dare you to try it the next time you’re feeling a cold/flu coming on!

Here is what you will need:

6 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
6 inches of fresh turmeric root, peeled and thinly sliced (you can also use turmeric powder – 2 tsp)
8 cups filtered water
The juice of 1 – 1/2 lemons
1 tsp raw honey

1. Bring the water to a boil and place the ginger and turmeric in the pot. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Strain out the ginger and turmeric using a strainer over a bowl. Add the lemon juice and honey, stir, and enjoy!

You can drink this tea hot, and/or you can put it in the fridge and drink it cold. I like to make a big batch of it and keep it on hand during the week that I feel a cold coming on.