Turmeric, Ginger, & Lemon Shots - Daily Dose of Greens (2024)

It’s the end of October, which means soon we’ll need to be protecting ourselves from the cold weather and cold viruses. With a toddler in preschool, I feel like I’m constantly fighting off the viruses she brings home. But thanks to a local juice store, I’ve discovered a method of boosting my immune system and decreasing inflammation: turmeric, lemon, and ginger shots!

These 2-ounce shots are highly concentrated, work very quickly, and burn like hell. I recommend keeping a glass of water nearby to use as a chaser. As someone who has used these shots multiple times in the past month whenever I felt like I was coming down with something, I can attest to their effectiveness. Even though my husband and daughter had colds this month, I never came down with one!

Already have a cold? Try my simple cold remedies, which use raw honey and essential oils to soothe sore throats, reduce coughing, and clear sinuses!

The benefits of curcumin, found in turmeric, are numerous. I highly recommend consuming it in some form every day. If the thought of juicing and drinking a shot every morning doesn’t appeal to you, you can always try it in my delicious Golden Milk!

In case you missed my post about the benefits of turmeric, here’s a recap:

Benefits of Turmeric:

Prevents cardiovascular disease at a magnitude comparable to that of 30-60 minutes of exercise per day (Source)
A safe and effective remedy for rheumatoid arthritis (Source)
May work as well or better than leading anti-inflammatory drugs for osteoarthritis. (Source)
A powerful antioxidant (Source)
Decreases the damaging effects of lupus on the kidneys (Source)
May reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (Source)

You can increase the bioavailability of turmeric by combining it with black pepper, which contains piperine, a potent inhibitor of drug metabolism, meaning it slows the liver’s ability to eliminate the curcumin. Even just a pinch of pepper increases bioavailability by 2000%! Also eating it with fat helps it travel through the lymphatic system, bypassing the liver and increasing absorption.

Benefits of Ginger:

Anti-inflammatory (Source)
May be effective as a migraine remedy (Source)
Reduces morning sickness nausea, motion sickness nausea, post-operative nausea, and chemo therapy vomiting (Source)
May reduce heavy menstrual bleeding and IBS cramping (Source)
Helps protect DNA from oxidative damage (Source)

Benefits of Lemon:

Source of vitamin C, an antioxidant
Helps boost DNA repair (Source)
Aids in antioxidant absorption, especially in tea (Source)

All you need to make this simple turmeric, ginger, and lemon shot is a juicer or a high-powered blender. To use a blender for juicing, blend all ingredients until no large chunks remain. Pour blender contents over a cloth-lined strainer that rests over a large bowl. Allow liquid to strain through, then make a pouch with the cloth over the remaining pulp and squeeze out the rest of the liquid.

Personally, I prefer to use a juicer. If you don’t have one, I recommend asking for one for Christmas. I use a Breville, but there are lots of options!