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When we eat junk, sleep less and sit more, the metabolism will slow down (and the scale starts to go up). I use my Metabolism Boosting Tea on my Plant-Based Cleanse to naturally suppress hunger, boost hydration and kick-start the fat-burning process.
When trying to shed a few pounds, I encourage you to drink this Metabolism Tea 1-2 times a day. It has all the fresh, raw ingredients needed to activate your metabolic system, naturally.
Table of Contents
How to Use Metabolism Tea
To get your metabolism ramped up, you just need what we’ve always needed: rest, nutrient-dense foods that boost your metabolism and movement. This is how our bodies are meant to function and thrive.
When you get back to these three essentials, you’re practicing self-care and your body will begin to heal itself. Sometimes that means more energy, weight loss, clear skin, fewer aches, etc— but no matter what it’s going to be feeling better than it does right now.
Best time to drink
The best time to have Metabolism Tea is upon rising as it will activate your digestive system and help relieve any bloating or digestive concerns. Once the tonic settles in, it’ll get your metabolism burn happening as well.
As the day goes on and you’re feeling hungry in between meals, sip this before you have a snack. Sometimes hunger is actually your body telling you it’s thirsty (the wires do often get crossed in our minds).
Can I make it in Bulk?
You can make this in bulk (omit the water) and freeze into ice cube trays. Then in the morning, pop one cube into a mug with hot water (or enjoy it cold in the summer). Doing this will set you up for that success you crave and get you on the road to lower weight + increased energy.
Powerful Ingredients in Metabolism Tea
Let’s be honest. When you’re just started out with a healthier diet, it’s much easier to incorporate something healthy to drink than trying to cook a new meal. This drink isn’t the cure all, but it will support you on this wellness journey thanks to these awesome ingredients:
- Apple cider vinegar – or ACV to its closest friends – contains something called acetic acid. While research is still being done to see how this is helpful, initial studies show that acetic acid reduces insulin levels, which in turn ramps up your metabolism.
- Lemon: Lemon contains various polyphenols that can suppress our appetite.
- Ginger root: This inflammation fighting root vegetable helps heal your body from the inside out.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon has a direct tie to our metabolism and can target the fat deposited in the abdominal area.
- Honey: Using a natural sweeteners makes this drink delicious while also adding beneficial anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agents.
More Foods to Increase Metabolism and Burn Fat
Getting a healthy amount of leafy greens, legumes, proteins, vegetables and fruits is essential to supporting the metabolism. Slow-burning carbohydrates will help you maintain a stable metabolic rate and keep you active and nourished throughout the day.
Stick with foods like…
- Green apples + homemade nut butter
- Veggie bowls like a Teriyaki bowl using a brown rice or quinoa base
- Spicy roasted cauliflower wings and cashew cream
- Hearty kale caesar salad with nuts (or eggs)
- Vegan Austinite tacos packed with veggies
Refined sugars and simple starches do the opposite, spiking insulin production and throwing the whole system out of whack. This can cause the metabolism to slow down and to store sugar as fat rather than burning it as energy. Yet it’s not easy to say no to them, so I prefer the method of adding in more good stuff so it crowds out the bad.
Bottom line: A plant-based whole-food diet is going to do your metabolism some serious good.
I hope I’ve inspired you to try this simple morning routine to kick start your weight loss journey. Set goals beyond pants size or pounds— running a 5k, hiking a trail, running the Grand Canyon, kayaking with your kids, dancing with your loved ones— allow your weight loss success to just be a launching pad to a more active energized version of you.
If you’re looking for more support, check out our Plant-Based Cleanse. No diet pills. No expensive potions. Just recipes you can make from your local grocery store using lots of fresh, nutrient dense foods that boost metabolism – fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and spices.
Metabolism Tea FAQs
Green tea is a popular one for boosting metabolism because it contains natural caffeine to energize the body as well as antioxidants called catechins that may help increase the metabolism and burn fat.
The caffeine in tea can help speed up your metabolism and the antioxidants in certain teas can help burn fat. My tea is caffeine free (so never fear if you are caffeine sensitive!) yet it still contains several ingredients to speed up your metabolism and help burn fat.
Find a tea that can give you natural energy without a crash and one that helps your body burn fat. My tea contains apple cider vinegar, honey, lemon, ginger root, cinnamon and cayenne pepper— all ingredients to naturally help your metabolism.
Metabolism Tea
Ingredients
- 1 cup water warm
- 1 tbsp raw honey raw
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
- 2 tbsps raw apple cider vinegar raw
- 2 tbsps ginger root grated
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon ground
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine warm water with raw honey.
- Add in fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.
- Grate fresh ginger and add into mason jar.
- Add a dash of fresh cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
- Combine well with a whisk or adding a lid and shaking up.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh ginger root for the most nutrients.
- Using warm, not boiling water, will help the ingredients mix together well without burning away the nutrients that make them work in this recipe.
- If you are sensitive to spice then omit the cayenne pepper.
- Find an apple cider vinegar “with the mother” for even more probiotic benefits.
If I only have ginger powder, how much do I use? 2 TBSP seems like a lot. Otherwise, it sounds delicious
Hi Cindy! ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ground ginger is equal to a tablespoon, so I’d probably start with that and see how it turns out! You could always add more or use less depending on how it tastes.
I was wondering if you could use pickled ginger or would that not have the same effect as the fresh grated?
Hi Barbara! I haven’t tried it, yet I’m not sure if it would have the same effect. Let me know if you give it a try!
Ok I was wondering how this works with fasting? Will this mess up my fasting if I consume it in the am? I do the 16/8 and don’t eat until around 12 or 1 depending on my day. Since there is honey I didn’t know if it would throw it off?
Hi Jessica! I’m no expert in fasting, yet I’m thinking the honey would throw it off possibly.
I drink this every Moring I love it been doing it for years it been keeping my A1C Down
Love to hear the awesome feedback, Eugene! So glad it’s working for you!
Do you drink it alone or before breakfast?
It’s really spicy….but I like it
You can always tone this one down with less cayenne if needed, Marleen!
I have been using this recipe for years whenever I get a cold. It is very soothing and warm. It always lessens the duration of the cold; I have never lost any weight though.
Is there a substitute to the apple cider vinegar? I do not enjoy hives…
I’d just leave it out!
So can I just use 1 cop of water or does it need to be warm? Also, as you were saying about if you should get hungry and you say dip on this do you drink the same amount that this makes each time
Hi Renee,
Yes. Use 1 cup of warmed water, in addition to the following ingredients:
1 tablespoon honey (raw )
2 tbsps lemon (juice)
2 tbsps apple cider vinegar (raw)
2 tbsps ginger root (grated)
dash of ground cinnamon
dash of cayenne pepper
You can totally drink the Metabolism Boosting Tea, according to the recipe, more than once a day, if you’d like. 🙂
I’ve consumed this tonic before and know it works. I start work at 5am and it’s a positive way to start my day as it’s way too early to eat breakfast but an excellent time for the tonic to kick start my day.
Is the frozen component just lemon juice??
Could you please specify which ingredients I freeze into cubes as I start very early.
I’m sure I add hot water, honey, cinnamon, cayenne at serving.
So, ACV ??? freeze or pour at serving,?????
Ginger can I substitute for ground or grate fresh into lemon juice and freeze.
My previous tonic similar to yours I simply pre juiced ample lemons and freezed into cubes and added all other ingredients in the morning but used ground ginger I purchase from a health shop.
Would this work?
Lisa
Hey Lisa – We recommend freezing all the ingredients together, minus the water.
If you have plenty of space in your freezer, you can add the following ingredients and quantities into individual mason jars and freeze them.
1 tablespoon honey (raw )
2 tbsps lemon (juice)
2 tbsps apple cider vinegar (raw)
2 tbsps ginger root (grated)
dash of ground cinnamon
dash of cayenne pepper
We recommend this method to save prep time for later. Each day, pull one out, add a cup of hot water, give it a shake to combine ingredients and you’re ready to go.
You are absolutely free to use ground ginger, if you choose. Hope this helps. 🙂
Do you have any alternative to this detox tea? My body doesn’t tolerate any kind of citrus, or ACV or other fruits high in acid.
Thanks!
Hi there Beth, we have a ton of great plant-powered beverages here. You can check out our7 Best Weight Loss Drinks and Healthy Caffeine Alternatives for some great ideas for healthy, energizing beverages.
Does this effect medications or vitamins? I have been using the tea for awhile and I have wondered. Also the weight is after stopped smoking weight does that matter?
Hi there Shari,
Some citrus ingredients can interfere with heart medications, for example. There is lemon in this tea. We’re not able to give medical advice, but feel free to consult with your doctor to see if lemon or other citrus ingredients can interfere with your medication. Also, I’m not sure I understand your question about smoking and weight loss. Congrats on quitting though!!
Can I replace the honey with maple syrup? I am vegan and would prefer no honey.
Absolutely Sarah. I would just use in a small amount to aid the flavor. Using too much could spike your blood sugar and cause a crash later on.
Can you make this into a shot instead?
Can l make this a night before?
Absolutely Bree! This tea stores well in the refrigerator for a day or two.
We have lots of rawkstars ask if they can make this in larger quantities and drink it throughout the week. And while I’m the first person to look for ways to save time in the kitchen, I’d say to avoid that here. Making a large amount of this metabolism boosting tea at once can lead to slimy results down the road. Instead, we’d recommend that you mix those larger quantities of the recipe’s ingredients together – minus the water – and freeze into ice cube trays. Then in the morning, pop one cube into your mug and pour hot water over to melt.
I drink a different version of the METABOLISM BOOST TEA.I use organic Ginger juice, organic Lemon juice and I add a half teaspoon of black pepper and a half teaspoon of tumeric . I also add boiling water, stir and let it steep until it’s drinkable. The honey is then added last so it’s health benefits aren’t destroyed by heat.I drink this every morning a hour or more before eating anything. I have lost almost 70 pounds since November 2021. l first noticed my stomach wasn’t rubbing the steering wheel of our car. The next thing was a doctors visit where I learned that I had lost 10 pounds , my BP was 125/80 and my A1C was down. I am down from a size 3X to a size XL and on my way to a size large.
Palma, that’s an amazing story and I love that you are even seeing non-scale victories. Way to totally rawk it!
Could you provide your recipe? I’d like to try it. Thank you
Hi Tina – When you open the article for the Metabolism Boosting Tea, right under the title there’s a button you can click that says, “Recipe Card.” If you click that button, it’ll bring you all the way down to the very bottom of the article where the recipe is located. You can also get there by scrolling down to the bottom. This is the set up for all of our blog articles that feature recipes.
Click here to be redirected to the Metabolism Boosting Tea blog article —> Metabolism Boosting Tea
What are the amounts of ginger juice and lemon juice?
Hi June! It’s 2 tbsp of grated ginger root and 2 tbsp of lemon juice.
How much of the ginger and lemon juice do you use please
Peggy, thanks for asking this question. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons each of lemon juice & ginger. One trick I do to cut down on time each day is to squeeze several lemons at once & put the juice in a jar in the refrigerator so it’s ready when I need it. I also go ahead and grate my ginger and place in a jar in the refrigerator or place it on a flat tray in the freezer then once it’s frozen I break it up into small pieces and store it in the freezer until I’m ready for it. You could also use an ice cube tray but it will take longer to defrost a cube.
What is the difference between “honey” and the stated “raw honey”..? Regards
Great question, Billy Bob!
Raw honey is way less processed, so it retains way more of it’s beneficial nutrients and antioxidants – which is why we love and suggest it!
can you make this with no honey? Would love to keep it lower carb.
We’ve not given that a try, yet monk fruit or stevia would def be a lower carb option here. Be sure to let us know what you think, Michelle!
How often
Hey rawkstar! You can make and drink this tea daily, if desired.
Hi, I just discovered this article & thought I have those ingredients in my kitchen…, let’s try it. I just got my coffee mug & just sorta used an icecream sunday spoon & eyeballed the ingredients. Lol.
I advise to read the entire column and don’t just assume. At the end I realized that I did not have any honey. I may have unbalanced the cause. I put brown sugar in & doubled the water. I like it. BUT, tomorrow I will pick up raw honey to create the recipe correctly. I like sour things so this was a palatable taste for me. The separate ingredients are strong on their own. You have to find your balance. It tingles the tongue but I can see where it might upset your stomach. I will try this again. Thank you.
We def recommend giving it a sip with the recommended recipe version first and adjusting to taste from there. So glad you’re planning to give it a stir with honey next time!