Ever felt like bottling the sun?

This turmeric ginger wellness tonic tastes like sunshine in a bottle, and it looks like it too. If you need a pick-me-up, are fighting off sickness, want something to help with digestion, or simply feel like taking a shot of wellness, try this.

All you'll need is fresh ginger root, fresh turmeric root, raw coconut water (I use Harmless Harvest), lemon, black pepper, and cinnamon. As far as appliances go, it would be helpful to have a fine metal strainer, a high speed blender, glass bowl, and a glass bottle or vessel to store the tonic. Turmeric stains, so avoid using anything plastic!!

Before you dive into this spicy and welcoming tonic, here are a few facts about turmeric:

1. There are several chemical compounds found in turmeric, known as curcuminoids. The active substance in turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin is what makes turmeric a "functional food", which is defined as "foods that have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition."

2. Turmeric may help slow or prevent blood clots through reducing instances of platelet aggregation.

3. Turmeric has been known to reduce depression symptoms. These results may be connected to the way curcumin impacts neurotransmitter function through the brain.

4. Perhaps my favorite fact surrounding turmeric, it helps fight inflammation! Aspirin and ibuprofen, two of the most common NSAIDS are least effective, while curcumin is among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world. Take that!! Inflammation is at the root of most diseases, including cancer, ulcerative colitis, and alzheimer's, so give turmeric a chance.

5. Turmeric can boost our skin health. Benefits include increasing "glow and luster" of the skin, speeding up wound healing, calming the pores to decrease acne and acne scarring and controlling psoriasis flares.

6. Black pepper contains a compound, piperine, which inhibits the metabolic breakdown of turmeric compounds in the gut and liver. This allows higher levels of turmeric compounds to remain in the body (i.e. it increases its bioavailability), which may increase the effects of turmeric.

   
   

When you combine turmeric with other powerhouse herbs and foods, including ginger and cinnamon, you get a lovely wellness tonic that you should consider incorporating in your daily routine. I enjoy this wellness tonic by simply taking a shot in the AM, or sometimes I'll dilute the tonic by adding a shot to a mug of hot water with a splash of apple cider vinegar. This helps if I have a stomachache or am experiencing digestive issues.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 16 ounces raw coconut water (I use Harmless Harvest)

• Fresh turmeric root, washed (peeling optional) - about 4-5 inch long root

• Fresh ginger root, washed (peeling optional) - about the size of your palm

• 1 lemon

• dash of black pepper

• dash of cinnamon

How to Make

1. In a blender, add the coconut water, ginger root, and turmeric root. You may need to cut the roots in chunks depending on your blenders capabilities.

2. Blend on high for about 1 minute.

3. Using a large fine mesh metal strainer, strain the mixture over a large metal or glass bowl.

4. You may need to use a spatula (avoid plastic as it will stain!) to juice the pulp through the strainer.

5. Discard pulp from strainer and juice 1 lemon over strainer into the bowl.

6. Remove strainer and add dash of black pepper and cinnamon.

7. Store in an airtight glass container in fridge for about a week.