Nourishing Sun Tonic Recipe

Good morning beautiful people.

I have a nourishing + warming recipe for you today, that I know you are going to love. It has some crazy ingredients in it - but all except one will probably be a staple in your home. Ready?

This recipe is called the Sun Tonic. It's perfect as a warm drink right when you wake up + is soooo unbelievably tasty, I promise.

Here is what you will need:

1 1/2 cups of homemade nut milk (or carton)

1/4-1/3 cup of distilled water

1 tsp ashwagandha powder

1 tsp golden milk powder (I love The New New Age's mix, if you don't have just use 3/4 tsp turmeric + 1/4 tsp black pepper)

1 tbsp cacao powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp coconut oil

1-2 tsp honey (my fave is The New New Age's Vanilla + Honey), feel free to use maple syrup or stevia

What are you going to do?

In a pot on the stove, add all of the ingredients and stir. You want all of the coconut oil to melt and the ingredients to start to blend in to the milk.

Next pour it all into your Vitamix or other blender, and blend until well mixed and foamy.

Pour into a glass or ceramic mug + enjoy.

Now let's talk for a minute about WHY this recipe is so nourishing + perfect to wake you up in the morning.

First off - if you have the time, make your own nut milk. It is so simple + really eliminates a ton of unwanted ingredients. Homemade nut milks are also higher in proteins, vitamins + minerals because you use a larger quantity of nuts than what companies like Almond Breeze or Silk use.

Next, ashwagandha root powder is commonly used in ayurvedic medicine and is perfect for energizing your body, while helping with balance within the body and increasing immunity. Turmeric is also used in ayurveda because of its warming effect on the digestive system, anti-inflammatory properties, cleansing effects on the liver and it's ability to boost immunity (tip: always pair turmeric with black pepper as it helps with absorption and increases the bioavailability of the curcumin + other active ingredients in turmeric).

Cacao powder, not cocoa powder is another important ingredient in this recipe. It boosts flavour, is high in antioxidants, mood enhancing, improves heart health + skin health, is high in vitamins and minerals and improves brain function. Cocoa powder is a processed form of cacao powder that is full of sugar, heat refined and stripped of its nutrients - and usually has a bunch of additives.

Coconut oil happens to be one of my absolute favourite oils to use in cooking, tonics, lattes, and baking. It's anti-bacterial, contains MCT's (unique fatty acids), increases energy expenditure, assists in helping you feel full longer, quenches sugar cravings + boosts energy, while the good fats inside lubricate the body. Cinnamon, a nice addition is amazing at balancing blood sugar levels and is something I add to anything with some form of sweetner, even if it is a natural sweetener like honey.

A quick tip for your honey - get the good stuff, raw, local honey is preferred. I also suggest maple syrup for this recipe (not Aunt Jemima) or stevia instead of agave, because agave is highly processed and our bodies have a hard time processing the high sugar content of that sweetner.