Sunday, September 21, 2014

Fall and Winter Tonics


As the official start of the Fall season arrives, so with it comes all those coughs, colds, and viruses that run rampant during this time of year.  Tonics can be a great way to boost immunity and prevent all those nasty bugs from affecting your family.  They are also easy to incorporate into your daily diet, so that each meal is an opportunity to get and stay healthy.

One such great tonic is the traditional remedy, Fire Cider.  This is a tasty vinegar based drink that is infused with powerful anti-microbial, decongestant, and spicy herbs that increase the circulation.  It will warm you up on those cold days, as well as stimulate your digestion and boost the immune system.  It's also easy to make!  Below is a recipe originally posted on the Mountain Rose Herbs blog. You can add it to veggie juice or smoothies, eggs, or on your salads as a dressing.  Go ahead and try it! You might just find your new favorite condiment.  

Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh grated organic ginger root
1/2 cup fresh grated organic horseradish root
1 medium organic onion, chopped
10 cloves of organic garlic, crushed or chopped
2 organic jalapeno peppers, chopped
Zest and juice from 1 organic lemon
Several sprigs of fresh organic rosemary or 2 tbsp of dried rosemary leaves
1 tbsp organic turmeric powder
organic apple cider vinegar
raw local honey to taste

Directions
Prepare all of your cold-fighting roots, fruits, and herbs and place them in a quart sized jar. If you’ve never grated fresh horseradish, be prepared for a powerful sinus opening experience! Use a piece of natural parchment paper or wax paper under the lid to keep the vinegar from touching the metal. Shake well! Store in a dark, cool place for one month and remember to shake daily.
After one month, use cheesecloth to strain out the pulp, pouring the vinegar into a clean jar. Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid goodness as you can from the pulp while straining. Next, comes the honey! Add 1/4 cup of honey and stir until incorporated. Taste your cider and add another 1/4 cup until you reach the desired sweetness.

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Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
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