There’s nothing quite like making your very own elixir. Something about the deliberate act of creating something with love and intention infuses the brew with a little extra potent medicine. We love finding recipes that allow us the opportunity to do just that. And that’s just what we came across with Hailey Faust’s super easy and delicious elixir recipes. Hailey’s beautiful blog, The Lovely Wild, is one of our favorites for all things seasonal and handmade, and her take on an echinacea infused elderberry syrup and spot-on version of golden milk are just perfect for fall and winter. These recipes are perfectly balanced and allow even a total beginner to turn their kitchen into a home apothecary.
Elderberry Syrup is traditionally used to boost your immune system and help ward off colds. Elderberries are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and contain antiviral properties that help deactivate viruses, making it harder for them to multiply. Combining elderberries with other immune-supportive herbs and spices creates a delicious synergistic effect that helps keep you healthy during the cold + flu season. Taking just a teaspoon a day helps to keep colds at bay.
With roots in both Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine, Golden Milk is another delicious health promoting drink that has been consumed for centuries. The main ingredient in Golden Milk is turmeric, which gives it its bright, rich color and is the source of curcumin, the active ingredient linked to a myriad of health properties ranging from pain support to reducing free radical damage and helping prevent certain cancers. Unfortunately, turmeric only contains about 3% curcumin by weight, making it notoriously difficult to extract the health benefits from the golden hued spice. However, pairing turmeric with black pepper can boost its bioavailability by as much as 2,000%. Black pepper contains a compound called piperine, which prevents the liver from metabolizing the curcumin before it has a chance to be absorbed into the blood stream. Together with coconut milk, turmeric and black pepper provide an anti-inflammatory, high antioxidant punch to Golden Milk.
To start harnessing the power of these healing elixirs, check out Haiely’s awesome recipes over on The Lovely Wild. You can also stock up on some herbal pantry essentials such as elderberries, echinacea, and bulk herbs here.