INDIGO wellness tonics
Updated: Jun 19
We've got a multi functional drink for your day from dawn to dusk.
Whether you're fasting, going alcohol- free for a couple of days, looking for an alternative to coffee, want to improve digestion and inflammation or simply enjoy sipping on a tasty drink - this is for you.
MORNING TONICS
1. Ginger + turmeric + apple cider vinegar
Ingredients & Prep:
- Cold pressed ginger root (3- 4 pieces/roots)
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric / can also use turmeric root
- 1 pinch of ground cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch of black pepper
- 1 shot apple cider vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup of water
The ingredientes above make about 4 servings (1 day = 1 serving) - so I usually double the ingredients in order to have this tonic every morning for about a week.
On a juicer, cold press ginger roots. If you don't have a juicer, you can also peel the ginger roots and blend with 1 cup of water. After you have the ginger mix, sift to eliminate excess pulp.
Combine ginger mixture with ground turmeric, pepper, cayenne, 1 shot of apple cider vinegar & water ( in case you cold pressed the ginger with a juice, if you blended already with water, skip this last step).
ENJOY - & yes, it will be slightly spicy, but you can always add more water to reduce the initial kick.
& for extra motivation, here are some of the benefits you'll experience from this tonic:
Reduced overall inflammation - from bloating to muscle swelling or joint pain, turmeric & ginger will reduce inflammation and reduce pain. The black pepper is crucial to activate the turmeric absorption into your body.
Getting rid of candida overgrowth - this tonic is specially effective when taken first thing in the morning and can act as a potent anti fungal and anti bacterial.
Improves metabolism & promotes a healthy bowel movement.
Pain relief - headaches, cramps, soreness, joint pain, you name it. The active component capsaicin, present in the cayenne pepper, is commonly used in over the counter pain killers given that it is a potent analgesic.
2. Cold - Pressed juice
ginger + carrots + celery as the base.
Ingredients & Prep:
- cold pressed ginger root (about 1-2 pieces)
- 5 to 8 peeled carrots
- 8 to 10 pieces sticks of celery
- 1 green apple
- juice of 2 lemons
- strawberries or blueberries (optional in case you want the juice to be sweeter)
- 1 pinch of turmeric
This recipe makes for about 6 cups of juice which you can store into a pitcher and have ready to drink every morning.
Wash produce, peel carrots & begin cold pressing every ingredient into a juicer. If you don't have a juicer, you can also blend all the ingredients and then sift for extra pulp or residue.
Add a pinch of turmeric and black pepper to activate the absorption of turmeric into your body.
as for the benefits...
As with the ginger + turmeric + apple cider vinegar shot, the benefits widely range from reducing inflammation as well as joint and muscle pain, to improving metabolism and reducing the feeling of bloat. It is truly the best way to start your day and help your gut better metabolize.
3. Bone Broth
+ special prep for extra taste
Ingredients & Prep:
- Organic bone broth (you can use also use beef bone broth, but I personally rather chicken given that the taste is not as strong and meaty). There are a bunch of really good options out there, but I usually go for Trader Joe's and Costco's organic chicken bone broth. pro tip: When choosing a bone broth make sure that it is made up of organic slow cooked chicken or beef bones - this is important given that the bones contain all the nutrients and collagen from the animal, so you want to make sure that you're getting quality ingredients and not byproduct or hormones or GMO feed.
- 1 pinch turmeric
- 1 pinch of kosher or pink himalayan salt
- 1 pinch of black pepper
- lime juice to taste
Heat up 1 cup of bone broth, add spices & lime juice, simmer for a minute & enjoy.
the good news is
Collagen + bone broth can also be counted in with your protein intake for the day.
Some of the benefits of making bone broth part of your regular morning routine are:
- repairing the gut lining & promoting good gut bacteria as well as promoting a healthy metabolism and digestion
- due to the high amounts of collagen present in bone broth, studies have shown that when taken regularly, there was a noticeable improvement in the hydration, elasticity and disappearance of wrinkles and fine lines
- when combined with resistance/ weight training, bone broth was proven to improve lean muscle mass and increase fat loss at a faster rate
- if you are someone who regularly enjoy fasting, one of the best ways to end a fast is by sipping on some bone broth.
ALTERNATIVES TO COFFEE
1. Golden Milk
turmeric + coconut milk + raw honey
Ingredients & Prep:
- 1 can coconut milk & 2 tbsp of coconut cream (I used trader joe's canned coconut milk & cream)
- 1 pinch of ground cinammon
- 5 tbsp of ground turmeric or enough to reach an evenly bright yellow milk color
- 1 pinch of ground cardamom
- 1 pinch of ground ginger
- pinch of black pepper to activate the turmeric
- raw honey to taste
Mix the coconut milk and cream with all the spices and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Blend the mix - this step is especially important if you want an evenly mixed and frothy drink.
You can also add collagen, lion's mane or a mushroom powder mix that is flavorless to the mix for extra benefits.
Enjoy
This drink is so good for days when you want to reduce your caffeine intake but still want to enjoy a warm drink in the morning that tastes good. You can make it a functional drink by adding a nootropic to it like rhodiola or lion's mane drops, collagen or any flavorless supplement.
Golden Milk is a superfood not only because of the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, but also because of the probiotics found in 100% coconut milk & cream.
2. Lion's Mane Mocha Latte
Oat milk + cocoa powder + lion's mane mushroom powder
Ingredients & Prep:
- Oat milk (I personally recommend MALK or Trader Joe's Oat non-dairy beverage)
- Cocoa powder
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- 1 pinch of cardamom (optional)
- Lion's Mane mushroom powder (I like Om's lion's mane powder but I also really like Four Sigmatic's FOCUS mix)
- Collagen is optional but highly encouraged (I use, Vital Proteins flavorless collagen given that it blends really easily with any drink & doesn't have the added flavors and sugars that the flavored collagen do have)
Mix all ingredients together & simmer for 5 minutes. Blend mix for an even and frothy drink.
This drink was particularly inspired by and for those who are not particularly fond of the taste of coffee and are looking for more of a hot chocolate kind of drink but want the focus that caffeine gives you.
3. Matcha
Coconut milk + ceremonial grade matcha + maple syrup
Ingredients & Prep:
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk & 2 tbsp of coconut cream (I used trader joe's canned coconut milk & cream)
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- ceremonial grade matcha
- maple syrup (you can also use raw honey or agave syrup)
For the way I prepare my matcha, you will need to separate cups. Fill one cup with hot water & add 1 scoop of your matcha. Froth until evenly mixed and then add maple syrup to taste.
On the other cup, pour 1/4 cup of coconut milk and the 2 tbsp of coconut cream. Add 1 pinch of cinnamon & a little bit more maple syrup if you like it sweet. Froth until you create a rich foam.
Add the foamy mix into your matcha cup and serve. You can also enjoy it with ice.
Pro tip: add collagen powder to the foamy mix for extra protein & the added benefits of collagen such as improving bone density, skin elasticity and hydration.
Matcha is not only one of the greatest antioxidants, but it also has the ability to improve cognitive function and give you a boost of energy without the jitters that coffee may sometimes produce.
FUNCTIONAL MOCKTAILS
1. Ginger + Grapefruit + Rhodiola
Ingredients & Prep:
- 1 cup cold pressed ginger root
- 1 cup grapefruit juice
- splash of sparkling water
- juice of 1 lime
- tajin for the rim
- agave syrup
- rhodiola drops
Cold press juice the ginger root & peeled grapefruit. Mix with lime juice, agave syrup, sparkling water & 10 drops of rhodiola supplement.
Pour this mix into a shaker with some ice & enjoy with a tajin rim.
This is one of my favorite mocktails - it is really refreshing & the tajin rim gives it a kick in the best way possible. Rhodiola is actually one of the key ingredients found in pre-made mocktail mixes given that it provides mood enhancing and energy boosting properties.
If you want to have this mocktail at night and don't want it to disrupt your sleep schedule, I would replace rhodiola with some lemon balm drops - this supplement will provide relaxation, calmness & could even make you sleepy.
2. Lemon balm + Mojito
Ingredients & Prep:
- 1/2 cup of lime juice
- sparkling water
- simple syrup
- lemon balm drops
- mint
Mix all ingredients together with some ice & enjoy. This one is pretty simple & straightforward. It is the perfect light mocktail to enjoy during or after dinner.
3. Pomegranate + B12 + mint
Ingredients & Prep:
- pomegranate juice
- sparkling water
- mint
- methyl b12 (I love Mary Ruth's Methyl B12 & Cymbiotika's B12 - both made up of methylcobalamin b12)
Mix all ingredients together, add ice & enjoy.
B12 is one of my favorite supplements. Some of the benefits are improving energy levels, improving digestion, muscle recovery after strenuous physical activity, boosting collagen production that directly impacts your hair and skin as well as aiding to balance out hormones. B12 is commonly used to combat chronic stress, chronic fatigue and mood disorders so it is the perfect supplement for a winding down mocktail.
Come back to this list every week - we'll continue to bring you more recipes for morning tonics, coffee alternatives, teas & functional mocktails.
As always, I urge you to be your own advocate and take what works best for your body and your specific needs. Our purpose is to bring informed opinion articles as well as awareness to products and practices that might enhance your daily life. Please feel free to reach out to our team with questions or just to let us know if you have tried and seen any benefits from our recommendations. We always love to hear from our community!