After our holiday break, it seemed that everyone came back to work sick, including myself. I picked up a (thankfully minor) case of Strep throat, which I was lucky to catch early enough for it not to make me bedridden and miserable. Others, however, weren’t so lucky, and have already had to use some of their few yearly sick days.

With myself and everyone around me being sick, this got me thinking about a homemade tonic I’ve used many times before to help myself get healthy. I used this recipe while I had Strep, and I like to think it helped me get back to fighting shape more quickly! Although I’m not fully invested in some of the sensationalist claims of homeopathic remedies, I do believe that good foods and homeopathic products play a role in alleviating ailments and their symptoms.

Benefits

The ingredients of this homemade tonic have a host of benefits:

Recipe

The Ingredients

You will need:

1/3 cup Lemon Juice

1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

3 bags Green Tea

½ tbsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 tbsp. Turmeric

Bottle of Milk Thistle Extract

1 tbsp. Ginger – fresh grated (best), paste, or powdered)

1 tbsp. Honey

1 24oz. Airtight Jar or Bottle

Instructions

Yield: 24oz. (3 cups)

Time to prepare: ~20 minutes

Bring 2 cups of water to a near boil. Steep tea bags in water for 5 minutes. Set aside. In a seperate vessel, combine cayenne, turmeric, ginger, lemon juice, and apple cider vineger. Whisk thoroughly until mixture is smooth. Once the tea has cooled a bit, stir in the honey until dissolved. Combine the tea with the spice mixture. Add 2 to 3 droppers full of milk thistle to the mixture and stir until incorporated. Pour into airtight vessel – large canning jars work well. Store in a cool, dark place like the fridge. Keep for up to 3 months.

The finished product. Not pretty, but it does the job!

Consuming the Tonic

Full disclosure: this tonic isn’t meant to taste good. Since this tonic is chock full of some pungent powerhouse ingredients, it’s more medicinal than tasty.

Make sure to shake the tonic before pouring, as sediment will likely fall to the bottom.

The best way to consume it is by taking a small shot of it, or to dilute it in a cup of water. You can also add some to smoothies, which may even mask the taste entirely.