One of the issues I am always working on is my gut health. After spending years of dealing with digestive issues, I have finally found ingredients that help with calming my digestive system. I love tonics like this because they are also calming to make and sip, further aiding in quelling my digestive distress.

This recipe includes many of these calming and healing ingredients. They are blended in a creamy, comforting drink with warming spices that are known to increase the flow of qi in the body. Coconut butter not only tastes incredible, but is an anti-inflammatory ingredient along with ginger, cinnamon and turmeric, which combined do wonders for digestion. Adding a bit of ground black pepper to the drink before and/or after blending, activates the turmeric and makes it more effective.

Ingredients for 1 Tonic:

1 cup hot boiling
1 cup coconut milk (simple without gums if possible)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 pinch of ground black pepper
Optional: one serving of collagen peptides

Method:

Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on high for 1 minute
Pour into a mug and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon and ground black pepper on top before enjoying (pepper activates the turmeric so be sure to add a pinch before and/or after blending!)

Find even more gut healing ingredients in my Good Gut Fuel E-Book!

While this recipe was made with bone broth, which I am going to be focusing on highlighting the benefits of, it can be made vegan by subbing the bone broth for vegetable broth and will still taste delicious! Since I am not vegan, but do avoid dairy, sugar and soy, I was excited to discover the Bone Broth Diet featured in the new Osso Good Bones cookbook. I don't follow any particular diet besides just eating the foods that I have learned make me feel best, but it is so helpful when I find a collection of recipes that align with the foods I generally try to incorporate and avoid! In terms of the actual bone broth, I love that Osso Good Bones was developed by an herbalist who incorporates ancient Chinese herbs, is made with tons of fresh veggies and comes from trusted meat sources.

The cookbook inspired me to incorporate more bone broth into my diet and use it in some of my favorite recipes. This recipe is one that I created using a few of my favorite winter root veggies and almond milk as a dairy alternative to making cream based soup!

So why include bone broth in this recipe and try incorporating it in your diet? Bone broth:

Boosts immunity
Helps digestion
Improves skin, bone, nail and hair health
Is anti-inflammatory
Has been shown to improve sleep cycles and overall energy

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds sweet potatoes
5 small or 2-3 large parsnips
1 onion
4.5 c Osso Good Bone Broth or any chicken/beef bone broth
1.5 c almond milk
1 tsp cinnamon
salt/pepper
Optional: brussel sprouts, coconut yogurt and/or avocado for topping

Method:

Chop up the potatoes, parsnips and onion
If using a slow cooker, put all of the ingredients except the almond milk in the slow cooker on high for 5.5 hours. If not using a slow cooker, roast the veggies at 400 degrees under very tender.
If you have an immersion blender, add the almond milk to the slow cooker and puree all ingredients in the slow cooker with the blender. Add all the ingredients and blend in a large pot if you did not use the slow cooker.
If you do not have an immersion blender, add a little bit of the stew-like concoction to a high speed blender and puree in 4 batches. Add salt and pepper to taste as you are blending.
Optional: chop up brussel sprouts and roast with oil, salt and pepper at 400 degrees until crisp. Use the crisp leaves as a topping.
Optional: top with coconut yogurt and/or avocado

Try swirling in coconut yogurt and a few slices of avocado for another topping option