I like True Food in Walnut Creek, they are a national company with the Walnut Creek location being the closest to me.  True Food is a restaurant that specializes in healthy and allergen friendly meals.  Typically I don’t order beverages, I don’t like to drink sweet things when I eat, but I have tried several of the drinks offered at True Foods and have really come to enjoy the Turmeric Tonic.

Turmeric has been all the rage the last five years or so, it makes many appearances in all of my cookbooks.  It’s known for many healthful properties including aiding in digestion, improving brain fog and short term memory, and is an anti-inflammatory, good for arthritis and joint issues.  It can be used fresh or dried, I used fresh turmeric root for this tonic.  Dried turmeric can be used as a seasoning on meats, seafoods, and vegetables, as well as an ingredient in golden milk the hot beverage made with coconut milk, turmeric, honey, and coconut oil.

In order for our bodies to absorb the active ingredient of curcumin in turmeric, it needs to be combined with fat (coconut oil, ghee, olive oil, almond oil) and black pepper which is why both ingredients appear in this recipe.  This recipe also has another nutrition power house in it, ginger root.  Ginger aids digestion and helps to stabilize blood sugar in addition to helping with joint health.

This recipe is very easy to throw together, and will last several days in the refrigerator.  If you are drinking it right away no need to strain it.  But if keeping for several days I suggest straining it because it will separate as it sits and even if you shake it before drinking it, it will separate with a golden sludge falling to the bottom of the glass which has an unpleasant texture.