Powerful Healing Elixir with Lemon & Ashwagandha

There are times in our lives that stress just naturally comes its time like these that I like to add a healing elixir into my daily routine. Extra stress is never a benefit to our bodies, it is wearing on our adrenals, our minds, and our spiritual growth. Although healing from our food should not be our primary combat of stress, it is a tool to use in conjunction with prayer, bible reading, and exercise.

This lovely healing elixir with lemon and ashwagandha boosts the immune system, feeds your adrenals, and nourishes your stressed-out body.

This page may contain affiliate links. To view my full affiliate link disclosure, click here.

---

Let’s get all the obvious stuff out of the way. I’m not a health professional. I hold no degree in medicine. I’m simply a mom that loves to research. I’m fascinated by reading clinical studies. Separating fact and fiction gives me a weird thrill.

This information is my personal experience only. It’s not intended to diagnose or treat. Do your own research. And talk to your medical doctor before starting any treatment.

This is a Trim Healthy Mama Recipe and would be considered a FP.

---

The Healing Power of Food as Thy Medicine

Minnesota is a ridiculous place to live. It easily can go from 40 degrees Fahrenheit to -10 degrees within a few days. We are in a state of extremes. Last winter within 4 weeks we went from sub-degree weather, and massive amounts of snow, to swimming in the lakes. In April 2018, the high was 83 degrees Fahrenheit and the low was 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Talk about some extremes!

It's no wonder our immune systems take a beating during the winter.

Then we wonder why our schools are overtaken by common colds, influenza, and various sicknesses.

I’m surrounded by preschoolers throughout the week. Multiple times a month I am handed boogers, coughed on, and presented with altogether questionable items

Again, let's bring some honesty to the table.  Being sick stresses me out.  Missing work, staying home with the littles, the sea of germs on Target cart, seeing mysterious tissues in the dramatic play area at school...

I mean it's just about enough to lock the front door and bid adieu' to society until next Spring.

I need something that gives me a little bit of an edge. Good thing we can use 'thy food as thy medicine'.

The Benefits of a Healing Elixir with Lemon

In steps, this lovely healing elixir with lemon boosts the immune system, feeds your adrenals, and nourishes your stressed-out body.

Our adrenals are tiny almond-sized organs right above our kidneys.  They do a lot and there is some really in-depth information out there.  I am always amazed at how God created our bodies. Put very simply, our adrenals are responsible for maintaining our resistance to stress. 

When our body's adrenals are out of whack there is a long list of symptoms including exhaustion, slow recovery time after exercise, decreased stress tolerance, lowered immunity, and a myriad of other factors.

Add in wintertime germs... oh it's a recipe for a miserable winter.

Let's head back to 'thy food be thy medicine'. There are three parts to this recipe that really gives an edge to our immune system and adrenals. There are many other benefits to these lovely foods, but let's only focus on the immune and stress reduction factors. 

Lemon and Citrus Benefits

Lemons really are smackingly delicious foods {yes I made up that word}. They are full of vitamin C, which our immune system needs. The acid in lemons actually goes to work fighting inflammation in our body,  and during the cold winter months, we tend to hold onto inflammation more.

The truly remarkable part of citrus fruits that is often overlooked is the bioflavonoids found in the rind and peels. This is why for this lemon elixir I am dogmatic about keeping as much of the white stuff on the lemon, oranges, or clementines as possible.

Elderberry Benefits

Elderberry Syrup is all the rage right now. You can read more in-depth about this superfood by reading my latest post about my elderberry syrup. But put as sincerely as possible elderberries are high in vitamin C and antioxidants that go to work fighting and building your immune systems. There are even clinical studies that indicate elderberry syrup can reduce the length of influenza!

Want to make your own elderberry syrup? Although you can buy it, you may be turned off by the sugar that most store-bought elderberry syrup has. You can find my recipe to make your own right over here! Elderberry syrup is a great addition to add to any healing elixir.

Ashwagandha Benefits

I saved the best word for last. It's just plain fun to say this word! This is an adaptogen, which is any botanical that helps your body adapt to stress. It's grown in India and is known as Winter Cherry.

It has a very earthly flavor. The name Ashwagandha comes from the Sanskrit language and literally means the smell of a horse. But don't let that deter you! Among the myriad of benefits it supports your adrenal and thyroid.

This study found it significantly lowered stress and anxiety in individuals.

As a side note, some studies also indicate it is helpful for weight loss and fighting cancer.

Ashwagandha potency is due to its withanolides. If you haven't noticed from previous posts, I am fascinated by clinical trials and digging deep into why botanicals heal. I love the nitty-gritty scientific evidence that backs up the claim that God has given us healing food. I am passionate about sharing all this beautiful information with you!  But withanolides...whoa! They are some complicated stuff. If you'd like to learn more about them, I'll direct you to the best article I found.

[Again, I don't know who comes up with these fun words to say, but they are good!]

What Ingredients Do I Need?

1-quart water
1 lemon
1 clementine
¼ teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon ashwagandha

1 teaspoon collagen
2 tablespoon elderberry syrup
1 teaspoon stevia or 1 donk of pure stevia

This healing elixir also contains ginger, which fires up our metabolism. Collagen supports regulating our blood sugar with its protein. And Stevia which a low glycemic index provides the balancing sweetness without raising blood sugar.

Hmmmmm! What a delicious healing balance of nutrients! 

How to Make the Healing Elixir

You will also need cheesecloth for this recipe. You will need to strain all the extra parts through the cheesecloth, which sounds like a pain in the butt, but truthfully once you get used to the process it is just part of the routine!

All the ingredients can be combined into one glass jar and then mixed with an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can do this in a blender. Strain the mixture with the cheesecloth and discard what is left in the cheesecloth. Enjoy the elixir!

I love hearing your feedback! Drop me a comment below. I always appreciate the shares and support. You can also catch me over on Instagram where I love to hang out!