The Magic of Plant Medicine

*Written by Olivia Hight

Does anyone remember the movie Simply Irresistible with Sarah Michelle Gellar?

It was a favorite of mine back in 1999. The premise is that Gellar’s character is a chef and her customers experience every emotion she has while making the food.

She cries while she makes the appetizer—the customers cry while they eat the appetizer. She laughs while preparing the dessert—the customers are overcome with laughter during dessert.

The movie involves a magical crab, of course, but the thing I like most is that it portrays the notion of emotions being infused into cooking. A home-cooked meal from your grandmother nourishes you in a way that fast food doesn’t, and we know this!

I’m sure that Simply Irresistible may have shaped me in certain ways. I’ve worked a lot in the food industry, plus my inclinations toward a holistic lifestyle have led me to work with turmeric.

Maybe you haven’t heard of that silly old movie, but I’m sure you have heard of turmeric by now. Turmeric has been having a moment. And I think it’s great!

What I don’t think is great, however, is how we Americans still manage to distill the art of plant medicine into a convenient pill. We all read an article that told us turmeric can help lower inflammation and relieve arthritic pain, so we all went out and bought ourselves a turmeric supplement.

It’s true—turmeric is a powerful healer. But it’s when you connect with it as food, or in an elixir you lovingly prepare for yourself, that healing magic happens.

In January 2017, I formulated a popular product made with turmeric that I sell under Plant Magic Medicine Shop. I can’t claim that my turmeric product will cure you of all your ailments, but I will claim that it offers a deeper level of healing that you won’t find in box-store supplements (and with no mystery ingredients).

I make it in my kitchen with love. I “program” it to be that way. The simmering contents of the pot record the vibration of my intentions. When I first started my business, I was only offering hot, ready-made Golden Milk lattes at the Saturday Market on Broadway.

Golden Milk is a traditional Ayurvedic healing elixir made with turmeric and raw milk, but I “Americanized” my version by using almond milk. Healthy AND low-calorie!

Thankfully, it was well received. It became clear to me in those first few months that there is a growing group of people in our community that are oriented toward wellness and natural remedies. I like to call them “my people.”

“My people” told me they saw recipes for Golden Milk online and wanted to make it, but didn’t feel like prepping all the various ingredients. So I had an idea.

I already made a paste that streamlined the preparation of my Golden Milk on Saturday mornings. The paste is a golden mixture of ultra-filtered water, organic turmeric powder, black pepper, Himalayan pink salt, cinnamon and homemade, grass-fed ghee.

I researched turmeric for MONTHS and learned that black pepper and a healthy fat, like ghee, are crucial for your body’s absorption of the turmeric. So for my customers that wanted to make Golden Milk at home, all I had to do was scale up and package the Golden Paste with simple instructions.

A teaspoon of paste dissolves easily into almond milk or coconut milk, coffee and smoothies. A warm cup of honey-sweetened Golden Milk before bed is my favorite way to use the Golden Paste, but it turns out I have lots of happy customers that love a scoop of the paste in their morning coffee!

You can go buy turmeric supplements from Target and GNC. Or you can support local business and snag a jar of love-infused Golden Paste!

*Visit Olivia Hight’s Plant Medicine Magic Shop at the Uptown Market on Saturdays 9AM-12PM (in front of Smoke BBQ) and/or at Old Town Market 5-8 p.m. this Thursday, July 19.