In this solo tutorial, Jodie Louise demonstrates how to make a warm, spiced elixir designed for the menstrual phase of the cycle. She explains that the phase depletes vitamins and minerals, so the drink focuses on blood‑building and anti‑cramp ingredients. The recipe combines goji berries (high in iron, vitamin C, and essential amino acids), cinnamon sticks, star anise, fennel, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, dates, and optional fat (milk or coconut oil) to boost turmeric absorption. Jodie walks through preparation: rinsing and peeling spices, checking dates for mold, adding everything to a pot of water, simmering/infusing (preferably long for potency), and straining with a pot that has an internal filter. She notes safety tips (turmeric stains, date quality) and suggests optional additions (fat, extra water). The finished brew is potent, can be reused, and is presented as a comforting chai‑like drink. Jodie also shares a holistic ritual – drinking the elixir while sitting outdoors, grounding, and journaling during the menstrual phase, linking the practice to new‑moon energy and setting intentions for the month ahead. The video ends with encouragement to nourish oneself, love oneself, and enjoy the elixir.
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Hi, my name's Jodie Louise, and today we're going to be making a delicious menstrual cycle elixir designed to build the blood and to release cramps. During this phase, what's really, really important is to have blood-building foods because you're losing a lot of vitamins and minerals, and also things that are going to help release cramps, and this is gonna do both of those. So in this recipe, I've got some passionfruit, Powerful superfoods, but the most powerful superfood is goji berries. So goji berries in Chinese medicine are widely used for many, many different things, mainly because they've got 21 essential amino acids. They're 15 times more higher in iron than spinach and something like 300 or 200 or something times more— actually, I think it's 500 times more vitamin C than oranges. So they're a powerhouse. So we're going to be putting goji berries in there. So basically what we need to do is we need a pot of water, which I've got here, and we're just going to put all of the ingredients inside. It's super, super easy. Chuck in the goji berries. I've also prepared some cinnamon sticks. So you can use fresh cinnamon or cinnamon sticks. And cinnamon sticks you can actually boil multiple I love lots of cinnamon, so I'm gonna chuck a few in there. It now looks like 3, but it's actually just 2. And I've also got some star anise and a tiny bit of fennel. So all of these ingredients combined are basically going to support with inflammation in the body, which is critical for reducing cramps, and also helping with digestion and immunity and blood building and all the good things that this at this phase and they make it taste amazing. So it's kind of got a bit of a chai flavour infusion and it's warming and it makes you feel good and cosy. I've also prepared some turmeric and ginger. So beforehand they look like this and what I do is I brush them down, I scrub them to get off any dirt and then I get a spoon. When it's wet, I get the spoon and I just peel Peel it like this, and then you don't waste so much. And any black bits, you just cut away. So the ginger and the turmeric— be careful of the turmeric because it stains your fingers, so I'm gonna chuck it in before that happens. And these really support with inflammation and the cramps. Also, the cinnamon, I forgot to mention, is really, really good for reducing heavy flows. If you get really heavy periods, cinnamon's great. And it also balances balances blood sugars and stops cravings, which can happen at this time. So, and the final ingredient I have here— oh, actually, I forgot to mention, I've also got some black pepper, 'cause the black pepper helps to absorb, kind of to activate the turmeric. The other thing that helps to activate the turmeric is a dash of fat, like some milk or some coconut oil or something like that that you can add in as well. I'm not going to today. I'm not really feeling I don't like it, but that's something you can add. And I've also got some dates. So with dates, it's really, really important to check inside of them, because some dates you can have worms and mold and all sorts. So a lot of people I see, they just put a date straight in their mouth. It makes me cringe, because you don't know what you could be eating. So always check your dates. And dates are extremely mineral dense. They've also got some magnesium inside, which can help with cramps as well. And I just break them up a little bit. So that's all of our bits and pieces. And then what we're going to do is we're going to put it on the stove and we're going to leave it to infuse. I like to leave it for as long as possible because it brings out lots of the different flavours. But it's up to you, and you can boil it a few times. So let's get that over there and boiling. So while that's boiling, what I've got ready to go is I've got one of these great pots which basically has a strainer inside. So I find this really convenient. That way I don't get any bits in my drink and I can allow it to infuse longer once it's boiling. So if you can get your hands on one of these, it's really great. And I've got a cup ready. But one thing I'd love to share about this recipe is also that it's got many things in it to support the skin. So if you're somebody that's having breakouts at this time, this is going to be really supportive as well. And one of my favourite things to do with my kapha, which I make every morning, especially around this phase, is to sit outside and in the nature, ground, and to journal. During the menstrual phase, it's a really good time to sow seeds for the month ahead. It's connected to new moon energy. Whether you get it at the new moon or not, it doesn't matter, but it's connected to that energy. So it's a really good time to evaluate, what do I wanna do for the next month? And yeah, I love to do that with a delicious cup of tea. So while that's cooking, while it's brewing, we'll be back quite soon. So it's all ready now, and it smells so good. So delicious. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to pour it into here. It's really hot, so I'm going to pour it in slowly. And what's great is you can reuse this a couple of times as well. So I'll put that aside and I'll make another brew later. And because I left it going for a while, a lot of the water's actually evaporated, so this is quite potent and strong. So if you wanted, you could add a little bit more water, but it smells so good. And you can see here, I'm just going to take that through. It's drained a lot of the bits that we don't need. You can see the colour of that, it's super potent. So I'm gonna pour that in here. And there you have it, a delicious menstrual elixir for your menstrual phase of your cycle, which is great for building the blood and releasing cramps. So I hope you enjoy, take the time to nourish yourself during this phase and take care of you. And yeah, love yourself up. Much love.
