Turmeric Golden Milk

I love that so many "crunchy granola" sounding health foods and spices are finally going "mainstream" and that so many people are benefitting from these healing incredible properties!  
Turmeric is a perfect example of a spice that's been used for centuries, but is now gaining widespread modern fame for it's soothing, calming and anti-inflammatory effects.  

So WHY exactly is Turmeric so fabulous for healing?  The short answer: There's a chemical inside it called curcumin that's been shown to decrease swelling (inflammation).  It is arguably one of (if not) the most powerful herbs on the planet to help our bodies heal and potentially reverse disease.

But it's not just the holistic community singing its praises!

​The long answer is: It has SO many healing properties that there have been more than 6,200 peer-reviewed articles published proving the benefits of turmeric and one of its renowned healing compounds, curcumin. 

Many studies also suggest that disease (and even just "not feeling well" in general) can be traced back to inflammation (related to food, emotions/stress, environment, etc.), and have shown that components of foods may have anti-inflammatory effects!

​The thought is if you reduce the inflammation at the source through what you eat, then you'll increase your chance of feeling better and being healthier.   

Cute mugs make EVERYTHING cozier! 

Which brings me to this amazingly delicious little recipe!  We all want to be healthy but we don't necessarily want to give up the creamy, comforting, delicious (and usually sugar-laden) recipes that we love, right?  

​This is the PERFECT balance between it all!

Start by gathering all of your ingredients.  Organic is better when it's possible - no sense in creating a healing drink made of ingredients that have been sprayed down with harmful pesticides & chemicals, right? :) ​

INGREDIENTS LIST

For Turmeric Paste:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup turmeric powder OR 3/4 cup freshly ground turmeric (about 12 inches of fresh root.) 
1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp organic coconut oil

For Golden Milk:
2 cups coconut milk
​1 tbsp turmeric PASTE
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp coconut oil
1 pinch stevia or liquid vanilla stevia or 1/2 tsp raw honey or 1/2 tsp maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

Create Turmeric Paste
1. Combine 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup turmeric powder OR 3/4 cup freshly grated turmeric root, 1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, and 2 tbsp coconut oil in a small sauce pan.
2. Simmer on low heat for 7-10 minutes. Stir frequently until paste is formed.
3. Set aside to cool.  

THEN,

Combine all remaining ingredients...

Whisk frequently until you get this gorgeous, rich yellow color.

Strain to remove the peppercorns, garlic & ginger.

​
​Create Golden Milk
1.Combine 2 cups whole organic coconut milk (or other non-dairy full fat milk preference), 1 tbsp Turmeric PASTE, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp coconut oil, and your choice of sweetener (if desired) Stevia/raw honey/maple syrup.

2. Simmer on low heat 10 minutes, but do not boil. Strain. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon in a super cute mug.

​Create Healing & Calm
1. Snuggle under a warm, cozy blanket. Soft lighting. Kids asleep (this should be #1! :). And your favorite prayer/meditation/relaxation music in the background.  Unplug from your phones/iPads/laptops/TVs for the rest of the evening and know it will all be there for you when you wake up in the morning. :)  Sleep well.  xo 

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QUICK TIPS:  Using a fat soluble base like full-fat coconut milk, pecan milk, or cashew milk increases the absorption (bio-availability) of the turmeric by your body. The addition of the black peppercorns also is important to improving the absorption of the turmeric - it increases bio-availability by up to 2,000%!!

Use FRESHLY grated turmeric for a softer & "less bitter" taste.  Some studies have shown that if you use fresh turmeric, then you don't need the "fat base" to help absorption!  You can just eat it straight... but I kind of like the golden milk recipe even if I use the fresh turmeric option :) 

​For sweetness, you can also  add some liquid vanilla stevia, raw honey OR organic maple syrup. I used just a bit of raw honey, but stevia is great to reduce sugar or for a vegan option.

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Visit my PepperPlate page for the full recipe: ​Turmeric Golden Milk ​ 
PepperPlate is an awesome (and free) site where I: store all my favorite recipes, share them with other PP users, make meal plans & grocery lists, and MORE!

After you create your new account, you'll be able to access all of this site's features. No strings or gimmicks or kick-backs for me... It's just what I use, so I want to share!