hot cocoa style 'golden milk'
So I stumbled upon this recipe through a beautiful blog called local milk - and it's something that had come up a bit - friends, yogis, clients, asking if I'd tried this trending elixir called 'golden milk.' The truth was, I hadn't. I was interested, but it wasn't until I saw the idea of adding cacao that I reaaaaly felt the need to give this a shot.
The thing about any sort of turmeric-milk-elixir is you're nourishing your bod with warm, golden, goodness that has intense and wonderful anti-inflammatory properties. Especially during the winter months when the temps drop, our bodies are looking for that warm nourishment. And this drink feels indulgent but is incredibly health-promoting. It can be a great afternoon/evening snack- but it can also be a quite filling breakfast if you double up on 2 mugs (as I've been doing lately...) as it's a great combo of heathy fats (from ghee or coconut oil), protein, and antioxidants (from the cacao) and adaptogen power (from the ashwagandha powder).
Ok, at this point, you're probably wondering what the heck is ashwagandha, right? Or how to even say it?
According to the Chopra Center, this herb is one of the most powerful in all of Ayurvedic healing and is deeply restorative. It is recommended if you experience stress/fatigue/lack of energy/or difficulty concentrating. Welcome to LIFE, right? Well apparently, ashwagandha can help alleviate some of these very issues as it contains many useful medicinal chemicals like alkaloids, choline, fatty acids, amino acids, and other goodies
The use of the Ayurvedic herb, Ashwagandha can help alleviate these symptoms and support an energetic and rejuvenating sense of wellbeing. But my most favorite part about this newly discovered ancient-remedy is the fact that it's an adaptogen. Or helps us, literally - adapt to stress. Adaptogens help our bodies cope with toxins in the external environments we inhabit but also internal stresses like anxiety, tension, or even insomnia. You can take in capsule form or add a bit to oatmeal or smoothies as needed. Even a teaspoon of it is helpful but this wonderful beverage packs more of a healing punch. You can easily order a big bag online here.
The below recipe yields 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups of non-dairy milk (I used homemade almond)
- about 1/4 cup of cacao
- 1 Tbsp of turmeric
- 1 Tbsp of ashwagandha powder
- 2 Tbsp of honey (or more as desired)
- 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil or ghee
Directions:
- In a small sauce pot heat the milk until it's warm (but not boiling).
- On low heat, whisk in the cacao, turmeric, and ashwagandha.
- Once combined, whisk honey until dissolved and taste.
- Divide between 2 mugs and stir 1/2 tbsp of either coconut oil or ghee per cup.
Enjoy!!
Reference:
http://www.chopra.com/ccl/ashwagandha