A Wonder Drink (that you’ve never heard of!)

 

There are lots of “wonder drinks” on the market making all sorts of claims. Most are loaded with sugar & artificial ingredients. Many are full of stimulants that create an artificial spike of energy followed by an even deeper crash. I’d look with a skeptical eye at anything that comes in a bottle or can and claims to be full of vitamins, enhance your energy, or provide you with some kind of antioxidant one-two punch. There’s bound to be plenty of hype mixed in with any real benefits—and the harmful effects of sugar, preservatives, flavorings, or artificial sweeteners are likely to outweigh any potential benefit.

The good news is there are many truly wonderful healing beverages from herbal traditions all over the world. Teas are chief among these, but there are also a wide array of food-like preparations that provide nourishment along with healing power. The Ayurvedic tradition is particularly rich in the use of healing food & drink. Today, I want to teach you how to make one of the most basic and widely useful of these ancient healing beverages. It’s called “Golden Milk” for its absolutely gorgeous yellow color. This recipe was first brought to the West by the famous teacher of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan and taught to me by Michael Tierra.

Golden milk is gentle and can be taken by almost anyone as a calming beverage with anti-inflammatory properties. However, if you are taking blood-thinning medications (Coumadin/Warfarin, Plavix, etc) please consult your prescribing physician before adding turmeric to your diet in any significant amount.

Golden milk:

• Is gently warming and very good for people who tend toward coldness
• Has abundant anti-inflammatory properties that are especially soothing to the digestive tract and the joints
• Has been traditionally used for arthritis sufferers, to ease pain, to regulate the menstrual cycle, to heal the digestive tract & support the liver, and to support the immune system

This recipe includes black pepper and a little bit of oil, both of which serve to make the turmeric more bio-available. If the black pepper is too hot for you and irritates your stomach, it’s ok to omit. Just make sure that you include a little oil so that your body can make as much use of the turmeric as possible. The first step to making golden milk is to make a turmeric paste. Here’s how:

Turmeric Paste

Ingredients:

1/4 cup turmeric

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine 1/4 cup turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over low–to-medium heat. Whisk or stir to combine.

2. Continue whisking/stirring until the mixture forms a very thick paste.

 

 

3. Remove the turmeric paste from the pan and store in the refrigerator in a glass jar. It’ll keep for up to two weeks, making it really easy to incorporate some yummy golden milk into your daily routine. When you want to drink a cup of this lovely stuff, just pull your turmeric paste out of the fridge and follow these simple steps:

Golden Milk

Ingredients:

1 cup almond or coconut milk, unsweetened

1/4 tsp (or more) turmeric paste

1 tsp to 1 tbsp olive oil or cold-pressed almond oil (use more in cases of debility and weakness)

honey, blackstrap molasses, maple syrup, or stevia, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.

2. Whisk together over medium heat until warmed through and well-combined. (See photo!)

3. Pour into your favorite cup and sip to your heart’s (and tummy’s and joints’) content!

 

So, what’s your favorite “wonder drink?” Are there any beverages that you use medicinally? Tell us about it in the comments!