Golden Milk: You need this in your life!

Have you been hearing more and more about this mysterious 'Golden Milk"? If you have not tried it, it is time you do. This dairy free beverage is high in anti-oxidants and is an excellent anti-inflammatory remedy for your body. It's the curcumin in tumeric that makes this beverage so powerful, and give the beverage its' golden color. There are numerous recipes and ways to make this delicious concoction. I encourage you to modify a recipe to best suit your tastebuds. You can make this using fresh spices, or ground spices. You can even find pre-mixed Golden Milk products ready to go. I have modified my own recipe a bit. It comes from "The Nutrition Twins", Lyssie Lakatos, RD and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD. Give it a try. I encourage you to incorporate this into your healthy living plan! Let me know what you think.

5-Minute Turmeric Golden Milk:

Mix and match and mingle any of the ingredient options! Note: If you use fresh ingredients, be sure to use the 5-Minute version, not the abbreviated heating version.

Note: You can use Coconut Milk (use one with 40 calories/cup or less) if you love the coconut flavor.

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (we used one with 30 calories per cup)

1/2 -1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh grated turmeric (or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric)

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)

1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns (or a pinch of ground black pepper)

1 whole cinnamon stick (or a pinch of ground cinnamon)

a dash of salt (optional)

3/4 teaspoon honey or stevia to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine the almond milk, coconut oil, turmeric, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, and salt, if using in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and whisk gently for 2-3 minutes to allow all the spices to release their flavor. (If using powder spices, less time is required, but 2-3 minutes works great, too!)

2. Strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer into a jar with a lid, if using fresh ingredients. Stir in the honey and shake vigorously to incorporate honey and create foam on the top.

*If you want it to be less like a foamy latte, just stir in the honey and serve. You can also stir in the honey and pour this over ice for an iced golden milk latte!

Nutrition info per serving: 45 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 228 mg sodium, 5 grams carbs, 1.5 grams fiber, 2.5 grams sugar, 1 grams protein