Have you heard of the turmeric latte, or “golden milk” trend? I first heard of this last year when I tried a turmeric latte at one my favorite Nashville coffee shops, Frothy Monkey. While I’m definitely not turmeric’s most loyal fan, there’s something so nourishing and healing about this drink that you can’t help but like it (maybe it’s also the decent dose of honey which would make anything taste good).

Turmeric lattes, or “golden milk,” have been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine. While writing this post I struggled with whether to categorize it as “Food & Drink” or “Health & Wellness” because similar to the Immune Boosting Elixir it tastes yummy but has such strong healing properties it is truly medicinal. And y’all know I’m all about the “food as medicine” philosophy (God gives us what we need to nourish and heal, so why do we always think we can do better?? Embarrassing, really).

Also similar to the Immune Boosting Elixir, there’s no exact recipe you need to follow, so long as you include the basic ingredients of milk (dairy or non-dairy), turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and raw honey.

Turmeric Latte Health Benefits

• Turmeric
  • anti-inflammatory (great for people with arthritis or other aches and pains)
  • antioxidant
  • can help improve brain function, memory, and feelings of depression
  • can help protect against Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer, and heart disease

• Cinnamon
  • anti-inflammatory
  • antioxidant
  • can help lower blood sugar levels (great for people with diabetes)
  • can help prevent heart disease
  • can help protect against cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
  • Can help fight off infections (specifically bacterial and fungal)

• Ginger
  • antioxidant
  • promotes digestion and gut healths
  • Soothes nausea, indigestion and stomach upset
  • can help promote weight loss
  • can help lower blood sugar levels (again, great for people with diabetes)
  • can help protect against heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative disease
  • can help fight off infecions

• Raw Honey (I could go on for days about the benefits of raw honey, but here’s just a few)
  • antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral
  • promotes digestion and overall gut health
  • antioxidant
  • a healthy alternative to cane sugar for diabetics (use in moderation, of course, since honey still has a higher sugar content)
  • can help promote a healthier ratio of good (HDL) to bad (LDL) cholesterol and lower triglycerides (bad).
  • Used topically can help heal wounds and burns
  • can help with seasonal allergies when you buy local raw honey

Recipe

• Makes: 1 cup (8oz)
• Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8oz) milk of your choice (see Tips & Tricks for recommendations)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp ginger
• 1 + 1/2 tsp raw honey

Directions

1. Pour milk into a small saucepan and heat on low-medium.
2. Add cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger to milk and whisk to combine.
3. Let heat until the mixture comes to a simmer, allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes then turn off heat.
4. Stir in honey.
5. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• I prefer to use a non-dairy milk since dairy can be inflammatory. My absolute favorite combination is a mixture of half unsweetened macadamia milk and half coconut milk.
• Get creative, use whatever amount of each ingredient that suites your taste.
• Many turmeric latte/golden milk recipes include black pepper. I don’t really like the way this tastes, but feel free to try it and see what you think.