Golden milk

Golden Milk is one of my favorite Ayurvedic recipes, made with warm milk (cow or plant), turmeric, and other spices. It is nourishing and grounding, and has spices that are balancing for all dosas. particularly in the fall and winter.

Benefits

Golden milk has antioxidants which may reduce inflammation and joint pain, support memory and brain health, improve digestion, stabilize blood sugar, and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Turmeric also benefits mental health and mood, and can be useful for those with anxiety. Turmeric also stimulates the digestive fire (agni).

Golden milk is so comforting, which makes it a great drink before bedtime to support sound sleep.

*Note, turmeric is a wonderful superfood, but in order for it to be bioavailable (for the body to make the most of its beneficial properties), it needs to combined with black pepper and fat. This is why both of these substances are included in this recipe!

Golden Milk has anti-inflammatory properties and is soothing to the nervous system.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of cow’s milk or plain unsweetened almond, coconut, or cashew milk, preferably organic,⁠ without added preservatives

• 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric⁠

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

• 1 whole cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon)⁠

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, or 2-3 cardamom pods, crushed (optional)

• 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil⁠

• 1 pinch ground black pepper⁠

• 1 tbsp of your favorite sweetener (i.e. maple syrup or raw honey)⁠

  • If using honey, let the warmed milk cool slightly before adding. Heating raw honey transforms its properties, and heated honey is considered to be toxic from an Ayurvedic perspective.

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Warm the milk in a small saucepan on the stove on low heat. Wisk or stir in the spices and simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid thickens and becomes fragrant. Do not boil. Remove from the heat, strain out the solid spices, and let cool a bit before stirring in ghee or coconut oil and sweetener.

Drink while warm and then rest well!