Happy New Year everyone 💚 I hope you had a great start into the new year and are ready for our first recipe – a Golden Latte!! It is January and I know lots of us are set with good intentions and potentially the wish to eat a bit more healthy. Personally, for me, this should not just be something we are following in January, but rather an all-year-round approach. But I totally get that the new year is a great time to make changes and I want to support you in every way possible here at Life & Lem🍋ns 🤗.
So, for this month I will provide you with gut-loving recipes that are supportive of any new year’s intention you may have. We are starting this week with a Golden Latte. If you read my last post about what I learned in 2019, you know that I have given up coffee. I still drink decaf coffee but I wanted to provide you this one as a great alternative if you want to cut back on your caffeine intake. This Golden Latte is warm, nourishing, and comforting and I am sure you will fall in love with it 🥰.
Why is this Golden Latte good for?
Turmeric
This bright yellow powder has been used in India for thousands of years. It not only gives curry powder its yellow color (do not worry, turmeric does not taste like curry. Curry powder is a mixture of multiple spices), but is also widely used for its medicinal benefits. One of the active ingredients in turmeric is called “Curcumin”. Curcumin has a very strong anti-inflammatory effect, as well as antioxidant properties. If you are new to this blog – welcome 🤗. We talk a lot about both the benefits of anti-inflammation in the body and the power of antioxidants. In simple words, chronic inflammation in our bodies can lead to common Western diseases, such as stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and heart attacks. Consuming anti-inflammatory foods combats the effects of inflammation in the body.
The most common contributor to inflammation in the body are usually excessive amounts of processed foods, gluten, and lactose. Consuming a variety of plant-based foods and sticking to a whole-food, non-processed diet can largely combat this effect (all the recipes on Life & Lem🍋ns follow this principle). I, for example, used to have chronic inflammation in my upper arms for years. If someone touched me, it caused me so much pain (and I am talking light, light touch). My husband always told me that I was completely overreacting. I have since managed to make it go away through my dietary lifestyle. If my arms are starting to be sensitive nowadays, it is usually a sign that I have had a bit too much processed food for a few days (🙄), and I know to return to my whole foods diet.
Cinnamon
Another great spice that smells wonderful and can be a lovely addition to lots of awesome recipes! Cinnamon is also loaded with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory compounds. What are antioxidants? They help our cells and body to protect against free radicals that can cause oxidative damage to the cells in our body. Additionally, cinnamon can lower blood sugar levels. When consumed with a meal, the amount of blood glucose that enters the bloodstream is reduced. Basically cinnamon interferes with digestive enzymes, which slows down the process of digesting carbohydrates in the gut.
Ginger
Trusted ginger. I love this spice and the slight heat that it can provide to meals and drinks. Ginger has great medicinal properties. Next to ginger’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (I told – you recurring theme on this blog 😉) it is most commonly used for treating nausea. Ginger may be most effective in treating morning sickness in pregnant women. Additionally, Ginger may soothe muscle pain coming from exercise over time. This means that Ginger has a soothing effect on the muscles when taking regularly, but does not offer a one-time relief if you are particularly sore.
How can I adjust this Golden Latte to my dietary requirements?
This recipe only contains a few, simple ingredients. Therefore, it is both vegan (if you are not using honey) and paleo. There are no dietary changes required 🥰.
And this is it for this week 🤗. I hope you try this super easy, delicious recipe. If you love this one – check out my Homemade Hot Chocolate recipe which is equally caffeine-free yet super delicious!! Let me know what you think in the comments below or over on Instagram under life_and_lemons_foodblog and with #lifeandlemonsfoodblog. I love to hear from you!!
Golden Latte
Course: Drinks, BreakfastCuisine: EuropeanDifficulty: Easy1
servings1
minute5
minutesThis Golden Latte is turmeric, cinnamon goodness. The drink will nourish and delight you all at the same time. Your perfect start to a day without coffee!
Ingredients
1 cup 1 (250 ml) non-dairy milk
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp ginger powder
1 tsp 1 maple syrup (or honey for a non-vegan version)
How to
- Simply add all of the ingredients to a sauce pan, or if you have an attachment from a coffee machine that can heat milk to that one (I have a nespresso machine where I warm this up)
- Let heat through, transfer to a cup and ENJOY!!
