Golden Milk and More: Stay Warm and Healthy This Fall

Fall is almost here, and in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, it’ll be getting chilly soon. Nothing welcomes autumn (and Halloween!) better than a hot cup of herbal goodness. 

Whether it’s a steaming cup of passionflower tea or hot chocolate, we’ve got some great ingredients to make the most delicious winter drinks.

Golden Milk

Golden milk, or “haldi doodh” in Hindi, is a traditional Indian beverage full of health benefits. This comforting hot drink contains milk, honey, turmeric and other warming spices. It’s consumed to ease cough, aches, inflammation and restlessness.

Ingredients:

• Milk (or oat or almond): 1 cup
• Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
• Honey: 2 tsp or to taste (or sugar, agave syrup, maps syrup, etc.)
• Cinnamon: ½ tsp
• Nutmeg: ½ tsp
• Black Pepper: Dash

Directions:

1. Heat milk on the stovetop. (Don’t boil).
2. Stir in turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper. 
3. Pour into mugs. Stir in honey or sweetener of choice. 
4. Enjoy!

Health Benefits of Golden Milk Ingredients

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has a warm, bitter, black pepper-like flavor and an earthy, mustard-like aroma. 

This Ayurvedic spice has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin — the active ingredient in turmeric — is an efficient scavenger of free radicals. Research shows that curcumin can improve inflammation, pain, metabolic syndrome, and help in the management of inflammatory and degenerative eye conditions.

Ceylon cinnamon, or “true” cinnamon, is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka. 

It’s considered to be a superfood loaded with powerful antioxidants. Traditionally, cinnamon has been used to help with bronchitis and upset stomach. 

Although the inner bark of several other Cinnamomum species is also used to make cinnamon, cinnamon from C. verum is considered by culinarians to be of superior quality.

Ceylon cinnamon offers these benefits:

• Supports healthy blood sugar levels
• Anti-inflammatory
• Boosts healthy cholesterol
• Protects memory and brain

Hot chocolate

Who doesn’t love a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day? Not only is it sweet and rich, but it’s also good for you if you use the right ingredients. We sell organic cacao full of antioxidants.

Ingredients:

• Organic cacao: 1 tbsp or to taste
• Honey (or other sweetener): 1 tsp or to taste
• Milk (whole, oat or almond): 1 cup
• Cayenne pepper (if you want to make Mayan hot chocolate)

Directions:

1. Heat milk on the stovetop. (Don’t boil.)
2. Add cacao and stir until all lumps are dissolved.
3. Pour into mugs. Stir in honey or sweetener of choice. 
4. Enjoy!

Raw organic cacao has more than 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries and more calcium than cow’s milk. It’s also the highest plant-based provider of iron. 

Iron deficiency is one of the most severe nutritional problems around the world. Dark chocolate provides 25% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) at 1.90 milligrams.

Cacao is also rich in several other minerals, including magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, and copper.

Cacao is one of the richest sources of polyphenols. These are naturally occurring antioxidants also found in foods like vegetables, fruits and tea. Polyphenols help reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol and lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. 

Cocoa powder contains up to 50 mg of polyphenols per gram. Single servings of cocoa and cocoa products contain more phenolic antioxidants than most foods, and more procyanidins (a class of flavonoids) than the typical American consumes each day.

The antioxidant effects of cacao may directly influence insulin resistance and, in turn, reduce the risk for diabetes.

The heating and heavy processing of cacao causes it to lose some of its benefits, so it’s best to get it in raw organic form.

Passionflower Tea

If you’re looking for a lighter, more refreshing drink, a hot cup of passionflower tea is the perfect choice. This tea has an earthy, grassy taste, so if it’s too bitter, it might be helpful to add some honey or other sweetener.

Many people consume passionflower to help ease insomnia, anxiety or restlessness. Native Americans used the herb as a medicine to treat a variety of health conditions, including wounds, boils, ear aches, and liver problems. Passion flower has been shown to help reduce spasms and relax the central nervous system. 

Directions: Place loose-leaf tea in a teapot with a built-in infuser. Bring water to a rolling boil. Pour water over tea and steep for 5 minutes.

Damiana tea

Damiana tea is another lighter choice full of healthy benefits. Damiana is commonly consumed to enhance sexual health and decrease anxiety. 

Damiana tea has a flowery, slightly bitter taste. Some say it tastes and smells similar to cannabis.

The herb has been used to treat headaches, depression, nervous stomach, and constipation and to boost mental and physical stamina. Damiana has also traditionally been used as a treatment for bladder and urinary problems.

Directions: Place loose-leaf tea in a teapot with a built-in infuser. Bring water to a rolling boil. Pour water over tea and steep for 5 minutes.

Blue lotus tea

Blue lotus is another tea with aphrodisiac qualities. This water lily has strong ties to Ancient Egyptian civilization and has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years as a natural aphrodisiac, sleep aid, and anxiety reliever. 

This plant is also known as blue Egyptian lotus, blue water lily or sacred blue lily — not to be confused with Nelumbo nucifera, which also goes by the name blue lotus.

Blue lotus flower contains antioxidants like flavonoids (help regulate cellular activity and fight off free radicals), quercetin (tied to improved exercise performance and reduced inflammation), kaempferol (may reduce risk of chronic disease), and myricetin. A diet high in antioxidants is tied to a reduced risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and some types of cancer.

According to Healthline, “Consuming blue lotus flower may make you feel “high” and result in a gentle euphoria. Some people have drawn comparisons to the high you experience after consuming cannabis, though this can be largely individual.”

Directions: Place loose-leaf tea in a teapot with a built-in infuser. Bring water to a rolling boil. Pour water over tea and steep for 5 minutes.