Elevated Golden Latte
This post was also published in, Diaryo Filipino.
“Adding turmeric into your regular diet can potentially reverse specific symptoms and diseases “
Turmeric. A perennial plant of the ginger root family and is native to southern Asian countries, is one of my favorite spices. There are many recipes that you can find over the web on how to use turmeric. One way we Filipinos use turmeric is in our afritada balensyana, but did you know that you can make a latte out of it? I highly recommend it. Not just because it tastes quite delicious, but because of it's many anti-inflammatory properties.
The research behind turmeric is quite extensive. According to Dr. Josh Axe from Food Is Medecine, www.draxe.com, adding turmeric into your regular diet can potentially reverse specific symptoms and diseases (potentially is the key word). In retrospect, you should use turmeric as a preventative rather than thinking of it as a miracle powder. Here is just some of the amazing things it does for your body, if used in food and in drinks on a regular basis:
- anti-inflammatory (arthritis, high cholesterol, chronic pain, cancer and ulcers are all a result of inflammation)
- antidepressant
- cholesterol regulator
Recipe type: drink, beverage Cook time: 5-10 mins Total time: 5-10 mins Serves: 1
INGREDIENTS
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ cup full fat canned coconut milk (or you can use 1 tablespoon grass fed butter if you do dairy-- or grass fed ghee)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon MCT oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Pinch of sea salt (optional)
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- Pinch of black pepper, nutmeg, cardamom - all optional
PROCEDURE
Combine all ingredients, except honey, in a medium hot saucepan and gently warm ingredients while stirring with a spoon to combine. Carefully transfer hot liquid into a blender, tightly seal lid. Blend in your Vitamix until frothy, about 30 seconds. Serve hot and immediately drink.
MCT oil is the main ingredient that helps this become super creamy, frothy, and adds heaps of nutritional benefits (on top of the turmeric benefits).
A couple answers to questions I’m anticipating with this one: 1) What is MCT oil? It is a Medium-chain Triglyceride. It is comprised of primarily caprylic and capric fatty acids, and is a light-yellow, odorless, translucent liquid at room temperature. MCT oil occurs naturally in coconut oil and other foods. It has been used to add calories to infant formulas and many nutritionists, healthy gurus and athletes swear by it. MCTs are absorbed into the bloodstream, they bypass the digestion process that longer chain fats go through. MCT's provide quick energy for the body and are less likely to be stored in the fat cells. When a meal or drink includes medium chain triglycerides, there is a significant increase in the number of calories burned (thermogenic effect). When more calories are used, fewer are stored as fat, which helps to reduce body fat levels. 2) Do I need MCT oil? Yes I highly recommend using MCT oil to get the best nutrition and culinary benefits out of this recipe, 3) Does it taste good? MCT is tasteless and odourless. When added with the elevated golden latte, yes, it tastes amazing!
