As I get older and start staring at a new decade in my life, I’ve come to a very interesting crossroads: understanding the balance between truly taking care of myself, and the importance of ‘treat yo’self’, in the wise words of Tom Haverford.
One of those ways of taking better care of myself is by using more natural remedies and proven holistic ingredients whenever and wherever I can. Recently I was battling a number of nights with inconsistent sleep and insomnia. I don’t usually have much problem sleeping, but I think because I had just returned to work after being on medical leave for a month (blog post on that coming soon!), my body was trying to adjust to the stress and fast pace of commuting into NYC from New Jersey, longer days of work, constant running around and trying to catch up on 4+ weeks of being out of the office.
Perfect recipe for poor sleep and insomnia!
My husband and I have been strong believers in the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric and many spices in general for a while. And often times, we’ll sneak turmeric and hints of cayenne and cinnamon into our dishes whenever possible, so long as we aren’t compromising flavors (or colors). Stealing a page from my mom’s book of general wisdom, I knew some warm (dairy) milk could help as a general sleep aid. But after speaking with a dear co-worker who is originally from India, she recommended Golden Milk, or a Turmeric Latte.
This simple recipe is easily adjustable according to your taste and preference. But I can promise you that after a long day of work and as you are ready to wind down for a night of deep restful sleep, a warm glass of Golden Milk will be like that big warm blanket or hug in a mug you need to take you away to dreamland!
Golden Milk, aka Turmeric Latte
Ingredients
- 2 c whole milk (you can also use non-dairy milk)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger (or 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger)
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch of ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender, and blend for 30 seconds to ensure they are well combined.
2. Pour ingredients into a medium saucepan over low heat. Heat mixture for 3-5 minutes, just until you begin to see it steam. Do not let it boil or it will spill all over your stovetop (because boiled milk does that).
3. Serve in a mug, and finish off with a final dash of cinnamon on top if you’d like.
Sweet dreams, lovies!
♥ – G2GS