So Long Coffee, Hello Turmeric Latte

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Turmeric "Coffee" Alternative

In the height of my residency training, I was up to 6 cups of coffee a day. Granted, at least once a week, I was awake for a forced-all-nighter, but I took any opportunity to refuel.

Long before I had my health awakening, I did a 3 day juice cleanse, which my reactive hypoglycemic self could barely survive, and I never touched coffee again. That was in 2007.

Since then, I've struggled with a replacement. For me, tea just doesn't offer the ritual enjoyment that coffee did.

Then I met Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, and he persuaded me that dehydration was an epidemic problem. He wrote about it here. I upped my filtered water intake to 8 glasses a day, felt great, and then winter hit, and I found myself longing for a comfort beverage.

That's when I found the traditional Ayurvedic beverage called "Golden Milk" - aka Turmeric Latte. It provides not only the comfort of a warm, delicious drink, it also delivers a healing boost!

The most well-referenced healers of all spices, turmeric is known for it's many therapeutic properties, including reducing inflammation. Turmeric shows incredible promise as a natural treatment for depression, I love this amazing food!

Turmeric Latte Recipe

It's quick and easy to make, save for an upfront 10 minute prep of turmeric paste.

  • Combine 1 cup of water with 1/2 a cup of organic turmeric powder in a saucepan and heat on low for about 7 minutes, adding more water (up to 1 additional cup) if it becomes too dry.
  • Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup of unrefined organic coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil, and 1/2-1 tsp of black pepper.
  • Store this in a glass container in the fridge.

In the morning:

  • Put one teaspoon of paste in a mug
  • Add a dash of warming spice like cinnamon, cardamom, clove (or all three!)
  • Add raw honey (to taste)
  • Pour about 1/3 cup of almond, coconut, or hemp milk (unsweetened Califia Farms is delicious)
  • Fill the rest of the mug with boiling water and stir

On those days when you need a little more resiliency, toss in some sliced garlic if you dare!

Interested in step-by-step support to help you optimize your health?

Vital Life Project is a community for like-minded wellness seekers in search of a better way to live with vitality in a world that can make it challenging to move toward this goal. This monthly membership provides guidance and accountability to help you make small changes in mindset and daily routine that can lead to radical shifts in health reclamation. Click below to learn more.

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About Dr. Kelly Brogan

KELLY BROGAN, MD, is a holistic psychiatrist, author of the New York Times Bestselling book, A Mind of Your OwnOwn Your Self, the children’s book, A Time For Rain, and co-editor of the landmark textbook Integrative Therapies for Depression. She is the founder of the online healing program Vital Mind Reset, and the membership community, Vital Life Project. She completed her psychiatric training and fellowship at NYU Medical Center after graduating from Cornell University Medical College, and has a B.S. from M.I.T. in Systems Neuroscience. She is specialized in a root-cause resolution approach to psychiatric syndromes and symptoms. Learn More