Evening Elixir for Sleep- Golden Milk
One of my favorite ways to end a night in the winter is to make a golden milk. It calms my nervous system and prepares my body for sleep. This is a great recipe to try as a little treat after dinner. It has cinnamon and ginger that are helpful for digestion, turmeric that reduces heat/inflammation in the body, and nutmeg that aids in sleep. There’s lots of different ways you can make this recipe, so get creative and have fun with it. The main two ingredients that make up a golden milk, generally are turmeric and black pepper. Then anything else you add, makes it an even healthier elixir. Report back let me know what you think…
You can make this recipe with ghee or coconut oil, but you don’t have to. If you’re feeling a little heavy in the body, then leave it out. If you’re feeling like you need a little bit more nourishment to your system or your body feels dry, then add in the oil. Also, not everyone is used to the taste of turmeric, so start with a smaller amount and then once you get used to the taste, increase up to 1 tablespoon per serving.
Make sure all your spices are organic and coming from companies that you trust. I have people locally, here in Sedona, that I go to for my herbs. If you can buy local, great! Try to support people in your community as much as you can. The nutmeg needs to be freshly grated, not pre-ground, to get the calming effects that’s helpful for sleep. A little nutmeg goes a long way, so try a small amount and then increase.
Golden Milk Evening Elixir- 1 serving:
1 Tbsp of ghee or coconut oil
½ - 1 tsp turmeric
¼ tsp of cracked black pepper
½ - 1 tsp of grated ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
¼- ½ tsp ground cardamom
Pinch of celtic or himalayan sea salt
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
1 cup milk or milk alternative (cashew, almond, or coconut milk are delish)
1 tsp honey or maple syrup (or more if you’d like)
Other spices that are nice to add: ashwagandha, shatavari, vanilla, star anise
Instructions:
In a small saucepan, melt oil on low heat. Then add in all of the spices and let them heat up till you smell them… they become fragrant. Add your milk or milk alternative, and bring up to a light summer. Take off the stove and pour into a mug of choice. Making sure you drink this elixir from a fun mug, it always helps the experience. Then add any sweetener that you’d like. Honey is great for those that need a little bit more nourishment and have a lot of anxiety/worry. Maple syrup is really nice for those that might have a little bit more heat in their body. Drink this elixir while sitting quietly and reflecting on your day. Appreciate all of the flavors of the drink and how it’s making your body feel. This is a good time to start turning down the lights in your house and preparing your body for sleep.
Let me know if you make this drink and if it helped your sleep. Hop into the next Ayurvedic Reset this January, and get lots more recipes to make you feel really good in your body each day. There’s an early bird discount till December 20.
