Coconut Turmeric Latte

I love a good latte. Yes, PSL season makes me happy. I get the smallest size (though I still can't get myself to say short) and I like it with whole milk and even whip cream. It's more a dessert beverage than an actual coffee anyway, so I don't even pretend. It's way past Pumpkin Spice season, but I still love a good, rich latte, and I think pumpkin is good anytime!
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Image courtesy of indiafoodnetwork.in

I've always been a healthy eater, but I've also always liked all things in good measure. Extremes are not really my thing. Lately though, I've been thinking about sugar, sugar addiction, and how much of it our family really eats. I think what got me started down this path was noticing how often my four year old was asking for "treaties" or dessert. And of course, if you have more than one child, you know that number two (and three or more) usually get exposed to something at an earlier age simply because of having an older sibling. So now our two year old also asks for these things and notices them more at a checkout line. I really don't want to start down that path and we all know it's so stinking easy to do! 

It seems every where you look these days there are sweet options and added sugar. Whether it's a drink, a snack, or something you wouldn't even expect like jarred pasta sauce or peanut butter. That's not to mention of course the candy machines at a mall or bowling alley, snack machine choices, and the checkout line racks full of candy and other processed foods. I have to say though, I was rather impressed by the checkout line at the Tesco Express when we were visiting family this summer. If you're not familiar with them, it's a UK company. We were in London and popped in there to pick up things now and then. They actually made a point to have "healthy" options available and a sign quick to point out that commitment. I say "healthy" because, while the options weren't candy, a lot of granola bars, health bars and even nuts can have a ton of added sugar. 
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image courtesy of tescoplc.com

As I was thinking about my girls growing tendencies toward the sweet side of life, I can't help but point the finger at myself and my husband. Our girls are still little and ultimately are make the food choices AND model how to make the good choices. So, the buck, and the sugar, has to stop with us.

Good bye Pumpkin Spice Latte, sniff, sniff. 

Hello Coconut Turmeric Latte!
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image courtesy of www.painandinjurydoctor.com

What's the deal with turmeric? If you have any auto-immune issues, inflammation, or pain issues, you want to know about turmeric. Turmeric is the main spice in curry, and we most often associate it with Indian cooking. It has a very earthy aroma and is a brilliant yellow-orange color, which can stain by the way! Turmeric is also arguably the most powerful herb on the planet at fighting and potentially reversing disease. To date there have been 6,235 peer-reviewed articles published proving the benefits of turmeric and one of its renowned healing compounds curcumin.

​One of the most the most powerful aspect of curcumin is its ability to control inflammation, which is often the cause of the disease in the body itself, if not the most obvious outward signs. 

So, in our house now, it's going be CTL season. The best part is, it's almost kinda PSL-ish in the spices so I don't feel like I'm missing out on pumpkin season! This is such a yummy, adaptable recipe that you can do it caffeinated or not, and you're still gonna love it. Ready? Here goes:

Ingredients
1 cup full fat coconut milk ( aim for a BPA-free can)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 drop each cinnamon, clove and ginger essential oils
1 tsp Stevia or honey if you need it
pinch of cayenne pepper, if you dare! 

Method

• Heat coconut milk and turmeric
• Add essential oils, sweetener and cayenne
• Use an immersion blend, hand whisk or regular blender to incorporate and create your latte foam

Image courtesy of nutritionstripped.com

You can substitute all kinds of things to get a flavor you like: nut milk for the coconut milk, add a shot of espresso or regular coffee for a truer latte, try Peppermint, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cassia, Lemongrass, Spearmint, Wild Orange, Lemon essential oils. So many options! You can even pumpkin it up by adding a tablespoon of pumpkin puree and keep the PSL spirit all year round. 

Which is your favorite? Share a picture and let us know!