Gold Milk

How to Make Gold Milk

• SERVINGS: 1
• PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
• COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES
• SKILL LEVEL:

  EASY
• MEAL: DRINK
• STYLE: AYURVEDIC
• PREPARATION: BOILED

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Gold milk is the fabled "milk and honey" of the promised land and provides tremendous nourishment. Its fragrant spices will awaken your appetite for its nurturing satisfaction. In South Asia, people believe milk is sacred because it (along with fruits) are one of the few foods freely given without violence to the plant or animal. A mother freely gives milk to a calf with love. Gold milk is thus a loving way to relax and enjoy the holiday season.

Healthy Holiday Cheer

There are many special dishes and foods that evoke the holidays: holiday cookies and fruitcakes, hams and rich side dishes, even eggnog. But how many of these foods and drinks ultimately help you to feel good? December is full of joy and family. It is also full of rich feasts, gatherings, and meals-on-the-run due to last minute shopping. These activities can exhaust your system, creating fatigue and making you vulnerable to viruses. Sometimes you need something that is delicious in a traditional, holiday way, but also is supportive to your health. This sweet, warm milk recipe, reminiscent of eggnog, is spiced to infuse you with that essential holiday cheer and strengthen your body.

A Recipe for Those Who Need Milk Most

Gold milk strengthens and rehabilitates those with weak constitutions. Cow's milk is the star of this drink and it is a supreme rasayana, or rejuvenative, aiding you through the chilly, demanding weeks of the holiday season. Just as milk nurtures a baby, it can satisfy your every nutritional need. However, there are many misconceptions about milk and the best ways to consume it. Cow's milk is difficult to digest and many find it downright indigestible. Thin, emaciated, weakened individuals (Vata types) need milk's nourishment most, but often these are the very individuals who cannot digest milk. Gold milk makes the nourishment of milk accessible to all. The key to this improvement on milk is in the spices. Vata individuals often suffer from poor digestion due to dryness, cold, weakness and digestion. The turmeric, cinnamon and cardamom in this drink add heat and stimulate extra blood flow to the digestive tract, counteracting coldness and making the milk easy to digest.

Enjoyable for Those who Love Milk Most

Vata types aren't the only ones who have trouble with milk. Milk can create instant congestion for those with a Kapha-type body (i.e. those who tend to have low metabolism and gain weight). Kapha people who drink too much milk soon end up with excessive mucus in their digestive tract and sinuses. Since it is nutrient-dense, milk has a tendency to cool, congeal, and clog the blood. As circulation becomes more stagnant, thick mucus and fluids tend to collect in the lungs and sinuses. This kind of mucous lodges deep in the lungs and can be very difficult for Kapha individuals to expectorate. The spices in gold milk, on the other hand, actually destroy mucous in both in the respiratory and digestive tract, making this nutritive tonic supportive even for Kapha types.

The Golden Spice

Colds and flus are as much a part of the holidays as caroling and jingle bells. The herb that gives this recipe its namesake, the golden turmeric, heats, thins and invigorates the blood. Thin blood circulates freely, mobilizes the immune system and making Kapha body more warm-blooded in colder winter months. Additionally, turmeric is a natural antibiotic and antimicrobial that is appropriate for even weak individuals. The heat in cinnamon, beloved in many fall and winter desserts, also helps you rebound from a cold or flu.

A Good Night's Sleep

Suffering from insomnia? Spiced milk is an age old formula for relaxation in Ayurveda. From a western standpoint, the calcium and magnesium levels in milk indicate its ability to relax a racing mind and tight muscles. From an Ayurvedic perspective, Gold Milk contains all the qualities that bring on sound sleep- it is heavy, warm, and nourishing. Milk is what lulls babies to sleep; it innately offers a sense of peace.Milk is deeply nourishing to all tissues and aids in calming raw nerves. Warmed and properly spiced, milk enhances the effect of herbs in many medicinal preparations, not just gold milk. Gold milk will smooth the bumps of a turbulent and joyous month, supporting good digestion and just plain tasting delicious. This recipe is bound to be a favorite for all, creating whole new culinary holiday memories. A holiday drink that tastes great, keeps illness away, and makes you feel good? It's a gift for the whole family. Spice it right, and reconsider milk!

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.