Anisa's Gut-Healing Golden Milk

Recipes
Written By Anisa Woodall, MS CN

First of all, welcome! This is my first post! I hope you will subscribe to my email list and learn more about ways to improve your health through food!

Today I will tell you all about how to reduce inflammation and rebuild your gut through Golden Milk. Golden Milk is best known for it's anti-inflammatory properties. Through the study of one of turmeric's natural polyphenolic compounds, Curcumin, turmeric has been shown to be highly anti-inflammatory and also has antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and anti-cancer activities.  Some studies even show it's just as effective as ibuprofen with less side effects! I recall my Mamani (grandmother) always adding extra turmeric to her Persian khoresh (stews) because it helped reduce inflammation in her hands from arthritis. As many traditions have found, herbs and spices used in food and beverages can be very effective medicines. Anytime you include turmeric in your foods, be sure to include some kind of fat since turmeric is fat-soluble (in this recipe, we're using butter and coconut oil). This means it can best be absorbed through fat. Combining black pepper when using turmeric will also aid in absorption because it makes turmeric more bioavailable.

Inflammation can be reduced with diet. If you're currently battling chronic inflammation, head to my contact page and schedule an appointment. 

Turmeric and Ginger both belong to the same family, Zingiberaceae, which is why they look so similar. Ginger also has antioxidant properties and has been used traditionally for treating colds and flus. In Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional study of medicine originating in India, turmeric and ginger both have heating properties. So, when you have this cup of tea, you may break a sweat! Having a warm cup of golden milk in the winter is my ideal way to start the day.

 

Including the gelatin in this tea helps to protect the cells of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Gelatin has absorptive properties, thickening a beverage and acting like mucous to help coat the gut barrier. This is important especially for those looking to heal their gut barrier. The gut wall is one of the first levels of immune defense against the outside world. A very common occurrence as a result of modern diets is a condition known as "Leaky Gut". This is where the tight junctions between intestinal cells become weak and loosen, creating larger gaps. These gaps allow undigested proteins and pathogens to enter the bloodstream. A healthy intestinal wall would only allow in individual amino acids and small peptides and would keep out harmful bacteria. Exposing the bloodstream to these foreign molecules regularly can mount an immune response that happens chronically if the gut is not healed. 

Gelatin comes from the collagen of animals, usually from their cartilage and joints. This collagen is high in amino acids proline and glycine, which have been shown to promote wound healing, promote gastric secretions and protect gastric mucosal integrity. Those who would greatly benefit from a gelatin-rich diet would be those with IBD and other digestive disorders, mental health illnesses, and arthritis. Gelatin has also been shown to benefit other body systems containing collagen such as skin, hair, and nails. 

Naturally, gelatin can be made when creating a bone broth, stewing the bones and dissolving the cartilage found on those bones. Keep an eye out for a recipe for bone broth in the near future. You can purchase high-quality gelatin from pasture-raised animals at Great Lakes Gelatin or Vital Proteins.

Enough about the science though, lets get to the fun stuff!

As you can see, using freshly ground, whole dried turmeric makes the milk much darker than bulk/powdered turmeric. It is very likely more potent medicinally as well. 

As you can see, using freshly ground, whole dried turmeric makes the milk much darker than bulk/powdered turmeric. It is very likely more potent medicinally as well. 

Anisa's Gut-Healing Golden Milk

Yield: Makes 2 cups

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon powdered turmeric

1 tablespoon powdered ginger

1 tablespoon maca powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cardamom pod or 1/8 teaspooon cardamom powder

2 tablespoons gelatin (Great Lakes Gelatin or Vital Proteins)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon grass-fed ghee or butter

1 tablespoon honey or 1 date chopped

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon sunflower phosphatidylcholine (optional: for longer emulsification)

Preparation

  1. Heat your water to boiling then turn to low. 
  2. Mix all the ingredients into the hot water.
  3. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. 
  4. Using an immersion blender, blend until the fats are emulsified with the water.
  5. If you want a frothy layer on top, blend for a little longer.
  6. Relax and enjoy!
Anisa Woodall, MS CN
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