It’s been in the news lately, Americans do not get enough sleep. Maybe 26% of us get the recommended 8 hours of sleep a night. Some of us will say “I don’t need 8 hours of sleep, I’m fine on 7 or 6.5. hours”, but what is ‘being fine’ in this society? Does it mean we don’t collapse in a heap? Does it mean we fall asleep on the job and get fired? This is really the point of the issue, are you focused on being OK or are you focused on being healthy, happy, and free?
Getting a night full of quality sleep makes a world of difference to our health and general well being. It allows us to not just function, but thrive throughout our waking hours.
There are lots of ways we can support quality sleep, and I’ll start adding them in under the category of Wellness Tips. Today, the tip is to try some Golden Milk an hour or so before bed. At its most basic, golden milk is milk (cow’s milk or a plant based milk alternative) warmed with turmeric and a sweetener. Of course, we can expand on the basic recipe to make an ever more yummy drink.
How does it work? Turmeric is very well known for its anti-inflammatory properties which in terms of sleep, simply relieves tension in our nerves and tissues. Warm milk is pretty classic as a relaxer before bed, and a sweetener like honey just makes it all taste better.
Golden Milk (non-vegan)
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 tsp of powdered turmeric (or grate some fresh turmeric into your milk)
- 1/4 tsp of powdered ginger (or grate a small amount of fresh ginger, but not too much otherwise it becomes stimulating instead of calming)
- 1/2 cinnamon stick or 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
- Just a pinch of black pepper (yep, black pepper. It’s like a catalyst for the turmeric)
Just combine the above ingredients in a small pot and warm it to a gentle simmer, but be careful not to go for a full boil. Keep cooking for 5-10 minutes then take the pot off the heat. Once it’s off the heat add
- 1/2 – 1 Tbsp of sweetener like honey, jaggery, maple syrup…
- 1 tsp of ghee (optional, but it adds a lot of richness to the drink)
Let it cool to your preferred warmth, sip, and enjoy!
Vegan Golden Milk
If you prefer not to use cow’s milk, here’s an equally wonderful vegan recipe:
- 1 cup of your preferred plant based milk ~ I suggest coconut milk, but cashew milk, soy milk, almond milk will all do well)
- 1 tsp of powdered turmeric (or grate some fresh turmeric into your milk)
- 1/4 tsp of powdered ginger (or grate a small amount of fresh ginger, but not too much otherwise it becomes stimulating instead of calming)
- 1/2 cinnamon stick or 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp of coconut oil
- Just a pinch of black pepper (yep, black pepper. It’s like a catalyst for the turmeric)
Combine the above ingredients in a small pot and warm it to a gentle simmer, but be careful not to go for a full boil. Keep cooking for 5-10 minutes then take the pot off the heat. Once it’s off the heat add:
- 1 Tbsp of your preferred sweetener – maple syrup, jaggery…
That’s it! Enjoy your beverage and set sail to slumber.