Golden Milk recipe

This beverage can look a little odd, because the turmeric turns it, well, golden, and the almond oil floats in globules on the top, but your brain, your spine and your joints will appreciate this luxurious drink. I found it in a kundalini yoga book a number of years ago, and I always rediscover it again in the winter, when the body becomes particularly fond of warm, nourishing things. Here on the north coast of California, you can find opportunities to drink golden milk year-round, as even the summer can be chilly and damp.

According to the book I found this recipe in, turmeric is "...a lubricant for the joints...also excellent for the skin and for the mucous membranes, especially the female reproductive organs...this very tasty drink is wonderful for the spine, lubricates the joints, and helps to break up calcium deposits."

• 1/4-1/3 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 cup water (I use more)
• 8 oz milk, dairy or non-dairy
• 1 tablespoon raw almond oil
• honey to taste (agave nectar also works well, but please do not eviscerate the nutritive qualities of this drink  by using other sweeteners or even stevia, at least not until you've tried it this way first.)

Boil turmeric in water for about 8 minutes. If too much water boils away, add a little more. Add milk and almond oil. When mixture boils, remove from heat and add honey. Usually makes 1 to 1 1/2 cups of Golden Milk.

One of my favorite foodie books, the "Whole Foods Companion: a guide for adventurous cooks, curious shoppers, and lovers of natural foods", by Dianne Onstad, had some additional information on the health benefits of turmeric.

Antifungal, cholagogue, choleretic, stimulant. Turmeric is noted as a blood purifier, has a soothing action on respiratory ailments, improves liver function, benefits the circulation, helps regulate the menstrual cycle, and works as a restorative after loss of blood at childbirth. It also helps the body digest proteins, and when combined with coriander and cumin it aids in the digestion of complex carbohydrates. Turmeric may be used to regulate blood sugar for diabetics. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties and helps heal wounds both internally and externally. For an abrasion, bruise, or traumatic swelling, apply a paste of half a teaspoon of turmeric, a pinch of salt, and water or ghee to the affected area. Turmeric is considered to have  beneficial effects on the skin, and it is said that Indian women owe their velvety complexions to the daily intake of turmeric in their foods. Turmeric contains highly variable amounts (0.3 to 5.4 percent) of a yellow pigment called curcumin, the most active component in turmeric; curcumin has been found effective as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent and as a cardiovascular and gastrointestinal aid; it also appears to inhibit the development of colon cancer (p. 493)