FIGHTING THE INFLAMMATION WITH HOT CHOCOLATE

In my quest to become knowledgeable in all things holistic, I found myself the patient recently instead of the coach when I was dealing with some personal female issues that didn't seem quite normal. In an effort to keep my stress levels down while the doctors did their job of investigating what was going on, I decided to investigate what I could to do to aid in the healing process. One healing agent that kept popping up was Turmeric Root.

Now I am not a big fan of the flavor of Turmeric, in fact it needs to be hidden in every way possible. But I am a big fan of the health benefits that Turmeric Root has to offer. Turmeric root is one of the most anti-inflammatory foods on earth. It reduces inflammation, aids digestion, improves liver function and even works as a natural pain reliever without any side effects when taken every day. We have all heard of Golden Lattes, right? In fact, remind me to post my recipe for Golden Milk next time. Its actually really good. But back to my point, usually when your body is under some type of stress or illness, there is usually inflammation to blame. So why not get ahead of it and get some Turmeric in your system.

Turmeric is not one of those hot new-old fads like bone broth. It’s a food that’s been used for centuries by ancient cultures to promote better health and lately it’s been enjoying the spotlight for it’s powerful anti-inflammatory properties and it’s ability to boost the immune system and promote relaxation.

All this goodness is made possible by a knobby, brightly-colored root that’s rich in the active compound, curcumin. Your average turmeric powder contains up to 3% of curcumin by weight, in case you were wondering. Now before I share the recipe I found, there is something very important you need to know about turmeric:

In order to get the full benefits of turmeric you need:

Good quality, organic turmeric

Heat

A pinch of black pepper to enhance the absorption of the turmeric (don’t worry, you won’t taste it with the cinnamon and cocoa in there!)

A little fat. The active compound in turmeric is fat-soluble, meaning it needs fat to be absorbed by the body. Fat also gives this drink a luxurious mouthfeel and helps stabilize blood sugars so don’t fear the fat here.

So back to the reason you are reading this blog, you want the recipe I found, right? Okay, so I was googling and came across a hot chocolate recipe called the Collagen Hot Chocolate Recipe (Anti-Inflammatory) that I was totally digging but wanted to tweak just a little bit. So I did and here it is:

• 10 ounces hot filtered water (1¼ cups)

• 2 ounces full-fat coconut milk (1/4 cup)

• 2 teaspoons raw cacao

• 1 tablespoon collagen powder

• 2 teaspoons coconut crystals

• 1 teaspoon raw honey

• dash of cinnamon

• dash of ground turmeric

• pinch of black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all ingredients in a large glass container until emulsified, using a whisk, handheld milk frother (my preference), or in a blender* until well emulsified. [See safety note below if using a blender; hot liquid expands when blended so always use common sense.]

And if you are wondering, no I haven't heard back from the doctors yet as to what is going on and yes I will be fine because I am in charge of my health and have a wonderful support system. And that is why I am doing what I am doing and sharing what I learn as I go along. So please make sure you follow my journey on my Instagram and my Facebook and of course if you ever have questions, please feel free to shoot me an email!