Healthy Hot Drinks You’ll Love

Some people say that liking fall is basic. Allow me to bring up the counterpoint that hating on fall lovers for loving fall is basic AF. Haters are only mad because they don’t have a tasty beverage to warm their cold, callous hearts with. 

In reality, everybody should be warming their hearts with these healthy hot drinks! Each of beverage is packed full of nutrients and polyphenols to help you feel amazing. What’s not to love? Let’s dive right in!

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Matcha Latte

Matcha has been around for a long time. In the 12th century, a Buddhist monk brought matcha back to Japan from his travels to China. He noticed it helped his meditation practice by helping calm his mind. Meet L-theanine, the nootropic responsible for the calm and focused feeling matcha gives. L-theanine counteracts the negative effects of caffeine and gives us the kind of non-speedy pick-me-up we all deserve but don’t often get. 

Top your matcha latte with cayenne for a little extra warmth.

There are also plenty of polyphenols in matcha. Polyphenols is basically a word for awesome intangible nutrients and antioxidants that our bodies need to fight off things like cancer and aging.

Here’s how to make a matcha latte:

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp matcha powder

• 16-24 oz. coconut, hemp or almond milk

• 2 packets stevia powder or 2-3 tsp monk fruit sweetener (lo han guo) or erythritol

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

• Cayenne pepper or cinnamon for topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Whisk in the matcha and the stevia or monk fruit and any optional vanilla.

3. Heat to desired temperature.

4. Top however you like.

Check out a demo here.

Golden Turmeric Milk

This is a delicious, warming beverage that is perfect for an evening nightcap..

Turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years, and has recently has a lot of attention in the west for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. One of the active ingredients in turmeric is curcumin, which has become widely accepted as an anti-inflammatory and has gotten a lot of buzz. But don’t let the buzz fool you.

While curcumin is great as a supplement, it’s interesting to note that turmeric by itself can be beneficial for different reasons. Curcumin is just one part of turmeric, but there are plenty of other less-researched compounds that have health-boosting effects.

Dietary fat plus a compound called piperine found in black pepper can help the body absorb and magnify the benefits of curcumin, which is why there’s a pinch of black pepper in this recipe.

With its golden yellow color and a rich, warm flavor, turmeric is a great addition to the spice rack of any healthy eater.

Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Combining it with spices like ginger and cinnamon makes a delicious warm drink, and scattering flowers around it makes it feel like you’re in a hippie cult commune! ;-P

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups almond milk or your favorite dairy alternative

• 1 tbsp coconut oil, coconut butter or coconut cream

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp powdered ginger or 1 tsp fresh grated ginger

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1 pinch black pepper

• 2 packets stevia powder, 15 drops liquid stevia or 3-4 tsp monk fruit sweetener

Instructions:

1. Heat coconut oil in a small saucepan on medium until it melts.

2. Whisk in spices and get them blended with the oil.

3. Add milk of choice, stir and simmer for a few minutes until desired temperature is reached.

Makes 2 servings.

Chicory Noffee

This is a chicory-based coffee alternative (Noffee is the slap-me-for-being-too-clever name I gave it because it’s not coffee). It is awesome black, or you can use a little non-BPA canned coconut milk in it as a creamer. You can even throw it in the blender with coconut milk, a little canned pumpkin, plus some spices and make a tasty pumpkin spice latte!

Chicory-cocoa Noffee has tons of great liver-boosting ingredients and tastes like real coffee (or just about as close as possible).

Chicory root comes from a plant in the dandelion family that has a woody, nutty flavor that tastes similar to coffee. A study done on animals suggests anti-inflammatory properties. It is relatively high in folate, and a few other key nutrients that help with detoxification in the liver. Chicory is high in a prebiotic fiber called inulin, which can help blood sugar regulation. because it hasn’t been tested in the following situations, you may want to avoid chicory if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or allergic to ragweed or birch pollen. 

Carob comes from the seeds of the carob tree helps with detoxification and has been shown to help lower cholesterol. It also supports balanced blood sugar and contains polyphenols, vitamins and minerals. Many people even use it as a fat-burning aid!

Dandelion root is high in nutrients like vitamin A, C and K, and contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. Like its cousin chicory, there’s an abundance of inulin to help with detoxification and blood sugar balance. Dandelion also has plenty of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that fights cellular damage and oxidative stress (both of which age us and make us vulnerable to disease). Both dandelion and chicory help the body produce and recycle gastric juices that help break down food so it can be digested and absorbed.

Dates are full of vitamins and minerals as well as pectin, which is a prebiotic fiber. Plus, they’re delicious! After they are brewed, they are an awesome sweet to have with your coffee.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground chicory

• 1 tbsp carob powder (you can also use cocoa powder)

• 1-2 bags roasted dandelion root tea

• 2 dates

• 16-24 oz. water

Instructions:

1. Place the chicory and carob into a coffee filter and tie the end with string to make a sort-of tea bag thing out of it.

2. Add everything to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

3. Once the pot begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Remove tea bags, chicory pouch and dates and discard (the dates make a tasty snack or can be reused). Pour into 2 mugs and enjoy.

This recipe works well with 1-2 bags of organic green tea thrown into the mix, so feel free to experiment and find your version of this tasty beverage. Serves 2.

See a demo here.

Enjoy these healthy hot beverages and use them as inspiration to create your own!