Anti-inflammatory Spiced Hot Cocoa
Many have recognized the link between curcumin (the active compound in turmeric) and inflammation for many years. It’s anti-inflammatory effects have been documented throughout the ages, and recently there have been studies that are finally proving these effects. Turmeric, when ingested, travels through your digestive tract to your gut. It is there that it protects your beneficial bacteria, preventing dysbiosis and in turn having a protective effect on the brain (the gut-brain connection - if you are curious to learn more, you can refer to this article which specifically tackles the case of curcumin and the gut-brain axis, or read this post about the gut-brain connection as a whole).
Of course there are spices in this recipe other than turmeric! While turmeric may be studied frequently, other spices such as cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, caraway, ginger, nutmeg and clove also have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and gut-brain protective effects, among other benefits.
Do yourself a favour and make yourself a cup of this creamy, steaming, spiced hot cocoa. Add a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil to give it a yummy, creamy texture, as well as helping increase the absorption of certain compounds in the spices. Fat-soluble vitamins are only absorbed with fats, so adding a bit of oil to a spiced drink like this will increase your absorption of these compounds.
*makes 1 cup of hot cocoa mix
Ingredients:
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground caraway
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
3 tbsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground sea salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 cup coconut sugar (ground into powder - use a food processor or nutribullet)
2/3 cup cacao powder
Pulse all ingredients in a food processor or nutribullet a few times until fully mixed. Store in an airtight container in your pantry. When making a drink, use 1 tbsp of powder mix per cup of liquid.
For 2 drinks, heat 2 cups of water with 1 cup milk of choice on stove over medium high heat. When hot, add 3 tbsp powder mix and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Blend with an immersion blender or in a blender until emulsified and frothy.
