​I’m so excited to share this recipe with you!  I have recently fallen in love with turmeric lattes after trying Gaia’s “Golden Milk” which is a delicious and easy to use powder that you simply add to warmed almond or coconut milk. This led me to creating my own recipe because when I get obsessed with a food I want to know how to make it.  So, I dove into playing with different versions until I had a recipe with the ideal combo of yumminess, healthiness, and ease of preparation. I’m happy to say this recipe hits the mark on all counts!
 
Let’s first take a look at why turmeric is awesome.  Basically, it’s a ninja spice that, due to its active ingredient curcumin, has the potential to help with multiple health concerns such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, ulcerative colitis, and some forms of depression. One of the reasons this one small compound is such a powerhouse is because it has two main benefits for the body:

| #1 Anti-inflammatory
Chronic pain, as well as countless other diseases such as heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and stroke, are all associated with inflammation. Anyone who is highly motivated to be as healthy as possible, for as long as possible, will want to reduce inflammation to give their body the best support possible. Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties are widely recognized, which makes adding it to your daily routine an easy yes.

| #2 Antioxidant
Antioxidants are vital to our health because they provide protection from free radicals and turmeric is being shown to be one of the most powerful antioxidants available to us. We want all the protection we can get from free radicals because these unstable atoms place oxidative stress on the body which contribute to chronic disease, speed the aging process and causing cell mutation as in cancer and tumors. 

So, does this make turmeric a cure all? No, nothing is that simple in the nutrition and health world. How effectively your body uses the compounds found in turmeric depends on many factors including current diet and medications. For optimal health, it’s essential to eat a varied diet of nutrient dense foods, avoid foods that stress your body, and take care of your emotional body as well as your physical one.
 
This might seem like a daunting task, especially if you’re unsure of where to start, which is why I am here to make it EASY and FUN and YUMMY by offering a detox as a perfect place to begin. By shaking up your current patterns, feeding yourself deeply nourishing foods, and making yourself and your health a priority, you will learn invaluable tools that will allow you to thrive in all areas of your life.
 
Do not miss the opportunity to join the other fearless detoxees who've committed to the Mind-Body-Spirit Detox beginning May 16th. It is the easiest, most effective way to optimize your health, re-energize your body, and rejuvenate your mind and spirit; simply one of the most profound commitments you can make to your health! People have come up to me years, after doing this detox; they tell me it changed their life, their relationship with food, and how they care for their body… not bad for a two-week commitment!  

Note:  If you’re currently on medications or have health concerns always check with your doctor before making any changes with diet or supplements.

The black pepper may seem like an unusual addition, however, not only does is give the latte an nice bite it is also necessary for our bodies to access the full benefits of turmeric.

Yield:  3 cups
2 Medjool dates
2 tsp grated ginger or 1 tsp ground
1 cup water (or coconut or almond milk for a creamier latte)
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2 ½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp ground black pepper 
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups coconut or almond milk
1/8 tsp cardamom (optional)
Cinnamon to sprinkle on top, if desired

​Note:
If you want to eliminate the blender step replace the dates with 1T honey or maple syrup and use the ground ginger.

I recently completed a 14 day whole-foods detox as a way to reboot my energy and step back from some habits that weren’t supporting me to feel my best.  It felt so good to do this for myself and unlike some detoxes in the past, where I struggled from beginning to end, this one felt easy and natural.  I realized there are two main factors for this difference. 

The first is mindset.  All the work I’ve done to find peace with food and my body are most noticeable when I challenge myself to a detox and only eat 100% clean food for 2 weeks.  I still remember my first detox where each craving felt like torture and each food I had to give up felt like a sacrifice… a totally exhausting approach to food! Now I have so much more flexibility and range of choice with how I respond to triggers and challenges.  Much more empowering!
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The second difference is that I take extra care to prepare foods that bring pleasure, are satisfying, and taste delicious.  My favorite smoothie, the "Super Charged Cacao" is one of the best examples of how food can be both healthy and delicious and is why I'm excited to share this recipe with you!

| Packed with antioxidants  
The raw cacao, spinach, blueberries, and maca in this smoothie are rich in antioxidants which are essential to protecting our bodies from the damage (think premature aging and illness) caused by free radicals.

| Boosts mood and energy
Raw cacao and maca powder are both great for energy, something I’m always interested in having more of! And as an extra bonus cacao turns on the hormones that help us feel happy while maca has been shown to help support our adrenals, the hormones responsible for our stress response.

| Brain health 
Coconut milk, raw cacao, and maca all play a part in keeping our brains sharp and healthy.  If you want better memory, more clarity, and sharper focus these foods are a great place to start.
​
| Reduces inflammation   
Both spinach and blueberries are known to be top anti-inflammatory foods.  Why is it important to include these in your diet?  As outlined in this article from the Harvard Medical School “Many major diseases that plague us—including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer's—have been linked to chronic inflammation.”   That kind of info always inspires me to up my nutritional game!

| Stabilizes blood sugar
Because it has the magic combo of fat, fiber, and protein (the essential foundation to stable blood sugar) and uses low glycemic fruits you will get sustained energy from this smoothie rather than the roller coaster ups and downs that come from highly processed and sugary foods.

​And just in case all of those ninja nutrients aren’t enough to convince you to add this to your daily routine the flavor will definitely be a selling point. Because seriously… why not start the day with chocolate!

Happy sipping!
​Janna

Serves 2+
​
1 cup coconut water or plain filtered water
½-1 cup almond milk
2 Tbs full fat coconut milk
1 scoop protein powder (Garden of Life Raw is the one I use)
1 Tbs raw cacao powder
1 Tbs ground flax meal
1/5 of an avocado
Pure vanilla extract, to taste (I like a lot)
5-8 drops stevia or to taste
1 tsp. maca powder
2-4 oz. baby spinach
1 pear, seeded and sliced
½-3/4 cup blueberries
4-6 ice cubes if you like it cold 

• Add everything to blender and blend very well.

Notes:

• Frozen fruit is fine.
• Any of the ingredients can be adjusted to your taste.
• If you need it a little sweeter you can add ½-1 banana but note that this will raise the glycemic index.

This flexibility is important because the ability to take in new info brings an ease to life's unexpected changes. I used to be horrible at this! I’m a manager by nature (partially due, I’m sure, to being the oldest of 3) and life was something that needed to be beaten into a nice, tidy, orderly series of events.  This worked great… as long as there were no bumps along the way. Bumps and deviations from what I had planned were a source of stress, and because life is nothing if not unpredictable this meant I was stressed a lot.
At times my life felt like a house of cards, one small gust of wind could knock everything down… this was exhausting, unsustainable and clearly bad for my health. As a result, I was experiencing chronic insomnia and severe headaches every day! In this state of hyper stress, I was definitely not the mom, friend, sister, or spouse that I wanted to be. There is no doubt that if I had stayed on that path I would have become increasingly more unhealthy and miserable.
I knew things needed to change but I didn’t know where to start. By trial and error, and a good deal of luck I gradually found the tools that have helped me to become more adaptable to change...ahhhh. I am now able to have peace and ease, even in life’s more chaotic moments. I can't express enough how everything shifted for me and brought with it a freedom I had never known. If you are craving this same peace of mind here are a few of my go-to strategies to start with.

| Say goodbye to expectations
The minute we cling to the idea that our happiness is based on a particular outcome we've handed over our experience of life to forces outside of our control. The more flexible you are (in thought and actions) the more you are able to create the experience you want in any moment.

​| Try something new that pushes your boundaries
If we stay in the same old patterns we are not giving ourselves the chance to see what is possible.  Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Yoga (This practice has been life changing for me)
• Take a writing or journaling class
• Organize a book group
• Have coffee with a new acquaintance 

| Upgrade your diet
What you eat affects EVERYTHING! Not just your outward appearance but your mental and emotional health as well.  Reducing refined sugars and processed foods and adding in whole foods will help improve your resistance to stress and increase your mental clarity.

| ​Focus on the solution instead of the problem.
It’s easy to get stuck on the problem.  If you notice your mind spinning on what’s going wrong, break that cycle by asking a question that shifts your focus to a solution. For instance: You’re stuck in traffic and late for work, you can’t make the traffic go any faster so ask “What can I do?”  The answer may be to call work and let them know you’ll be late. You may also realize that arriving to work feeling rushed ​will make your whole day feel stressed. As a solution, you might turn off the news and turn on music you enjoy so you feel more relaxed and ready to face the demands of the day.

Enjoy!
Janna