So Long Coffee, Hello Turmeric Latte

By Kelly Brogan, MD

In the height of my residency training, I was up to 6 cups of coffee a day. Granted, at least once a week, I was awake for a forced-all-nighter, but I took any opportunity to refuel.

Long before I had my health awakening, I did a 3 day juice cleanse, which my reactive hypoglycemic self could barely survive, and I never touched coffee again. That was in 2007.

Since then, I’ve struggled with a replacement. Tea just doesn’t offer the ritual enjoyment that coffee did.

Then I met Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, and he persuaded me that dehydration was an epidemic problem. He wrote about it here. I upped my filtered water intake to 8 glasses a day, felt great, and then winter hit, and I found myself longing for a comfort beverage.

Here’s what I have made a part of my morning routine – Turmeric Latte!

The most well-referenced healers of all spices, including for depression, I love this therapeutic food.

How to Do It – Turmeric Latte

It’s quick and easy to make, save for an upfront 10 minute prep of turmeric paste.

Combine 1 cup of water with 1/2 a cup of organic turmeric in a saucepan and heat on low for about 7 minutes, adding more water (up to 1 additional cup) if it becomes too dry.

Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup of unrefined organic coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil, and 1/2-1 tsp of black pepper.

Store this in a glass container in the fridge.

In the morning, put one teaspoon of paste in a mug, add a dash of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, a teaspoon or two of raw honey to about a 1/3 cup of almond/coconut/hemp milk (unsweetened Califia Farms is delicious if you don’t want to make your own!). Fill the rest of the mug with boiling water – I love this kettle – and stir!

On those days when you need a little more resiliency, toss in some sliced garlic if you dare!

Join the revolution. Find out more in A Mind of Your Own: How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives.

Kelly Brogan, MD, is a Manhattan-based holistic women’s health psychiatrist, author of the book, A Mind of Your Own and co-editor of the landmark textbook, Integrative Therapies for Depression. She completed her psychiatric training and fellowship at NYU Medical Center after graduating from Cornell University Medical College, and has a B.S. from MIT in Systems Neuroscience. She is board certified in psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and integrative holistic medicine, and is specialized in a root-cause resolution approach to psychiatric syndromes and symptoms. She is a mother of two.