Moon Milk (adapted from Bon Appétit)

The ritual of drinking a warm beverage to relax before bedtime has been all the rage since pretty much forever. The Ayurvedic version of that nighttime ritual typically uses milk but the wellness community has upgraded that idea by using non-dairy milk alternatives combined with healing herbs and spices to create a delicious, calming and super powered drink called moon milk.

The main thing about moon milk that piqued my curiosity is the addition of adaptogens (yes, for those of you paying attention, I am a little obsessed). Adaptogens come from various plants and have been shown to help your body “adapt” to every day stressors by helping to balance hormones (including the ever present hormone cortisol), and boosting the immune system. Adaptogens like ashwaganda and resihi in particular can be very calming. 

I was intrigued by moon milk mostly because I'm always looking to hack my insomnia, and a warm beverage with extra super powers seemed like a safe bet. I use a recipe that I found in Bon Appétit that's full of even more good stuff like turmeric (very anti-inflammatory), nutmeg (a sleep inducer) and honey (can help limit the early morning release of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline). I’ve also seen other sleep inducing things used in moon milk like tart cherry juice which is full of naturally occurring melatonin.

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Moon Milk (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Yield: 1

Author: Lisa Levine

Prep time: 5 MinTotal time: 5 Min

Ingredients

• 12 oz any unsweetened nut milk (I use my homemade vanilla almond milk)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ¼ tsp ground ashwagandha (use a well sourced and reliable brand like Sun Potion)
• 1/8 tsp pinches of ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• Big pinch of ground ginger
• A grind or two of black pepper (black pepper activates the anti-inflammatory qualities of turmeric)
• 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil, mct oil or ghee
• 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

1. Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Stir in cinnamon, turmeric, ashwagandha, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and ground pepper. Stir or whisk well to get rid of any clumps.
3. Add coconut oil, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook until warmed through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in honey.
4. Pour into a mug, drink while warm and tuck yourself in.

Notes:

Originally adapted from this recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/moon-milk

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