5 Healing Drinks to Warm You This Winter

On cold wintry days, what could be more soothing than a steaming hot mug to gratefully wrap cold fingers around for warmth and comfort?

These fragrant brews are mini hand-held hearths to warm yourself up by, and also so much more.

Packed with potent superfoods, roots, herbs, adaptogens and stimulating spices, these steamy sippers help to re-kindle your inner fires during cold and flu season, to re-awaken your immune system from winter hibernation and to re-animate a lethargic energy flow.

Fortify yourself with the healing powers and comforting flavors of these decadently earthy and warming infusions.

Protein-Fortified Golden Milk

This traditional tonic of turmeric, ginger, coconut milk and other superfood ingredients has been hailed for centuries amongst ancient Ayurvedic and Unani medical practitioners as a healer of colds, flus, headaches, sore throats, joint pain, ailments of the organs, skin blemishes, emotional disturbances, unbalanced energies, and general health and wellness. This adaptation is further bolstered with plant-based amino acids to help strengthen the immune system.

2 cups coconut milk

½ inch piece fresh turmeric or 1 tsp dried turmeric

½ inch piece fresh ginger or 1 tsp dried ginger

5 white or black peppercorns, or a sprinkle of ground pepper

1 scoop Pure Goodness Hemp Seed Protein – Natural Vanilla

Raw honey or pure maple syrup, to taste

Other optional add-ins: cinnamon, crushed vanilla beans, pure vanilla extracts, etc.

If using fresh turmeric, ginger and peppercorns, crush them coarsely using a mortar and pestle, or with a knife and back of a spoon. Place the coconut milk, turmeric, ginger, protein powder and pepper in a sauce pan and bring to a gentle simmer, careful not to allow it to boil.

Simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes. The liquid will reduce to about 1 cup. Remove the pot from the stove and pour through a coffee filter, cheese cloth or fine wire mesh into a mug. Stir in the honey and add-ins. Sip slowly and enjoy in a quiet atmosphere.

Fire Cider

This folk preparation packs a powerful punch with its blend of potent circulatory movers like apple cider vinegar, chilies, ginger, horseradish, garlic, onions and other spicy roots. Originally coined by Californian Herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar, fire cider is now used as a preventative potion touted for immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and decongestant properties. While its medley of spicy and bitter ingredients may seem unpalatable at first, the counterbalance of sweet honey generally leads people to cite it as “pleasant tasting”. Popularly, fire cider is either taken a tablespoon at a time (as a preventative) during cold months, or drunk as a tea to relieve congestion, or mixed into freshly pressed orange juice or lemonade, or used as a salad vinaigrette. This recipe is adapted from Rosemary Gladstar’s book, Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health.

½ cup peeled, shredded fresh ginger root

½ cup peeled, shredded fresh horseradish root

½ cup peeled, shredded fresh turmeric root (or 1 tbsp turmeric powder)

½ cup white onion, chopped

¼ cup crushed garlic cloves

1 – 2 hot fresh chili peppers, chopped (or ½ tsp cayenne pepper)

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

Raw apple cider vinegar

Raw local honey, to taste

Pack the ginger, horseradish, turmeric, onion, garlic, chillies and lemon zest down into the bottom of a quart-size glass jar, packing the smallest and lightest ingredients at the bottom (such as the chillies) and the heaviest pieces on top. Pour in the squeezed lemon juice and cover everything over generously with apple cider vinegar, so that everything easily stays under the liquid. Cover the mouth of the jar with a piece of wax paper and then screw on the lid of the jar over top (to prevent the vinegar from corroding the metal lid). Place the jar in a dark place at room temperature for about 4 weeks.

Then shake the jar well and strain out the infused liquid into a bowl using a cheese cloth or fine mesh sieve (you can reserve the strained-out pickled veggies for other later uses, such as a stir-fry or other savory dishes). Add small, gradual amounts of raw honey to the strained liquid until you achieve a pleasant taste, pour the fire cider back into the jar, and then store in the fridge and use daily.

Chili Chocolate Chai

A traditional spiced milk tea sold from street corner carts and drank in homes all across India for centuries, chai contains less caffeine than regular coffee and is rich in fragrant spices that aide digestion and boost metabolism. Chai can be prepared in a number of ways, but a classic chai tea mix includes traditional cultural spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. You can make several batches of this chai spice mix in advance and store it in a tightly sealed glass jar, whipping it out to sip in solitude or to share with family and friends.

1 cup water

2 tea bags of oolong tea or green tea

4 cups almond milk

½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Optional: whole star anise pods and whole cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Pure Goodness Chili Chocolate Chai Mix:

1 scoop Pure Goodness Pumpkin Seed Protein – Natural Chocolate

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon stevia powdered extract

Pinch of Himalayan salt

Combine the chocolate chai mix and store in a tightly lidded mason jar.

Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan. Once the water starts to boil, remove it from the heat source and immediately add in the two tea bags. Allow the tea bags to steep for 5 minutes, and then discard the tea bags from the brewed water.

Place the sauce pan with the brewed tea back onto the burner at medium heat, and stir in the chai spice mix, vanilla and milk. Continue stirring the mixture on medium heat until the tea is cooked through, about 5 minutes, making sure it doesn’t come back to a boil.

Strain the tea by pouring it through a coffee filter or fine wire mesh into a teapot or directly over mugs. Drop in two whole star anise pods and one cinnamon stick into each mug and serve.

Spiced Cranberry Goji Tea

Here’s a sweetly tart infusion that’s loaded with vitamin C, anti-oxidants and immune-boosting nutrients to soothe your soul, warm your bones, excite your tongue and wage war on germy invaders. This vividly rosy beverage is also a cheerfully festive way to help you detoxify and beat bloat amidst all that holiday feasting.

4 cups water

½ cup fresh or frozen whole cranberries

Juice and zest of 2 small lemons

1 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

2 Tbsp dried goji berries

2 cinnamon sticks

2 rooibos tea bags

Raw local honey or pure maple syrup, to taste

Optional: fresh lemon slices and cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Place the first six ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Then lower to a simmer and continue simmering for about 20 minutes. Shut off the heat, immediately add in the rooibos tea bags and allow them to steep for five more minutes. Then discard the tea bags.

Strain the tea by pouring it through a coffee filter or fine wire mesh into a teapot or directly over mugs. Into each mug, stir in honey or maple syrup to taste, drop in one lemon slice and one cinnamon stick and serve.

Flat White Matcha Latté

This cozy cuppa is elegantly decadent, comforting and calming while simultaneously alive with stimulating superfood ingredients. Earthy green matcha, sweet vanilla bean, buttery maple syrup and rich coconut butter are hued with subtle butterscotch hints of maca root, indulgently fused into an exotic superfoods version of a silky flat latté that courses pure positivity and white warmth through a chilled winter heart.

1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk

1 tsp matcha powder

1 tsp maca powder

1 ½ tsp coconut butter

1 scoop Pure Goodness Hemp Seed Protein – Natural Vanilla

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean

Pure maple syrup, to taste