Golden Mylk: Ayurvedic Recipe

Autumn is on its way! It's finally starting to get nippy outside, so I thought I'd celebrate by making some Golden Mylk, and of course, sharing the recipe!

Bear with me, I'm going to rave a bit first.

Golden Mylk is made with turmeric, a yellow spice everyone associates with delicious Indian curries and the most stubborn staining power on the planet. Never see turmeric used in stain-remover ads, do you? No. Because no force on Earth can conquer this South Asian yellow. It looks very much like raw ginger does, as they are cousins in the big food family. The root is what is eaten or ground up into a powder, and you can see from the picture that it is has a furious shade of orange-yellow.

Anyway, turmeric has to be one of the most nutritious spices out there. It has a host of benefits, and there are more studies being conducted daily on this incredible superfood. Turmeric detoxifies the liver, strengthens digestion by aiding protein digestion and improving gut flora, lowers LDL cholesterol (the 'bad' kind) levels, helps prevent blood clots, prevents ligament damage, helps alleviate arthritis pain, treats inflammation (of any kind) and skin disorders, and has truckloads of antioxidants. It is also used in cancer prevention and treatment as well as the treatment of Alzheimer's. It has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties too, so drink up before the cold and flu season punches you in the spleen. It can be used topically as a face mask (mix it with some good raw honey), and it can also be mixed with oils or honey to rub onto sore joints, bruises, itching and sprains.

Basically, it's a miracle spice.

So to make Golden Mylk, you first need to make turmeric paste. This is laughably easy.

For the turmeric paste, you will need:

1/2 c. water (try to get natural, filtered or spring water - avoid the tap if you can!)
1/4 c. turmeric powder (I recommend organic fair trade turmeric, for obvious reasons, but again, if you can't get your paws on any, the world won't unravel at the seams)

Combine the water and the turmeric powder in a small saucepan and stir constantly on low heat for 7-9 minutes. If your paste starts to dry out, add tiny amounts of water until you get a smooth consistency, but not runny.
I store my turmeric paste in GLASS - whatever you do, do not store this in plastic. Food (especially hot food) leeches harmful chemicals from plastic, and we don't want that crap in our healing drink. If it is sealed in an airtight container, you can keep this for 2 to 3 weeks. After that it will go bad, and it will get a metallic odor and taste.

Now, finally, for the Golden Mylk. Notice I spell 'Mylk' with a 'y', and not with an 'i'. Aesthetic preference, and I also do not drink milk from animals, nor do I recommend that you do, either. Harmful to so many, and on so many levels.
For this recipe I use almond milk, but I have made it with coconut milk before, which gave a slightly thicker, creamier and sweeter taste. If you aren't a fan of coconut, you can use any kind of dairy-free milk you like! There is hemp milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk, rice milk and hazelnut milk.
If you are a dairy consumer, I like using non-dairy milks for the simple fact that heating animal milk does repulsive things to it, whereas heating nut or grain milk does nothing whatsoever to the quality.
Whichever kind of milk you choose, try to have it unsweetened. You can add a natural unprocessed sweetener later.

For the Golden Mylk, you will need:

1/2 tsp to 1 tsp turmeric paste
1 - 2 c. milk of your choice

These volumes can vary depending on your taste! Turmeric is fairly bitter, so many people like using more milk to dilute the taste.

I also add loads of spices to mine. I include cinnamon, which has been shown to lower blood sugar levels, and treat digestive issues, colds and infections. I also add nutmeg and ginger, both of which are fantastic for the smooth running of your inner mechanics and plumbing. These can be added liberally, but remember that a little goes a long way.

As a sweetener, I am partial to maple syrup, which has actually been shown to prevent and treat certain types of diseases including cancer due to its enormous amount of antioxidants. I only add about a teaspoon or two to a batch of Golden Mylk, but you can add as much as you like.

Combine the milk and turmeric paste in a saucepan on low-med heat and stir for about five minutes (more if you like your hot drinks scalding rather than pleasantly warm). Once the Mylk is hot, but not boiling, pour into a large mug and indulge. It's warm and comforting, and has too many health benefits to name - a perfect autumn drink. I highly recommend combining this with fluffy socks and a good film.

Lots of love and yellow health! Hakuna matata <3

Feeling Giddy! In Honour of International Chocolate Day

Happy International Chocolate Day! Yes, that's a thing. I celebrate it daily, but apparently I get to eat two chocolate bars today. The Fates are on my side!

https://instagram.com/earthlingtales/

I've been gorging myself on Giddy Yoyo chocolate for a long time now, ever since I discovered the Canadian superfood compary on Truly Organic Foods. They focus on fair trade, organic and raw products, selecting from only the best organizations, countries and resources. And as is clearly stated on their (beautiful) wrapping, their chocolate is FOOD - not candy.

"Our meticulous effort to use only Wild Ecuadorian Heirloom Arriba Nacional CACAO puts us in a category of our own. We select only fully mature ripe pods by hand from mature trees (which are a minimum of 30 years old, and sometimes as old as 80 years) grown in mineral rich volcanic high elevation soil. These trees are never irrigated from potentially contaminated rivers and streams as the water source is from rain, the trees' deep root structure and pure mountain springs. We also work directly with those who supply the raw cacao pods (aka Direct Trade) and eagerly compensate above 'Fair Trade' standards. It is our goal to ensure that everyone along the supply chain is well taken care of. Happy workers = happy food = happy people!"

To see the rest of that page and learn more about why you should be eating cacao daily, click here.

I will gladly pay a fiver for one of their chocolate bars (and regularly do). Cacao is also one of the most nutrient-dense superfoods on the planet! It has one of the highest concentrations of magnesium, antioxidants, chromium, iron, the "bliss chemical" known as anandamide, manganese, zinc, copper, vitamin C, Omega-6, serotonin and many more! So when I say "food", I mean it. This isn't a Lindt bar.

My favourite Giddy Yoyo chocolate bars? I love the Original and X Dark bars simply for their purity - no flavour other than sheer cacao bliss! The 89% bar is pure heaven for those who love the extra dark stuff. I also love the Chaga bar, but that one is difficult to get due to the very small available quantity of the chaga mushroom (native to Canada).
There are heaps of other flavours too, including Maca, Spirulina (yes, it's yummy), Vanilla, Spicy, Ginger, Citrus and Raspberry.

They also sell raw cacao powder, which I use very often to make hot cacao, using maple syrup or honey* as a sweetener.

Not only has Giddy Yoyo chocolate helped my digestion and clear up my acne, but it's allowed me to support a Canadian company that is doing wonders in the world of vegan, ethically sourced superfood, and in which I see incredible potential and beautiful values.

And I am not lying when I say it does make you feel good - wonderful, in fact. It's a healthy high that feels like an instant recharge for your batteries (and lasts all day).

I wholeheartedly recommend any and all Giddy Yoyo products to everyone who takes their health and wellbeing seriously. They are a truly beautiful company, and they're spreading the love (literally - cacao stimulates the production of serotonin <3) with their tasty goodies!

Lots of cacao-induced love, and as always, hakuna matata!

-M


*I do eat honey despite being Vegan, but I only consume honey from manufacturers that I know (or know of) and of whose methods I approve.

Thailand and Cambodia in a Nutshell

 Eleven days into the new year (and exactly twenty days after my return from Ireland) I boarded the plane in Quebec's wee airport, armed with a backpack, a buddy and four boarding passes, and had the most grueling patience test in my life. Twenty-eight hours of travel time later, my travel buddy and I landed in Bangkok, Thailand, 3 AM local time. We hopped a hot pink taxi and, with halting English and many gestures, got to the first of a fair few hostels we would stay at over the coming month.

It was exhausting, mentally and physically. We didn't have an idle day. Our time was spent visiting palaces, gardens, historical sites, temples, museums and markets. My brain, already taken up with absorbing all the artwork and culture and history, also had to maneuver a completely foreign language, adapt to local customs and learn to haggle like a pro. We met travelers from every corner of the world, a fair few Quebecois among them. We stayed in Bangkok for little less than a week, then took an overnight bus to Phuket, in the south. The beehive-like ambiance in Bangkok was both exhausting and stimulating, so I was more than pleased when Phuket welcomed us with a bit more calm. We rented a scooter and drove up the (steep) hill to the Big Buddha, went snorkeling and swimming in the crystal clear, if not brilliantly turquoise, water, and ate phenomenally well. From Phuket, we took a ferry to Koh Phi Phi, the "party island", then a second ferry to Krabi and a flight to Chiang Mai, up north. Chiang Mai was without a doubt my favourite place in Thailand. Calmer than Phuket, home to many elephant sanctuaries (not all of them good, but they're there...), and the coldest weather I encountered in Asia (hovering around 25 degrees C), it was incredibly relaxing to spend a few days there. We did visit an elephant sanctuary (and yes, we did loads of research beforehand) and made friends with three simply gorgeous and humbling creatures. We bathed them, fed them and just shared the love. It was amazing to reconnect with other nonhuman creatures after having been surrounded by so many people for so long.
After Chiang Mai, we took an overnight bus to Bangkok, a six-hour bus to the Thai-Cambodian border, got our Cambodian visas and hopped another bus from the border to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Dizzying, but worth it. Cambodia is stunning, golden from dirt to sky. The people are friendly and welcoming, the food delicious and the sites breathtaking. I was adamant about stepping onto the sacred and ancient soil of Angkor Wat, and we did indeed spend a whole day there. It was beyond humbling. To think that these massive, yet so intricate structures were built thousands of years ago, well before any concept of "civilization" even began to blossom in our terribly boxed-in minds.
Not too far from the site is a small temple, its inhabitants sociable and curious. A large family of monkeys had taken up residence there, and they were contentedly gorging themselves on fruit when we walked by. A few of the younger ones  were passing the time by climbing trees and jumping into the water of the tiny lake below. The older ones looked much like exasperated elders, sitting calmly on rocks and in the windows of the stone temple, watching their young with upturned noses but ever-watchful eyes. I made sure to take a few photos.
Knowing that Cambodia was our last little stretch before coming home to the -30 degree winter, we relaxed a bit and walked around the markets, buying gifts and harem pants. So may pairs of harem pants.
I didn't - and won't - calculate the amount of time it took us to get from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Quebec City, Canada, but rest assured that it was well over 36 hours.

If visiting Ireland and Scotland enabled me to look inward and find myself and my roots, backpacking Thailand and Cambodia made me sprout wings. I was plunged into a completely foreign world, surrounded by a language I have no knowledge of and a culture I knew nothing about, and I learned to adapt. I learned to improvise, learn things on the spot, make decisions and stay calm in a whirlwind of busy life. It was humbling, enlightening, fascinating and beautiful.