Golden Dandelion Latte | dolly and oatmeal

a few posts back i wrote a bit about some of my postpartum struggles/issues with inflammation, and hormonal shifts (to put it lightly). the first few months after giving birth were great. i felt wonderful - my hair was still thick and shiny, i felt pretty good physically, and most of the pains in my lower back from the last month of pregnancy had gone away. my mood was still all over the place, but that's been a struggle my whole life ;) enter 3 1/2 months postpartum and i began losing hair, clumps at a time. i felt tired and sluggish in the morning (no matter what time i went to bed the night before), and the pains in my lower back, while different, came back with a vengeance. i would be lying to say that ingesting more turmeric made it all go away, that's not what happened. truth is, is that i'm still working to get back on my feet and feel good again. so i've been making some life changes in an effort to be only healthier, happy, but more knowledgeable about the root causes of these afflictions. and from what research i've done, it seems like hormones play a huge part.

while i was always skeptical that hormones were at the root cause of a lot of my issues, i didn't know where to begin. right now i'm in the midst of reading this powerful book (thank you jessie!), and just finished the second day of a 21-day elimination cleanse to kind of reset my body. i thought i was kind of crazy for doing a cleanse while caring for an almost 5-month old, but i keep telling myself that i want to feel stronger physically/mentally/emotionally to take good care of my babe. i'm currently quite hungry, but the whole idea of the cleanse is to lighten up your diet to give your body a break from digestion, so it can spend time cleansing and healing. i can report that i've gotten some of the best, most restful sleep in a while (and yes, amesy sleeping through the night doesn't hurt either!), and that eating a smoothie for breakfast and dinner is super easy and good on the clean up especially with a babe on my hip. there's something i really enjoy about challenging my body in different ways i didn't know/think it was capable of, since so many times it's a mind over matter game.

but no matter what, turmeric tea is my old standby as an overall restorative beverage. i've began sipping on this latte when i was first pregnant, and i finally had the time to share the recipe. it's super basic, but i've included some steps for a simple turmeric paste that makes leftovers for soups, smoothies, shakes, potions - whatever you like! the mixture is ground turmeric, water, coconut oil, and black pepper. and interesting side note: the coconut oil and black pepper play an essential role in the body absorbing the anti-inflammatory properties in turmeric. in any event, i enjoy this drink first thing in the morning or as an afternoon soother. i've been loving it in between lunch and dinner when that 3pm hunger hits :)

i hope you're all feeling well and in good spirits. i would be curious to hear how you've gone about dealing with any hormone or post-baby ailments? (and if you're not into publicly commenting, i would love to chat through email!)

big hugs, all! xo

golden dandelion latte | v

you can use any tea here, but i like dandelion tea which is known to soothe digestive issues, strengthen the immune system, and balance blood sugar levels. however, for a nighttime tea i do use chamomile, as well. i included some optional boosters below. i use tocos for a creamy effect, plus it's known to brighten your skin. ashwaghanda is an adaptogenic herb which aides in a slew of things including stress and anxiety. collagen peptides also aid in digestion, joint and bone health, and it's also an amino acid which is great for hair growth.

| makes 1 latte |

turmeric paste (makes extra)

2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1/2 cup filtered water, plus more for thinning
1 tablespoon unrefined extra virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

latte

1 cup (8 oz) boiled filtered water
1-2 dandelion tea bags
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tablespoon unrefined extra virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons coconut nectar (or maple syrup)
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric paste

optional boosters

1 tablespoon tocos/tocotrienols
1/2 teaspoon ashwagandha
1 scoop collagen peptides

method

make the turmeric paste. place the ground turmeric in a small saucepan, whisk in the water and turn heat to a low flame. continue whisking to until the mixture has thickened but is still fluid, about 6-8 minutes. (if your mixture gets too thick before the 6-8 minute mark, add more water a few teaspoons at a time.) remove from the heat and whisk in the coconut oil and pepper. let cool completely, then place in a lidded jar and store in the refrigerator.
make the latte. pour the water into a large mug, steep the teabag/s for about 5 minutes (for a stronger tea flavor use 2 bags). while the tea is steeping, warm the milk over the stovetop until it steams a bit, remove from heat. add the milk, oil, coconut nectar, and turmeric paste to a high-speed blender. whiz on high for 20 seconds, until frothy. remove the teabags from your mug and pour the milk over top. top with a dusting of black pepper and ground turmeric and drink while hot. (if adding any boosters, whiz them in the blender with the other ingredients.)