3 Inflammation-Fighting Beverages Wellness Influencers Love to Drink
With so many different diets out there, how do you know which one is for you? Should you go vegan? Paleo? Ketogenic? It's a question Wanderlust co-founder Jeff Krasno attempts to tackle in his new book, Find Your True Fork. The answer? Well, it depends.
"I'm not trying to be wholly prescriptive here; I'm just trying to lay out options for people to go with," Krasno explains. "Wanderlust is sort of the gateway drug to healthy living. The goal is to get more people thinking about food through an ethical lens."
As a play on Wanderlust's mission ("find your true north"), Krasno went on a journey asking various buzzy chefs in the wellness world why they chose the diet they did. He noticed that many of the chefs—regardless of how they ate—set a plan in place to cure themselves of various health issues. (Talk about setting an intention!)
So how do you "find your true fork" in the end? Krasno's advice is to follow the direction that your love for food and wellness takes you, embracing all the benefits that come with the discovery. And it all starts with a good-for-you drink.
Rounded up here are wellness beverages—all of which are crafted to fight inflammation—dreamed up by three different innovative chefs the Wanderlust co-founder talked to.
Keep reading for 3 wellness beverages with major good-for-you benefits.
Jason Wrobel's Matcha Orange-Cardamom Latte
Celebrity chef Jason Wrobel has been vegan for over two decades. And no, he doesn't feel like he's missing out on anything. The flavors of ground cardamom and orange extract layered with the creaminess of a coconut milk and matcha make for a delicious take on this energy-boosting latte.
Ingredients
1 cup filtered water
1 Tbsp matcha green tea powder
3 cups full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp orange extract
1 tsp ground cardamom, plus more for garnish
3 Tbsp monk fruit powder, coconut palm sugar, or Lakanto sweetener
1/2 tsp ground pink pepper, plus more for garnish
1. In a kettle or small saucepan, heat the water until it comes to a boil. In a large bowl, add one-fourth cup of the hot water to the matcha powder. Using a matcha whisk, mix to create a smooth paste, making sure there are no clumps.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk until it simmers. Pour the coconut milk and the remaining hot water into the bowl with the matcha paste. Add the orange extract, cardamom, sweetener, and pepper.
3. Transfer to a blender. Blend on high speed until frothy, about 15 seconds. (Alternatively, transfer the mixture to mugs and use a handheld milk frother.) Pour into mugs and garnish with a pinch each of cardamom and pepper.
Meredith Klein's After-Dinner Digestive Chai
If you ate a little too much—or just want to cure a bout of bloating—Ayurvedic chef Meredith Klein has you covered. Her caffeine- and sugar-free chai uses spices like cardamom, fennel, ginger, star anise, and licorice to promote good digestion. Oh, and it's crazy delicious.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp green cardamom pods
2 Tbsp fennel seeds
1Tbsp whole cloves
1Tbsp chopped dried licorice root
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole star anise
2 piece fresh ginger, sliced into thin rounds
3 cups water
3 Tbsp rooibos tea leaves
3 cups nut milk
1. In a medium pot over medium heat, toast the cardamom, fennel, cloves, licorice, cinnamon, and star anise until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning the spices. Add the ginger and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the spices to steep in the covered pot for at least 2 hours or up to 10 hours.
2. Just before serving, bring the spice decoction to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and add the tea leaves. Let steep for 8 to 10 minutes, then strain through a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Return the tea to the pot over low heat and stir in the milk. After 5 to 10 minutes, the chai will be ready to serve.
3. Any leftover chai can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.
Jessica Koslow's Rooibos Thai Iced Tea
Jessica Koslow is the head chef and owner of hot spot Sqirl, which—fun fact—started out as a small jam company. She's known for taking an old-school idea and totally reinventing it. Exhibit A: This Thai iced tea, made with cardamom (turns out everyone loves it) and cloves. Side note: Rooibos is said to fight off insomnia, so this is one tea that's safe for bedtime.
Ingredients
4 cups water
2 Tbsp loose rooibos tea leaves or 4 rooibos tea bags
3/4 cup sugar
1 green cardamom pod
2 cloves
Crushed ice, for serving
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, for serving
1. In a small saucepan, combine the water, tea, sugar, cardamom, and cloves and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for a few minutes, and then remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Strain the cooled tea through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, discarding the solids and any tea bags.
3. Fill 4 tall glasses with crushed ice. Pour the strained tea into the glasses, leaving some space at the top. Pour 2 tablespoons of coconut milk into each glass and serve with a long-handled spoon for stirring.
If you're really serious about fighting inflammation, this meal plan and food pyramid will help you.
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