Ah, the first day of spring finally arrived...followed by snow. And rain with brutal wind. And sunshine that tricks you into thinking it's warm out, but in reality it's 32 degrees.
I love Ohio, can't you tell?
This cold, wet weather has me craving hot drinks all over again. While peppermint tea has been a staple go-to in the evenings to help settle my tummy, sometimes my Sugar Monster demands something more.
I completely cut out sugar seven months ago (excluding the sugar in my servings of fruit, of course). I have a video coming soon that will cover everything about my current health journey because there is too much information for a blog post.So for now, the short answer is that I watch my carb intake and do not have processed sugar.
Because of this, I've had days that my Sugar Monster will not shut up; if I don't satisfy him, nobody wants to be around me and my cranky mood.
I sent myself off on a quest of research, pinterest scrolling, experimenting in my tiny kitchen, and taste testing. One of the results was this health-conscious hot chocolate! I actually plan on adding in coffee to jazz up my morning.
-Ingredients-
hot water (as much as you'd like)
half glass of almond milk
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
-Instructions_
Once you have steaming hot water, combine it in a mug with the cacao powder and coconut oil. Cacao powder is my new friend, despite the fact that I typically don't enjoy chocolate. Cacao has a powerful rich taste that goes a long way, so I prefer adding almond milk. True choco lovers can appreciate the decadent flavor on its own. Even better there are a shit ton of benefits: mood boosting properties, balances hormonal mood swings, shrinks appetites, fights fatigue, lowers blood pressure, contains antioxidants...the list stretches on. You might think coconut oil sounds nasty in the mix, but I add it to nearly all of my hot drinks. Not only do you get a dreamy buttery texture, but it helps pack a lot of natural saturated fats in into your day. Healthy fats help absorb nutrients and help multiple natural functions in your body.Do NOT be afraid of consuming fats!
Let's take it up a notch: frothy milk! Don't have a fancy tool? Same, so I've got the lazy girl method. Fill a glass that has a lid halfway with almond milk. Shake the milk vigorously for at least 60 seconds or until you reach the desired amount of froth. Immediately take off the lid and pop the cup in the microwave. After 40-60 seconds being heated, the froth will hold longer in your beverage. I tried to make art on top of mine but it turned into a blob, so i covered it with a sprinkling of cinnamon. Now go get cozy and brag to everyone that you're having a guilt-free delicacy.
Thank you for stopping in, friends. Stay tuned for more weekly posts. The next task is to upload my requested health journey video. Being in front of a camera trying to organize my thoughts has been an interesting process, but I promise it's coming!
"Stop waiting for the weekend, for summer, for tomorrow. You have right now, and there is no better time to start." Happy Friday!