Moon Milk

If you’re on social media, there is a good chance you’ve heard the term, Moon Milk, floating around lately. It turns out, it’s not a cosmic beverage from outer space but rather, a dreamy sleep tonic.

A cup of warm milk with cinnamon before bedtime was a childhood ritual with my grandmother that I found comforting as it signaled a gentle transition to bed. It appears, she may have been onto something…

Moon Milk is the latest natural and trendy way to fight insomnia. It’s essentially, a fancy and very pretty way of serving warm nut milk with added natural flavorings, fruit, herbs and essences.

Moon Milk is sometimes referred to as a superfood latte, mermaid milk or golden milk in cafe’s. In nearly all cases these pretty drinks are showstoppers, coming in vibrant plant based colors, bringing a calming joy and happiness to those who drink them.

Moon Milk, a warm milk 2.0, has some science behind the legitimacy of drinking it to help you go to sleep.

Milk (both dairy and non-dairy) contains the amino acid tryptophan, which helps you relax and feel sleepy. It also supplies protein and other essential nutrients. Depending on the recipe used you will commonly find an adaptogen like aswhagandha as an ingredient, intended to reduce stress. Other herbs like turmeric, help with inflammation. Many recipes call for popular herbs like cinnamon, ginger, peppermint, hibiscus, lavender or rose. The combination of potent herbal remedies are both soothing and invigorating to solve all your problems with sleeplessness.

You can be incredibly creative with Moon Milk—it is a lot of fun to create colorful, powerful recipes.

Some recipes incorporate CBD oil, which shows promise in reducing sleep apnea and may help reduce anxiety, which can create sleep issues. CBD oil is used to treat chronic pain from inflammation, stress, and help improve mood. But not all CBD oils are the same; they vary in strains of CBD and potency so always inquire first before cooking.

Moon Milk honors the Ayurvedic lineage, which believes that warm milk can aid in a good night’s sleep.

These Ayurvedic traditions having been passed down as a remedy for sleeplessness for many generations, so while moon milk is currently taking the wellness world by storm, it’s actually been around for hundreds of centuries.

In Ayurvedic medicine, this calming bedtime beverage is a blend of milk, spices and adaptogens, which are thought to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.

Literally translated, ayurveda, is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). Ayurveda is one of the oldest systems of natural healing in the world. It’s a personalized approach to health, and knowing your constitution, or dosha, allows you to make optimal choices about diet, exercise, supplements, and all other aspects of your lifestyle.

Here is a fun quiz to determine you dosha from Banyan Botanicals.

What is an adaptogen? Adaptogens are herbal supplements that are dense in nutrients and are used to improve the health of your adrenal system, helping to balance your hormones and helping the body to adapt to various kinds of stress. The most common adaptogen in Moon Milk is ashwagandha, but other well-known adaptogens include ginseng, holy basil, milk thistle, ginseng, rosemary, and aloe vera.

The following are recipes I have found and followed online:

A Basic Moon Milk Recipe

• · Simmer (coconut or almond) milk in a small saucepan over medium-low.

• · Mix in cinnamon, turmeric, ashwagandha, cardamom, ginger (optional), and nutmeg.

• · Season with pepper. Mix well to get rid of any clumps.

• · Add coconut oil, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook until warmed through, 5–10 minutes. The longer you simmer, the more powerful the ingredients will become.

• · Remove from heat and let sit to cool for 2-3 minutes.

• · Stir in honey (do not cook!), pour into a mug, and SAVOR!

CBD Moon Milk

· 1 cup filtered water

· ¼ cup tart cherry juice

· 2 hibiscus tea bags

· 2 cups unsweetened almond mile

· 2 cups unsweetened almond milk

· 1 T raw honey

· 2 servings CBD oil

For the Topping

1 T dried rose petals

Heat water and tart cherry juice over medium heat in a medium saucepan until it just begins to bubble, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags and stir in the almond milk. Heat over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Transfer the hot Moon Milk to a blender and add the honey and CBD oil.

Blend on high to froth for 5-10 seconds.

Divide the mixture between 2 large mugs and top with the rosebuds and lavender.

Blue Peppermint Moon Milk

· 2 cups almond or oat milk

· ¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries

· 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds

· 1 T blue butterfly pea flower powder

· 1 teaspoon unrefined coconut oil

Pink Moon Milk

· In a small saucepan over low heat, combine all ingredients.

· Whisk slowly, until vanilla almond milk reaches a temperature of 140°F (just below scalding).

· Pour into your favorite mug, top with dried rose petals, edible gold and sliced, toasted coconut almonds, then curl up in your PJs and sip your moon milk as you wind down from your day

· Rose Moon Milk

· Almond milk

· 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds

· 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds

· 1 tablespoon of rose petals

· 1 tablespoon of oatmeal

· 1 tablespoon of honey

· 1/2 tablespoon lavender buds

· 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil

· 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

· 1/4 tablespoon ground cardamom

· 1/8 tablespoon Himalayan pink salt

· Heat the Almond Breeze almond drink in a saucepan over medium heat. Add all the spices and seeds. Mix well. When it begins to boil, remove from the heat and wait for it to acquire a cream color.

Warm again at minimum temperature and add the coconut oil, honey and rose petals. Let cool a bit enjoy!

Cherry Lavender Moon Milk

· 2 cups of almond or coconut milk

· ¼ cup rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)

· ¼ cup sweet cherries fresh or frozen

· 2 tbs raw walnuts

· ½ tsp dried lavender bus

· ¼ tsp ground ginger

· ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

· ¼ tsp ground turmeric

· 1/8 tsp sea salt or himalyan pink salt

· 1 tbs maple syrup or raw honey

· 1 tsp unrefined coconut oil

Garnish: lavender buds, turmeric, sliced cherries

Instructions:

In a food processor, or blender, combine ingredients (milk through salt). Let soak for at least 30 minutes.

Blend soaked ingredients until well combined and relatively smooth.

Heat Moon Milk on the stove top over medium to low heat until frothy.

Whisk in maple syrup and coconut oil.

Turn off heat

Pour into mugs and garnish!

Ginger Ceylon Cinnamon Vanilla Moon Milk

· 2 cups hot water

· 1 ½ T coconut butter

· 1 T tocos

· 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

· 1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon

· 1 vanilla bean, insides scraped out (or ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract)

· ½ teaspoon aswagandha

· ½ teaspoon mucuna pruriens (African bean)

· Pinch of pink salt

Bring water to a boil then pour into high-speed blender.

Add all ingredients to the blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until well combined and frothy.

Joey McCune, a free spirited Seattle Realtor turned Energy Practitioner, has traveled the world in her studies of deeply rooted spiritual traditions and rituals in many forms. She is a Sound Healer/Weaver, Gong Master, a Master Reiki Practitioner, works with Shamanic Energy, and now lives and practices in Tulum, MX.

Her work with clients focuses on achieving a sense of balance, wellness and soul fulfillment and utilizes a combination of crystals, color theory, chakra systems, sacred geometry and Sound Healing, Reiki and Shamanic principles.

The views expressed in this article intend to highlight alternative studies and induce conversation. They are the views of the author and are for informational purposes only. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.