Months back, I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Michael Greger (author of How Not to Diet and How Not to Die) speak about his newest book How Not to Age. In this particular talk, he highlighted some specific foods that have notably positive effects on our health and longevity. One of these foods was cranberries largely because of their impressive polyphenol content. Red foods are usually noted for their blood/circulation benefits but he noted studies showing their ability to reduce colon cancer growth.
After that, I was inspired to find a way to work cranberries into my diet. Usually, we find them dried in salads, or in a holiday sauce alongside a turkey but these options boost the sugar content so when I found a powdered form, I got inspired. Here we've created a delicious morning beverage that will get your blood flowing and may even help keep cancer cells at bay. The addition of chai spices balances the cranberry flavor perfectly and makes a truly lovely drink. If you can't find cranberry powder, you can always substitute beet powder, which is fairly readily available at Whole Foods, Sprouts and similar.
Full disclosure, cranberry powder is not a low-cost ingredient. I recommend buying it in the bulk section where available. You can also search online as availability varies from time to time but on a recent search, we found this one which looks interesting and even contains some probiotics.
All you need for this recipe is:
dried cranberry powder
ground ginger
ground cinnamon
ground allspice, optional
ground star anise, optional
plant milk of choice
collagen powder, optional boost*
*always use a collagen supplement from a well trusted source. For more on collagen, feel free to enjoy this installment of a video series, also from Dr. Greger.
Equipment needed:
One piece of equipment that will be needed, aside from a source of hot water, milk frother and a comfy mug, will be a strainer. We like this one.
Now let's get brewing!
First, grab your cranberry powder:
Then mix in your spices. It will change color slightly:
Next, add 1 TB to your strainer and, using the back of a spoon, strain into your mug. Add a small amount of warm plant milk and whisk the mixture well.
Fill the mug with more plant milk, top with a sprinkle of pure cranberry powder and top with edible rose petals if desired. Beauty in a mug.
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