A Healthy-ish Pumpkin Spice Latte

If you’re hooked on the pumpkin spice latte, you’re not alone. We get it. It’s delicious. It tastes like fall. It comes with whipped cream. Unfortunately, it’s not the healthiest choice.

The amount of sugar alone is bad for your body and with no fiber in the beverage, it’s going to hit you hard and fast. Plus, there are preservatives and other synthetic additives that may not agree with your system.

Luckily, we’ve developed an equally delicious version that’s easy to make and a much healthier choice for your body and your bank account.

Here’s what we did:

We find it way easier to measure everything out in advance. That way we don’t get stuck searching for something at a critical moment.

Put pumpkin purée and spices into a small saucepan

Stir them together over medium heat.

Keep stirring. When it gets hot, add your honey and mix until bubbling and thick.

Reduce heat and whisk in the milk. A dd the vanilla. Be careful not to let it boil over.

If you want it frothy, blend it with an immersion blender. As long as it’s thoroughly combined though, this step is optional. When it’s all mixed together and it’s hot enough, remove it from the heat.

Pour coffee into two mugs.

Divide the pumpkin and milk mixture between them. Stir.

Top with whipped cream, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Do a little dance, because you’ll never have to wait in line at a Starbucks again!

How is this healthier? 

Organic pumpkin purée is high in fiber and low in calories. Ensuring that sugars are accompanied by fiber means that your body will absorb them more slowly. This prevents the insulin spike (and resulting long-term harm) that sugars can cause. Pumpkin also high in antioxidants that stabilize free radical cells and prevent damage from oxidative stress. Pumpkin is great for your heart and can help settle your stomach.

Cinnamon is antioxidant-rich. These battle oxidative stress and protect your immune system. It’s also anti-inflammatory, great for your heart and brain and useful for keeping blood sugar levels balanced.

Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory and is often used to soothe an upset stomach, aid digestion or alleviate headaches. It is a powerful antioxidant source, so it helps to combat disease and improve your immune system.

Nutmeg ’s fiber content makes it great for digestive health, but it is also useful for stimulating liver and kidney detox. It has benefits for the brain, like improved cognitive function and memory retention. Nutmeg is great for balancing blood pressure levels and encouraging healthy blood circulation.

Cloves can help to stabilize blood sugar levels. They have been used to treat respiratory issues and can help to protect your heart.

Allspice is known to reduce inflammation and relieve pain in the body. It also has powerful antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial properties, and is great for digestion and boosting your immune system.

Raw honey — unlike most other sugar sources — has known health benefits. It’ s used in many natural healing solutions, such as cough suppressants and sleep aids. It has antioxidant and antibacterial properties and it also supports your immune system. It is still a sweetener though, so we’ve kept the quantity here to a minimum.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp organic pumpkin purée
½ to 1 tsp ground cinnamon*
¼ tsp ground ginger*
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg*
⅛ tsp ground cloves*
⅛ tsp allspice*
1-2 tbsp raw, organic honey
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract**
2 c whole milk***
⅓-½  cup very strong coffee or 2 shots of espresso
¼ cup whipping cream, whipped until it forms stiff peaks (optional)

*If you prefer, you can substitute the individual spices with 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
**Yes, this sounds like a lot! It really makes it extra delicious though. If you don’t want to go to too heavy on the vanilla you can start with less and then bump it up gradually.
***Feel free to substitute with coconut milk or almond milk if you don’t do dairy.

Want in on a little secret?

Coming soon to Activation Products…

Raw. Organic. Wild. Honey.

T hat’s right folks, Activation has sourced honey unlike any you’ve ever tasted before.

It has a unique flavor and health benefits that make it stand way out from its competition.

Getting truly organic honey in North America is nearly impossible? You can’t stop the bees from bringing pesticides back from sprayed fields.

So how can we guarantee that this honey is trulyorganic?

Hint: it’s coming from a place so pristine that organic is still possible.

Stay tuned in the new year for this exciting new product announcement! Sign up for our email list and you’ll be the first to know.

Related Links:

http://www.medicaldaily.com/liquid-gold-7-health-benefits-honey-could-heal-your-whole-body-325932
https://authoritynutrition.com/10-proven-benefits-of-cinnamon/
http://naturalsociety.com/health-benefits-of-cloves-super-spice-healing/
http://naturalsociety.com/benefits-of-ginger/
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/nutmeg.html
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/allspice.html