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This post is an installment in our 52 Health Hinges series. Remember, “Small hinges swing big doors.”

Happy September, everyone! To me, September brings to mind:

Back to school…

Boot weather…

Crisp night air, perfect for sleeping with the windows open…

and pumpkin spice lattes.

Yeah, yeah, yeah – I’ve heard that Starbucks replaced their synthetic pumpkin syrup with real pumpkin puree this year. That’s a step better. Just like the Health Hinges, every small steps matters. Just keep going, Starbucks, because you’re not quite there yet…

Their drink is still far from healthy. It still contains chemicals, and a grande Pumpkin Spice Latte contains 50 grams of sugar. FIFTY! That’s 10 teaspoons of sugar in your drink. BAM!

Do you remember what the World Health Organization recommends as the maximum for daily sugar intake? Six teaspoons. And that’s per day, not per drink. I’m all about indulgence, but I believe that you can indulge yourself while still consuming delicious, healthy ingredients.

Before I share my recipe, let me tell you a little bit more about my relationship with these ever-popular lattes…

I used to go to Starbucks every day on the way to work. And when I say every day, I mean EVERY day.

I was more into a cinnamon latte. I drank one every morning and usually paired it with a slice of their pumpkin bread. This combo infused me with a jolt of 74 grams of sugar each morning (divide by 4 to get teaspoons – so 18.5 teaspoons of sugar to start my day). Wowza. Talk about a buzz.

Meanwhile, however, little by little I was upgrading my OTHER food choices throughout the day. I was eating more vegetables, choosing healthier cuts of meat, minimizing the processed food, bringing fat back into my life…and little by little, my latte started tasting too sweet.

My tastes were changing.

I switched to a half shot of cinnamon syrup.

A bit later, in a more concerted effort to restore my health, I took a break from my beloved morning drink – and all sugar.

When I returned to have a latte a couple months later, I was in for a huge surprise. The drink that I had been consuming every day for over a year tasted like chemicals. I asked them to remake it; I was sure that someone accidentally put cleaner in my drink. Same cleaner-like taste. I was floored.

SO – your takeaway for today is twofold:

1. This little snippet of my health journey should help illustrate that moving forward doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing. My woobie was my morning latte and pumpkin bread; as long as I kept that, I was able to make healthier choices during the rest of the day. Eventually, my tastes change enough where I was ready to give up my woobie. Do you have a woobie that you can hold on to while you shake things up in other parts of your day?

2. If you’re interested in giving up your chemical latte but aren’t sure you can go cold turkey, try my recipe! I think it’s just as indulgent as what you’d get at the coffee shop, but a much healthier option.

Jill C’s Cinnamon Creamer Recipe

1 can of coconut milk (full fat)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup (I started with 1/3, and have gradually cut back)

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour some blended creamer into your coffee; store the rest in the refrigerator to use over the next 2-3 days. (Depending on the size of your coffee mug, I’ve found that the recipe makes enough creamer for about 3-4 days.)

I use this recipe for the pumpkin pie spice. Whip up a batch of it and store in a glass canning jar.

Per drink (depending on the size of your mug), I estimate that this recipe is the equivalent of 3.5-5 teaspoons of natural sweetener versus the 10 teaspoons of refined sugar in a grande Starbucks version. Pair this natural sweetener with the full fat coconut milk to slow down the absorption in your body – minimizing blood sugar dysregulation – and we’ve got a nice upgrade here, folks!

(I love pumpkin, but I don’t love pumpkin in my drink. If you do, feel free to blend in a couple tablespoons of pumpkin puree to the recipe.)

What kind of coffee do I use? I use Organo Gold black coffee; it’s supplemented with 100% Organic Ganoderma Extract (also known as the reishi mushroom). I find that this coffee is gentler on my system than the espresso that I used to get at the coffee shop, and as an added bonus, the ganoderma provides these health benefits:

• Strengthens the immune system
• Prevents tissue degeneration
• Boosts stamina
• Improves acid/alkaline balance
• Antioxidant and anti-aging properties
• Promotes healthy blood sugar levels

If you’re interested in trying some, feel free to visit my distributor page.