10 Reasons to Add Turmeric Into Your Diet
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From curing the common cold to preventing or fighting against cancer, turmeric is an essential spice that you should become familiar with. With a long history of being used in traditional medicines such as ancient India’s Ayurveda, it has lately become more recognized in western practices – it’s really no surprise that it is currently the most studied spice on the planet.
Turmeric is one of my favorite natural remedies for treating PMS, painful periods, PCOS, endometriosis, and basically any type of inflammation.
I try to drink a warm cup of turmeric milk (aka “Golden Milk”) everyday. I especially make sure I get my cup in when studying yoga in India, as it’s nature’s best anti-inflammatory, helping relieve any general aches and pains. Plus, it’s really delicious – making it a nice treat before bed. I also put it in my warm lemon water in the mornings.
Healing Properties of Turmeric:
1. Cancer fighter.
2. Reduces symptoms of depression.
3. Cures the common cold.
4. Relieves arthritis pain.
5. Balances Hormones.
6. Relieves general aches and pains in the body.
7. Reduces risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.
8. Lowers cholesterol.
9. Alleviates allergies.
10. Helps wounds heal faster.
And these are just a tip of the iceberg of all the healing properties of turmeric.
Alright, so now that you know how AMAZING turmeric is, are you ready to get more of this amazing spice into your diet?
(Pssst...if you don't think you're gonna eat it everyday you can also take this magical stuff in capsule form!)
One of my favorite ways to get turmeric daily is with turmeric milk, also known as "Golden Milk".
Turmeric Milk Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 cups of coconut milk (or your dairy-free milk of choice)
1 teaspoon dried turmeric powder OR one half-inch fresh turmeric thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried ginger powder OR one half-inch piece of peeled, fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.
A dash of freshly ground black pepper
Honey to taste (use local if possible – this will also help with allergies and do not add to the milk when it is HOT, as this turns the honey toxic. Wait until it is warm.)
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients (except the honey) into a blender.
Blend for 30 seconds to a minute.
Pour mixture into saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to boil.
Turn off heat, cover, and allow mixture to cool for a few minutes.
Add honey.
Serve and enjoy!
Alternatively, if you do not have a blender, skip steps one and two and combine all ingredients in a saucepan. If you are using fresh ginger and turmeric, use a strainer to filter them out before serving.
In addition to drinking turmeric milk, I also cook with turmeric as much as possible. There are tons of delicious recipes out there ranging from coconut curries to lentil soups. Here is a list of some goodies:
However you choose to get your daily dose of turmeric, make sure to ingest it after it has been heated. This is why drinking it in a warm beverage or cooking with it is best, as the heat activates the turmeric. Also, adding freshly ground black pepper boosts turmeric absorption by 2,000%! You can also increase turmeric’s healing properties by mixing it with a healthy fat such as ghee or coconut oil.
And guess what?
Turmeric milk checks off all of the above!
Enjoy!
Health Coach Jenna