Golden Turmeric ‘Milk’
Step 1: Turmeric Paste:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of turmeric powder (organic if possible)
- 1 cup of filtered water
- 1.5 tsp of ground pepper
- 5 Tbsp coconut oil
Directions:
Mix turmeric, pepper and water in a small sauce pan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture turns into a thick paste. This does not take long (about 5-10 min) so don’t walk away from the pan!
Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil.
Let mixture cool and then store it in a small jar in the fridge for future use. (Can be used in cooking as well)
Step 2: Turmeric Milk
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp of turmeric paste (or more as desired)
- 1 cup milk (almond, hemp or coconut are my favourite!)
- Little bit of honey (optional) and a little bit of cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients, except honey in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium. While heating make sure to stir constantly and do not allow the mixture to boil. Add honey to taste afterwards.
Healing Properties of Turmeric
Curcuma longa is a very powerful medicinal root in the same plant family as ginger. In India it has been used traditionally for stomach and liver ailments and topically on the skin to heal sores. Turmeric has many healing properties including: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumour, antibacterial and antiviral. In order to access the healing properties of turmeric, it is best used in combination with black pepper, as the pepperine increases the effectiveness of curcuma in turmeric. A little bit of fat (coconut oil, flax oil or olive oil), heat (to increase solubility), a little bit of honey, also greatly increase the bioavailability of this magical medicinal root!
Common Medicinal uses of turmeric:
Inflammatory conditions: arthritis and rheumatism, inflammatory bowel diseases (colitis, crohn’s), joint pain/sprains,
Cancer: has been shown to induce apoptosis (cell-death) in cancer cell
Intestinal health: Can kill H. pylori, inflammatory bowel conditions, liver health
Cardiovascular health:
Allergies: inhibit histamine release, therefore decreasing allergic reactions, including eczema and asthma
Aging: due to it’s high concentrations of anti-oxidants, turmeric powder has been called a “longevity spice”. It has been shown to be helpful in Alzheimer’s, congnitive decline, cataracts, and eye health