What if your medicine could taste like dessert?

It can seem totally bizarre to Western people, but Asian medicine teaches us that simple foods have medicinal effects – often just as potent as pharmaceutical drugs. Turmeric is one of those foods that have healing properties comparable to drugs. The golden spice is packed with compounds called curcuminoids, most notably curcumin, that have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Research has proven turmeric to be effective in:

• Stopping pain

• Reducing inflammation

• Helping treat symptoms of arthritis (sometimes more effectively than anti-inflammatory drugs)

• Boosting the immune system

• Aiding digestive health

• Detoxifying and aiding liver function

• Neutralizing free radicals and stimulating the body’s own antioxidant enzymes

• Boosting levels of the brain hormone BDNF (stimulates the growth of new neurons and fights various degenerative brain processes)

• Benefitting several factors known to play a role in heart disease

• Protecting against cataracts

• Preventing and perhaps even treating cancer.

• Improving the pathological process of Alzheimer’s disease (as it can cross the blood-brain barrier)

• Aiding the symptoms of depression as effectively as prozac

And the best part of all these benefits? No side effects.

Asian medicine concurs with these findings, and has traditionally used turmeric, or Jiang Huang to stimulate Qi and blood, relieve pain, cramps and swelling, promote digestion and circulation, and relieve joint pain. Because turmeric has a healing effect on the liver – the organ associated with anger in TCM – it can also be a great nutritional supplement to balance and calm emotions on a daily basis.

How to consume:

We are obsessed with turmeric in the form of Golden Milk (recipe below) because it tasted like a healy hot chocolate alternative and is so soothing and relaxing before bed! But this magic spice can be used in cooking, juices, smoothies and even salad dressing! However – if you are ingesting this for ,edicinal purposes – the active curcurmin compound is rather poorly absorbed into the blood stream. That’s why it is always recommended to consume turmeric with black pepper, as piperine has been shpwn to enhance curcumin’s absorption by 2000%! Curcumin is also a fat-soluable compound – so always consume it with a healthy fat like Coconut oil, or whatever oil you love.

Recipe:

• 2 tbsp Organic Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 cup Water
• ½-1 tsp Organic Black Pepper
• 1 cup Macadamia Milk (can swap for almond, coconut, hemp, cow, goat milk etc.)
• 1 tbsp honey (or coconut palm sugar) – adjust to preferred sweetness.
• 2 tsp Coconut Oil
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Step 1: on low heat, slowly heat water in a pot on stove top + stir in turmeric powder. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes until a paste forms.

Step 2: Pour milk of choice into pot and continue to stir.

Step 3: Add black pepper, vanilla and honey

Step 4: Remove pan from heat. Add coconut oil, stir/whisk until mixed.

Serve, and enjoy anytime of day. Tip: bedtime and before stressful events are amazing times to drink golden milk. The soothing and calming effect on the body and mind can sometimes be felt almost instantly.