Mighty Turmeric

Turmeric has long been one of my favorite cooking herbs.  I love love love Indian food so it makes sense that I go through a lot of turmeric powder.  However, my sister turned me on to turmeric as a supplement.  Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory compound - it has been a primary ingredient in traditional medicines for centuries.  It has been used to treat heartburn, rheumatoid arthritis, stave off diabetes, and is said to support brain health and therefore prevent Alzheimer's.  It is even thought to fight cancer.  The benefits of tumeric are detailed in this article from the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/18/turmeric-health-benefits-curcumin_n_5978482.html).  Recent studies show that turmeric is even more effective when combined with black pepper.  Which is great, because I love them both!

I started taking turmeric capsules as a dietary supplement to help with my arthritis and asthma.  They are readily available at most grocery or health food stores.  It just takes one capsule a day, which is really nice.  Taking turmeric now part of my overall health regimen.  Recently though, I also started ending my evening with Golden Milk - a kind of warm turmeric tea.  It's supposed to help with digestion and sleep.  It seems to be helping me - I am a chronic insomniac.   It is very soothing and I enjoy it as a night cap.  The recipe I use is from the Coconut Mama http://thecoconutmama.com/turmeric-milk-recipe/.  It's quite nice!  It tastes a bit like warm chai.  I've also seen ginger added to the recipe so it is customizable to your needs.  Ginger also helps with digestion and is a good detoxing herb.  The main recipe is below - Enjoy!

Golden Milk Recipe

2 cups coconut milk

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp clove

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of black pepper

1-2 T honey (I just pour some in)

Just put it in a saucepan and warm it up!
This recipe makes two cups - so you can share one with your sweetie or save it for later by putting it into the refrigerator.