Here is a delicious recipe for warming, soothing, and nourishing Golden Turmeric Milk –so named because of its beautiful rich golden colour. This is a tasty way of incorporating turmeric into your daily diet.
Why should you be eating turmeric? Turmeric is getting a lot of hype in the press recently, and rightly so. This powerful herb has been used in Indian and Asian cooking and in Ayurvedic practice for thousands of years, and recent studies have proved its powerful anti-inflammatory effects, its antioxidant effects and role in aiding detoxification, blood sugar and triglyceride balancing, as well as its potential for fighting cancer, and improving cognitive function.
Much of the research focuses on the power of curcumin, one of the powerful polyphenols found in turmeric, and as such there are many curcumin supplements available on the market. However, whole turmeric actually includes 3 different curcumenoids- curcumin, bismethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin, as well as volatile oils such as tumerone, atlantone, and zingiberone- each with their own unique health benefits. So taking an isolated curcumin supplement will not give you all the benefits that turmeric has to offer, although it will give you more curcumin that you can get from food alone.
Unless you are using it for specific therapeutic purposes under the guidance of a health practitioner, I would recommend you try to introduce turmeric root or powder to your daily diet, rather than taking a supplement. You don’t need much- 1/2 teaspoon a day or 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh turmeric root is enough.
Some ideas for including turmeric in your daily diet:
Add to smoothies, salad dressings, grate and add to scrambled eggs, rice dishes, roasted cauliflower or broccoli. Grate and add to salads. And of course – curries.
When using turmeric in your cooking, remember this one golden rule - for the beneficial nutrients in turmeric to be absorbed, it needs to be taken with black pepper and a source of fat. So make sure you add a pinch of black pepper and a source of fat- whether it's a milk (dairy or non-dairy), olive oil, coconut oil or avocado every time you eat turmeric. This will ensure you are getting the most out of your turmeric!
Please note, if you are on anti-coagulant or anti-platelet medications, you should first check with your healthcare provider whether you should be eating turmeric.
But now, back to the recipe for Golden Turmeric Milk.
You will need:
(Serves 2)
2 cups unsweetened almond or coconut milk
1 teaspoon ground turmeric, or 1 thumb sized piece fresh turmeric root, grated
1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
small pinch of black pepper
2 cloves
½ tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp honey (optional -the cinnamon is a natural sweetener in itself so you may not need the honey)
Simply pour all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a light boil, whisking to combine ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer for up to 10 minutes. Strain and enjoy warm!
