Turmeric lattes, Golden Lattes, Turmeric tea. Whatever you want to call them, turmeric drinks are all the rage right now. When we first discovered turmeric root in a community supported agriculture box, (thanks Food Connect), my darling Knight decided that turmeric was some kind of magical umami spice and tried to add it to everything he cooked. While I don’t mind turmeric in curry, I baulk a little when it’s added to bolognese sauce. However, it does have some fantastic anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce pain. So I decided to try turmeric drinks.
I found that while it won’t touch a headache that’s already settled in, having a turmeric drink 1-3 times daily has significantly reduced the amount of pain relief tablets I need to take. This equates to pre-paying the FibroTroll’s toll somewhat, so I count it as a win!
The active component to turmeric that has all of these wonderful benefits is called curcumin. If you combine it with black pepper, some heat and some fat, it improves the bio-availability (which means your body absorbs it better). I personally think that combination on it’s own is not amazing in flavour, so I add in some other spices.
- Black pepper – as well as improving bio-availability of other compounds, black pepper has anti-inflammatory properties of its own.
- Cinnamon – because it tastes amazing and is anti-inflammatory, and may give relief to suffers of arthritis. Make sure it’s the Ceylon variety as it is the one with the most benefits.
- Cloves – possibly my favourite spice, I just love the taste and smell! It also has anti-inflammatory properties and has been reported to assist in bone preservation and may have aphrodisiac properties – winning!
- Cardamom – Also has anti-inflammatory properties and is reportedly antispasmodic and may have antimicrobial effects.
- Ginger – Good for nausea, reducing inflammation and boosting the immune system.
Now because I’m having these every day, it gets very tiresome to mix up a little of every spice into a cup each time. So I make up a mix and it lives in the cupboard with our coffee and tea. Here’s the recipe for my FibroTroll fighting Turmeric Drink blend. Please note I use Australian metric standard measuring spoons – this means 1 tablespoon = 4 teaspoons. If using American tablespoons which = 3 teaspoons, then use 4 tablespoons of turmeric powder and leave the rest the same.
Recipe for my FibroTroll fighting Turmeric Drink
(makes approx. ½ cup)
Ingredients:
- 3 TABLESPOONS Ground turmeric
- 3 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons Ground Cloves
- 3 teaspoons Ground Cardamom
- 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper (As fine as you can)
Method:
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly with a dry spoon. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight.
Then, simply take a teaspoon of this mix, pop it in a cup, add boiling water, some honey, and a generous blob of coconut cream and give it a good stir. It will leave sediment at the bottom, and this is full of awesomeness, so if you can handle it, swirl up the last bit of drink with the sediment and drink it all up!
If you are new to it, start with a ¼ teaspoon per cup and slowly increase. You could also add some to a cup of your milk of choice and gently simmer. The honey is completely optional, I just think it tastes amazing.
If you suffer from chronic pain, then it’s probably worth a try, if nothing else it gives you a tasty warm drink that is an awesome alternative to coffee if you are trying to cut down on caffeine. Be careful though – it will stain if you spill it on light fabrics!
If you don’t like or don’t have one or more of the extra spices, swap them out for something else. Use more of the spices you do like, or substitute in some powdered vanilla, nutmeg or allspice or just leave them out.
If you are on any medication, check with your health care professional regarding possible interactions. I shouldn’t have to say this but – if you are allergic to any of the ingredients – DON’T CONSUME THEM!
UPDATE: 24 Jan 2019
If you would like to read more about the benefits of turmeric and cucurmin, I found this article very informative. Lyfe botanicals has quite a few articles on the benefits of turmeric and curcumin including this one on the benefits of turmeric for Fibromyalgia. Cognitune also have turmeric in capsules, so if you can’t quite stomach a turmeric drink, then it might be worth having a look at their supplements. I haven’t tried them, but in this heat we are having in Australia at the moment, I am tempted!
Cheers!
