I’ve finally gotten to an age or level of maturity where I am taking much more notice of what I put in my body. This used to be ‘eat less crap’, but I am now much more of the mindset that I need to choose for its positive impact rather than lack of a negative one. I’ve often felt prone to fatigue, chronic muscle pain and insomnia for some time, which are symptomatic of a stressed body and a stressed liver.
Toxins are prevalent in our modern environment. From our water to the food we eat, an awful lot of things end up in our systems, and a lot of it bad, and this overworks and stresses our livers. When it can’t keep up with the workload, toxins then accumulate in the body.
A whole host of diseases have been associated with the overload of toxins in the body. This includes types of cancer, asthma, mental illness and obesity.
The correlation between what we see as ‘modern’ diseases and the rise of toxin-heavy diets is a strong one. To reduce these, obviously a whole dietary rethink is required, but let’s think baby steps. Let’s start with turmeric tea.
Turmeric Tea Benefits
Turmeric is a great way to heal, cleanse and detoxify your body and liver. Perhaps most commonly associated with Indian curries, it also makes a fantastic tea.
Now, I can’t by any means pretend that this is a little-known concoction passed down the generations, but I feel that it the knowledge should be shared!
A yoga-mad colleague at work introduced it to me and claimed it had changed her life. More importantly though, she said that she no longer suffered from hangovers as a result of taking the drink daily.
No more hangovers? Yes please.
While I’m not saying you should throw caution to the wind after a week on this stuff and go on a binge and start slamming down tequila shots, it does leave your liver in a much healthier state.
Turmeric tea benefits read like a list of criteria for the perfect food. The range of what it covers is truly astounding! To name a few…
- Detoxifies the body and liver
- Boosts immunity by improving liver function and protects liver tissue
- Cleanses and purifies the blood
- Eases symptoms of coughs and colds
- Improves skin complexion
- Reduces bad cholesterol
- Reduces inflammation – all types of arthritis and other inflammation
- More benefits can be read in this wonderful post and also in Doctor Kevin Curran’s post on how turmeric can help battle inflammation.
How to Make Turmeric Tea
The best way I’ve found to bring turmeric into my diet is by making a tea with it. It’s sweet yet spicy and, with the right blend of ingredients, is delicious.
I actually started having this drink with basic milk, honey and turmeric products, but the internet always has a way to help you ‘optimise’ your ingredients by finding much healthier and more effective versions!
These ingredients help maximize the nutritional impact of the turmeric. So now the key ingredients that I use are:
Coconut milk
The fats in the coconut milk help enhance turmeric nutrient absorption, and are forms of energy that are used immediately rather than being stored as fat. Furthermore, it helps you maintain normal blood pressure, and its vitamin C content slows down the ageing process of the skin.
The benefit reach of coconut milk is wide-ranging, from strengthening bones to improving the strength of hair. It can even be used as a make-up remover and hair conditioner, as well as a cure for a whole range of skin ailments, as seen in this fantastic post.
Raw honey
Much more so than standard honey, raw honey is rich in vitamin and nutrients. Promotes the growth of good bacteria in the intestines, lowers blood sugar levels and aids sleep. Read more on the benefits of raw honey here.
Black pepper
Helps the absorption of the turmeric, this maximizing the benefits of the spice.
For one cup of turmeric tea I put in one teaspoon of ground turmeric powder, mixed in with three-quarters of a cup of hot water.
The remaining quarter is then the coconut milk, with a pinch of black pepper and a tablespoon of raw honey. Easy, delicious and immediately refreshing.
What’s your take on turmeric tea? What ingredients do you add? Let us know in the comments below!
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