I'll preface by saying that my I had been having constant backaches for months. Seriously - so bad I went to the doctor for it and I really don't like going to the doctor because I don't like to take medications. She said to take Advil. Well, as you may have read in a previous blog post, I've also been having stomach pains so I decided to pass on the Advil. I read in Prevention magazine on one of my many plane rides for work last year that turmeric has been proven in studies to be as effective on inflammation as Advil.
Well, I can't swear it is the turmeric, because I've also lost about 25 pounds, but between the two my back pain has subsided substantially. It has subsided so much that when I started having some back pain a few days ago and it suddenly hit me … I'd gone WEEKS without any pain. Previously, my pain had almost absorbed into the background of just the way life was, but now it is so much better.
So here's how I been incorporating Turmeric into my life the last month or so ... I've been taking a Turmeric Supplement every day and I've also been enjoying a delicious glass of Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Turmeric "tea", in the evenings, but I've been tweaking the recipe a bit.
- Instead of the almond milk it calls for, I have been making fresh unsweetened cashew milk. I soak the raw cashews for about 20 minutes and put into the Vita-mix on high for about 30 seconds
- I buy 6 ounces of organic ceylon cinnamon, 3 ounces of turmeric and 1.5 ounces of organic ginger an put them all in a quart sized mason jar and mix it around a bit. This allows me to have a mix on hand so I can make it easily make it whenever I want without having to get out 3 different spice jars each time
- When I have fresh dates on hand, like this weekend, I substitute the dates for honey because otherwise the dates would probably go bad in the fridge since I am not making a lot of sweet recipes
- I don't heat it into a hot "tea." Instead, I add the sweetener and mix with the cashews in the Vita-mix and mix it all up on high for about 30 seconds
- Sometimes I add a little ice for a frothy turmeric "smoothie"
- I make about 3-4 servings in the Vita-mix and then I drink a glass and put the remainder in a large glass jar in the refrigerator so to save time for the next couple of nights
Here's the mixture prior to gently mixing it (cap on and just slowing moving the contents around until mixed. Prior to mixing it looks a little like sand art, doesn't it?
It makes for a really nice drink and if I want to I can heat it up, but mixing it in the Vita-mix keeps it very smooth and creamy and gives me a way to get some natural Turmeric into my diet.
Hope you'll give it a try- it's actually VERY tasty.
