Tag: cold

My Quick and Easy Cold Fighting Remedy Recipe

gingerteaThere is never a good time for a cold – especially while on the road! Right now I can feel one coming on so I’ve made a quick and easy cold fighting remedy: Ginger tea with turmeric and honey.

Why does it work?

The ginger is an immune booster and it also clears the micro-circulatory channels of the body, including those annoying sinuses that flare up during colds. Ginger also warms up the body, so it promotes healthy sweating that detoxifies and releases cold symptoms. Turmeric is rich in curcumin which can prevent infections from getting worse. It’s also a powerful anti-inflammatory that will aid in faster healing. The honey is anti-bacterial and antiviral, and also helps soothe the throat as well as provide a sweetness to the drink.

My Quick and Easy Cold Fighting Remedy:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 an inch of peeled, fresh ginger cut up into small chunks, or 1 teaspoon of ginger powder
  •  1/2 an inch of peeled, fresh turmeric cut up into small chunks or 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
  •  Honey to taste (use raw if possible and remember honey is high in fructose so don’t go all crazy with it. I use about 1 tablespoon)

Directions:

  1. Pour boiling water over the turmeric and ginger.
  2. Let infuse until warm. About 5-10 minutes
  3. Stir in honey. 
  4. Add lemon if available.

If you are on the road and can’t find turmeric, no worries – the ginger and honey will still work wonders!

When I’m done with my tea I like to reuse the fresh ginger and turmeric to make another cup. Of course you can’t do this if using powders, but the fresh roots can make at least two powerful cups of cold-fighting goodness.

Now, go show that cold who is boss!

Health Coach Jenna

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10 Reasons to Drink Turmeric Milk + RECIPE

From curing the common cold to preventing or fighting against cancer, turmeric is an essential spice that you should become familiar with. With a long history of being used in traditional medicines such as ancient India’s Ayurveda, it has lately become more recognized in western practices – it’s really no surprise that it is currently the most studied spice on the planet.

I try to drink a warm cup of turmeric milk (aka “Golden Milk”) everyday. I especially make sure I get my cup in when studying yoga in India, as it’s nature’s best anti-inflammatory, helping relieve any general aches and pains. Plus, it’s really delicious – making it a nice treat before bed.

Healing Properties of Turmeric:

1. Cancer fighter.

2. Reduces symptoms of depression.

3. Cures the common cold.

4. Relieves arthritis pain.

5. Balances Hormones.

6. Relieves general aches and pains in the body.

7. Reduces risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

8. Lowers cholesterol.

9. Alleviates allergies.

10. Helps wounds heal faster.

And these are just a tip of the iceberg of all the healing properties of turmeric.

Alright, so now that you know how AMAZING turmeric is, are you ready to make some turmeric milk?!

Turmeric Milk Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of coconut milk (or your dairy-free milk of choice) 
  • 1 teaspoon dried turmeric powder OR one half-inch fresh turmeric thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder OR one half-inch piece of peeled, fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
  • A dash of freshly ground black pepper
  • Honey to taste (use local if possible – this will also help with allergies and do not add to the milk when it is HOT, as this turns the honey toxic. Wait until it is warm.)

Directions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients (except the honey) into a blender.
  2. Blend for 30 seconds to a minute.
  3. Pour mixture into saucepan over medium heat.
  4. Bring to boil.
  5. Turn off heat, cover, and allow mixture to cool for a few minutes.
  6. Add honey.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Alternatively, if you do not have a blender, skip steps one and two and combine all ingredients in a saucepan. If you are using fresh ginger and turmeric, use a strainer to filter them out before serving.

In addition to drinking turmeric milk, I also cook with turmeric as much as possible. There are tons of delicious recipes out there ranging from coconut curries to lentil soups. Here is a list of some goodies:

Curry Cream of Carrot Soup 

Turmeric Spiced Rice 

Spiced Kale Scramble 

Creamy Pumpkin Curry 

However you choose to get your daily dose of turmeric, make sure to ingest it after it has been heated. This is why drinking it in a warm beverage or cooking with it is best, as the heat activates the turmeric. Also, adding freshly ground black pepper boosts turmeric absorption by 2,000%! You can also increase turmeric’s healing properties by mixing it with a healthy fat such as ghee or coconut oil.

And guess what? Turmeric milk checks off all of the above!

Enjoy!

Health Coach Jenna