Tea Time with Turmeric

Happy Therapeutic Thursday! It has been raining most of this week here near San Francisco. My fall nesting instincts have kicked in – I’m craving lots of tea, warm blankets, piles of books, and cozy cuddles with my pup!

Right now I’m taking a little break and decided to make Turmeric Tea, which I just learned about this year. So, I’m inviting you to my little tea party, and will share this deeply nourishing and anti-inflammatory tea recipe with you!

First though, I want to share some of the amazing properties of turmeric that I am fascinated with. Turmeric’s yellow pigment, called curcumin, has been demonstrated to have major anti-inflammatory effects – so much so, that it has been shown to be comparable to both potent prescription and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs. For people that experience any form of arthritis, or joint pain, intake of turmeric may help to relieve the symptoms of morning stiffness and decrease joint swelling – all without the toxic side effects of drugs.

Besides being anti-inflammatory, turmeric has also been demonstrated to have powerful antioxidant properties, and is being studied for its anti-cancer effects – including tumor fighting abilities. Seriously cool stuff!

Now, time for the recipe. I really like this tea – it is creamy and a bit spicy – but not overly spicy. Warm and comforting, I can see this will be a tea-time regular during these colder months.

Turmeric Tea (adapted from Powerful Plant-Based Super Foods, by Lauri Boone, R.D.

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond milk or coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• Pure maple syrup (to taste)

Directions

• Over medium heat, warm the milk in a saucepan.
• When hot (but not boiling), stir in the turmeric, ginger, and black pepper.
• Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and strain into cup.
• Stir in a bit of maple syrup to taste, and serve warm.

Fun Fact of the Day: Adding black pepper with turmeric while cooking may help to increase the bioavailability of curcumin – which means that adding pepper helps your body to absorb more of turmeric’s awesome health benefits!

Hope you enjoy the tea, and see you next week!

Sources: Boone, Lauri (2013). Powerful Plant-Based Super Foods. Beverly: Fair Winds Press; Murray, M (2005). The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York: Atria Books.