Turmeric: Another Fad Or Totally Legit?

drinks + treats

Turmeric: Another Fad Or Totally Legit?

But there have been soooooo many healthy darlings that burn out quickly because they're just not as good as their PR. So, is turmeric all it's cracked up to be, or is it just another fad?

If you've been following me, you might have an idea on how I feel about turmeric. I mean, I just posted about it (see my Golden Milk recipe here ), it's one of my faves for helping with bloating , and it's a great way to help detox your body. So, now you know that I give it a big ol' thumbs up… but let's dig a little deeper to the root of the goodness (root… see what I did there!?).

What is turmeric?

As a refresher, turmeric comes from a root and is the spice that gives curry its rich, yellow-orange color (little known tidbit, it actually gives mustard its well, mustardy color, too!). More importantly, it's known for its awesome antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Both of which I can totally get behind.

The benefits of turmeric are found in the compound curcumin (the reason why turmeric is yellowy-orange) and seriously there are so, so many! It has been used for centuries in natural medicine and is now finally being recognized for its health benefits in modern medicine, too. (There are even thousands of studies showing how curcumin helps in chemotherapy treatments- so cool!)

Turmeric is seriously so great that the list of all its benefits is too long to make here, but its anti-inflammatory properties are incredible. Yes, it'll help you feel a little less sore after a workout (yay!), but it can do so much more than that. Did you know that many chronic diseases have low-level inflammation as a root cause? From arthritis, to heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and so many other conditions, inflammation wreaks havoc on our bodies! As it turns out, curcumin can even rival the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs . How great is that!?

Do I have to eat a lot of curry?

NO! I mean, you cannnnnn, but there's tons of other ways to use and love turmeric than just in curry! So, how do we use it daily?

In addition to my Golden Milk recipe (that I drink pretty much nightly these days- see what else I do at night here ), bloating tip , and detox shot , there are TONS of other ways to love turmeric.

TURMERIC: ANOTHER FAD OR TOTALLY LEGIT RECIPE

Ingredients

Golden Honey

This is a such an easy way to use turmeric and is a great remedy to help soothe a sore throat. It’s awesome because it can be made ahead of time and stored for a day when you’re feeling under the weather.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons powdered turmeric

1 cup of raw honeySunrise Smoothie

1 cup milk of choice (I love almond or coconut)
½ cup frozen pineapple
1 lemon juiced
1 orange juiced
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 pinch of black pepper*
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)

Golden Honey

This is a such an easy way to use turmeric and is a great remedy to help soothe a sore throat. It’s awesome because it can be made ahead of time and stored for a day when you’re feeling under the weather.

3 tablespoons powdered turmeric
1 cup of raw honey

Healthy Tooth Whitening

Quick note: turmeric doesn’t taste great on its own, and it will stain your toothbrush … but hey, I’ll take a stained toothbrush over stained teeth, am I right?! Plus, we all want pretty pearly whites, but yuck to all the harsh chemicals in commercial whitening strips or toothpastes! This is a much better, natural alternative, and I’m all about those!

2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil

Directions

Sunrise Smoothie

Blend and enjoy!

*Don’t forget the pepper! Turmeric is not absorbed well if taken without black pepper! So even though it may seem like a crazy thing to add, throw it in there. You want to be able to absorb all of its wonderful goodness!

**Add monk fruit if you need it a little sweetened

This smoothie is an awesome way to kick your digestion up a notch and help boost your immune system—which we could all use this time of year! Ugh, cold season is upon us! Which brings me to…

Golden Honey

Literally just dump 3 tablespoons of turmeric into the mason jar of raw, local honey and mix it up.

Bonus: raw (ideally local) honey has its own list of amazingness including antioxidants, phytonutrients, aiding digestion, allergies, and the list goes on and on. Plus, it feels so good on a sore throat. You can easily add this to your favorite soothing tea for a perfect cold buster!

Healthy Tooth Whitening

Directions to make

Melt coconut oil (ideally in a little jar you can use later for storing this stuff!)
Stir in turmeric powder

Directions for use

Dip toothbrush in the paste and brush as normal
Don’t spit right away: let that paste sit for about 3-5 minutes (yes, your teeth will look orangey while it sits, but I swear it won’t last!)
Spit and rinse thoroughly
Brush your teeth again- but with your normal toothpaste. If there’s any turmeric powder left on your teeth, it will give you a bit of a stain. So, rinse well!
Also, if there’s any orange on your mouth, just use soap and get it off before it stains… and make sure you rinse the sink because, depending on your sink, it will stain a bit if you let it sit.