Terific Turmeric

Kefir with Turmeric and Black Pepper

By Margot Cioccio

I've been using Turmeric for aches and pains for over a year now. I don't take any over the counter pain meds or any prescribed ones either. I have worked on finding healthy natural alternatives. I use essential oils for a lot of things and I will share about some of them in future posts.

Turmeric is a pretty powerful anti inflammatory. When you have curry its the curcumin in turmeric that gives it that bright golden orange yellow color. I mix a heaping teaspoon in kefir a wonderful probiotic drink thats kind of like yogurt but a little thinner.

When my family moved in September I talked all my family into giving it a try. They liked to call the mixed kefir and turmeric mustard juice. It does turn the kefir a very mustard like color.

You can also get turmeric in capsule form. My family all agreed that when you have sore and aching muscles you grab the turmeric from the spice cabinet and add some to kefir and in a very short time you feel much better. I happen to like the slightly bitter creamy taste and texture of kefir with turmeric. As I was studying to write this post I found the following quote in an article by Kris Gunners called 10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric. She says "Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume black pepper with it, which contains piperine… a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2000%"

So tonight I added about a half teaspoon of black pepper to the mix. It tastes about the same as before with a little added pepper heat. I also realized that my turmeric jar is just about empty. I buy mine in bulk at a local market.

Besides being a wonderful anti inflammatory it is also a powerful anti oxidant on its own but also boost the other anti oxidants present in the body. Anti oxidants neutralize free radicals that are responsible for aging and effecting numerous diseases.

It has been given to heart bypass patients and they have seen a remarkable reduction in the risk of having a heart attack. It also seems to help with memory and brain function. It seems to increase a growth hormone called BDNF that generally decreases as we age.

It is even thought to help decrease cell growth in cancer at least in lab animals. But who knows what we may learn as more studies are done.

It is helpful with depression, arthritis, alzheimer's, and slowing the effects of aging.

Amazing! All this benefit hidden away in your spice cabinet.

I guess the more I read about various drugs even over the counter ones it seems you solve one problem only to create others. I did check to see if there were side effect. It seems some people experience stomach upset. I never have but perhaps its because I combine mine with the super probiotics of kefir. You should stop using it a few weeks prior to surgery because it slows blood clotting.

I make my own kefir to put my turmeric and pepper in, but you can find unsweetened kefir it at places like Trader Joe's. I will probably do a post on how to make kefir at some point.

My Self Care Spa Wellness Activity:

Give turmeric a try.

Here's a recipe for Longevity Tea
"Dr. Andrew Weil notes that people in Okinawa, the Japanese island nation with the world's longest average life span, drink turmeric tea daily. To make your own, boil four cups of water, add one teaspoon of ground turmeric, allow to simmer for 10 minutes, strain, and add ginger and/or honey to taste." Read more: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/22-surprising-uses-for-turmeric#ixzz37W81PVyp

I guess you can even use it to clean cuts and wounds because it is a a natural anti-septic and anti-bacterial. Some people use it as a natural foundation to get that healthy glow. Once again I have only scratched the surface on this subject but I encourage you to do more research on your own. I'd love for you to share your findings in the comments.