Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Tea

curcumin to the rescue!

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Many have argued that turmeric is the most powerful herb on the planet at fighting and potentially reversing disease.
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Turmeric is the dried root of the Curcuma longa plant and belongs to the ginger family. It is also known as ‘yellow ginger.’ Curcumin is one of the renowned healing compounds found in turmeric that is responsible for many of its health benefits beyond nutrition.

I first came across turmeric as a culinary staple widely used in Indian and South Asian cuisines, specifically the main spice found in curries. It is only in recent years that I got to know of its medicinal properties, which include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Many have argued that turmeric is the most powerful herb on the planet at fighting and potentially reversing disease. This Superfood has been used, not just as a culinary staple, but as an ancient remedy in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda for thousands of years. Its health benefits are incredibly vast and have been very thoroughly researched to date.

One popular way of consuming turmeric is making it into a tea. Drinking turmeric tea is a simple and great way to reap the health benefits of turmeric. Some health benefits of turmeric tea include enhancing immune function, reducing inflammation, aiding weight loss, managing cholesterol levels, regulating blood sugar, easing joint pain, and helping cancer prevention and Alzheimer’s disease prevention.

Many turmeric tea recipes are available that use fresh turmeric root, as well as dried, ground, or powdered turmeric. For my recipe, I use fresh turmeric root with ginger, lemon, cinnamon, black pepper, coconut oil, and honey to super-load my concoction with even more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, vitamins, and nutrients. It is packed with a real kick, spicy, zingy, and oozing with goodness and deliciousness in every drop. Go ahead, try it, and let me know how you like it.

P.S.: Vegans can substitute honey in this recipe with another natural sweetener that is vegan-friendly.

did you know?

Curcumin is the active ingredient we want to absorb from eating turmeric. However, curcumin is not easily absorbed by the body.

To reap the many health benefits of curcumin, we need to increase its bio-availability.

We enhance absorption by combining it with black pepper and healthy fat such as coconut, ghee, or olive oil over heat.

Make turmeric tea a part of your healthy diet and daily routine. Consume turmeric tea in moderation to avoid any side effects. As a guide, one to two cups of turmeric tea per day should suffice and could help to maximize its potential health benefits while minimizing the risk of side effects.

Eat well, be well, and live more abundantly.

THINGS TO NOTE

Some people may be allergic to turmeric and, therefore, should avoid it altogether.

Taking too high dosages of turmeric may cause side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, a blood-thinning effect, and decreased blood pressure. Turmeric may also interfere with the effects of some medications.

People who have diabetes, or take blood thinners, or are scheduled for surgery, as well as pregnant women should consult their physicians before taking any form of turmeric.

recipe card

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OVERVIEW

SERVINGS: 4

DIET TYPE: RESTORATIVE | VEGETARIAN | *VEGAN

COOK TIME: APPROX. 15 MINUTES

LEVEL: SIMPLE, QUICK & EASY

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

FRESH TURMERIC ROOT, THINLY SLICED (~2 INCHES), or POWDERED (1 TBSP)
FRESH GINGER, THINLY SLICED (~2 INCHES)
ZEST & JUICE OF LEMON, ORGANIC (1 WHOLE)

FROM THE PANTRY

FILTERED WATER (1.2 L | 5 CUPS)
CINNAMON STICK (1 PC)
BLACK PEPPERCORN, FRESHLY GROUND (1/8 TSP)
RAW COCONUT OIL, COLD-PRESSED (1 TSP PER SERVING)
RAW HONEY / *PURE MAPLE SYRUP, ORGANIC (TO TASTE)

STEPS

Wash lemon, turmeric root, and ginger. Scrape off the skin of turmeric root and ginger with a teaspoon, then thinly slice.

Boil filtered water in a kettle to save time. Transfer boiling water to a saucepan and turn on low heat.

Add sliced turmeric root and ginger, cinnamon stick, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest to the pan. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Do not boil. As boiling may result in a loss of curcumin, along with its health benefits.

Turn off heat. Add lemon juice to the saucepan and mix well.

To serve, prepare a teapot with strainer. Spoon turmeric tea into the teapot through the strainer. For the finish touch, add coconut oil and honey. Enjoy!

*NOTES