I woke up to heaps (read: six inches) of snow this morning. It’s that beautiful kind of fluffy, glittery snow that makes you want to romp around in it. It looks like unformed snowmen, unthrown snowballs, and unbuilt snow forts – so much possibility! But the current wind chill warning is making any kind of outdoor activity seem less inviting, at least this morning.
Instead, I’m spending my day indoors, curled up by the fire with a warm beverage. I’m planning on trading in my usual cup of my favorite tea for a mug of smooth, immune-boosting turmeric milk.
Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is believed to have wide-ranging health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Additionally, curcumin is thought to assist in detoxifying the liver – something that some of us may appreciate in the days after the holidays!
Besides all that, turmeric milk is fun to drink. Come on, look at that color!
To get the most benefits from turmeric, you should combine it with black pepper. One of the compounds in black pepper increases the absorption of curcumin by up to two hundred percent. To make sure that I remember to include the absorption-boosting black pepper in my turmeric milk, I like to keep a pre-mixed bag of turmeric and black pepper – with a pinch of ginger thrown in for good measure (and flavor)!
Then, when it’s time to mix up a drink, I can just heat a cup of milk (I prefer almond, but you can do that or dairy, soy, rice, coconut, whatever is your jam) on the stove and gradually stir in the turmeric mixture. There’s no set recipe – experiment to discover what your particular taste buds like, but a general measurement is 1/2 teaspoon turmeric mixture (including a dash of black pepper for each 1/2 teaspoon, with a pinch of ginger or cinnamon or whatever else you might like) for each cup of milk. Make sure all lumps are dissolved before drinking. Add sweetener to taste, if you like.
Enjoy along with your snow day! (Oh, and note that turmeric can stain, so be sure to wipe up any spills immediately and avoid getting it on your clothing.)