Wednesday 21 October 2015

Turmeric and the golden milk

Recently, I've been trying to be more experimental with my diet and exercise. I don't 'do' diets, but I do like to change things up, for example, adding white tea to my routine, or trying sriracha. I recommend both. White tea has a beautifully delicate taste and made a marked difference to how well I felt after a few days of drinking it, and sriracha is just delicious, I eat it on everything!

I know some of the products out there can be 'faddy' or seem insincere in their health benefits. But as anyone who reads my posts knows, I regularly indulge in less healthy options, so it's nice every  now and then to incorporate a food, drink or ingredient that is healthier. It's not always successful (I can't abide coconut water for example, it just doesn't suit my tastebuds), but it is always fun to try.

I'm always on the lookout for new ideas, or even old ones that I haven't necessarily come into contact with. Matcha is on my hitlist at the moment, as is turmeric. I keep seeing Instagram posts and Pinterest articles about turmeric's health benefits, and the concept of 'golden milk', a turmeric based beverage that is meant to have a positive impact on our health and wellbeing.

I have the spice in my cupboard, it's a staple for any homemade curry and comes in handy to have around. I'm quite tempted to try this idea out, but I wanted to do my research.

There is a lot of noise about the brilliance of golden milk. Firstly, you make the 'golden paste', recipes of which vary, but is predominantly turmeric, black pepper and water. This is then added to milk, or a milk alternative, such as almond milk, and with flavour variations including vanilla, honey, coconut oil and cinnamon. The idea behind the drink is to draw all of the nutritional and medicinal benefits from the turmeric, and create a tasty drink.

Turmeric is lauded for its supposed benefits: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, clearing of the skin, anti-cancer properties and blood purifier. It's important to note that this isn't hugely researched, particularly not when it comes to human trials. But it has been in use in eastern philosophy and medicine for centuries, and some research has been conducted into seeing whether these benefits actually exist. It should be said that it has been suggested that anyone on anticoagulant medication should approach with caution, as it is believed to have blood-thinning properties so can have a negative impact. However, it is not believed to have any negative outcomes, as long as ridiculous amounts are not consumed, and a lot of people out there are swearing by it. I tend to take these recommendations with a pinch of salt, but I am intrigued by what I might find.

Variations of golden milk recipes can be found at the following websites. I'll be trying a few of them out to see if I find one to suit me. I'll keep you posted!
http://healthimpactnews.com/2015/golden-milk-recipe-with-turmeric-and-virgin-coconut-oil/
http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/golden-milk.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Golden-Milk/

No comments:

Post a Comment