I've been singing the praises of turmeric tea for years. It's one of the first things I teach my nutrition clients to make. Turmeric is restorative and preventative and has far-reaching health benefits for everyone. Some people, however, just don't like tea, which is fair. No matter how great the effects, they won't drink it. My job as their nutrition consultant is to find another way they will be willing to get their turmeric or whatever herb or root has been prescribed. When teas are a no go, I find that tonics tend to be a wonderful alternative, and thus this turmeric tonic was born.
My turmeric tonic has only four ingredients, is extremely easy to make and provides powerful health benefits.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Before I get into the super simple preparation steps, I'd like to take a moment to talk about the ingredients in this turmeric tonic and explain what they do.
Turmeric — This is one of my favorite superfoods. Turmeric is an unstoppable force due to curcumin, its main active ingredient. Curcumin gives turmeric its might. This root, which comes most popularly in the form of a powdered spice, has the power to fight two of the most devastating modern ailments — heart disease and cancer! Turmeric root has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In studies, turmeric has been shown to be effective in treating and preventing heart disease, certain cancers, arthritis and depression.
Cayenne Pepper — Despite being SPICY, cayenne pepper has powerful soothing and purifying properties. Cayenne pepper is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, breaks mucus down, stimulates digestion, thins blood clots, stimulates circulation, and has cancer-fighting properties. Ultimately, cayenne pepper is proven to help fight and prevent colds and the flu, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, ulcers, stomach and digestive issues, certain cancers, migraines and joint related ailments.
Lemon — Full of antioxidants, potassium and vitamin C, lemons are nature's internal cleanser. Freshly squeezed lemon juice helps support an ideal alkaline internal environment and boosts digestive enzymes. Ultimately, lemon juice boosts the immune system, promotes a healthy PH balance, is detoxifying, may help reduce the risk of certain cancers and may help to reduce the risk of kidney stones.
Raw Honey — Truly raw honey (and I'm not talking about the plastic bear bottle) is unprocessed and contains large naturally occurring amounts of vitamins (A, B-complex, C, D, E, K), minerals and trace elements (magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, calcium, chlorine, potassium, iodine, sodium, copper, and manganese). It's like a sweet and natural vitamin. Raw honey, with its antioxidants, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties also contains bee pollen and propolis. Raw honey has a long history of medicinal use stemming from a variety of ancient cultures, from the Egyptians to the Greeks. Ultimately, raw honey kills bacteria and germs, boosts the immune system, acts as an anti-inflammatory, provides energy, can help prevent seasonal allergies and acts as a natural vitamin.
When combined, these ingredients make a powerful daily tonic effective in fighting a host of ailments.
Here's what to do —
In a cup, scoop a teaspoon of raw honey. Squeeze a teaspoon (feel free to approximate) of fresh lemon juice over the honey and mix. The honey will dissolve into the lemon juice. Once this happens, add your turmeric and your cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly and shoot it back.
It's not bad at all! My three-year-old takes this daily with enthusiasm.
My husband...errr....not so much....
Another option is to combine it with a cup of your favorite fruit juice if you find you're still averse.
*Note, do not stop the use of any prescribed medication without first consulting a healthcare professional. This post is not intended to diagnose or cure any diseases. Eastern medicine is a wonderful complement to allopathic medicine.