Healing Turmeric Smoothie

As you may have heard, turmeric is anti-inflammatory. And, that’s a good news now that we are learning more about what causes physical stress and disease in the body.

Although having a strong immune system is important for our survival, our bodies can overreact to different stressors such as eating a poor diet, one too high in protein from animal sources or too high in sugar.

Read more below about the causes of (and relief from) inflammation and then try this TURMERIC SMOOTHIE recipe (below) to calm your system and bring on health.

Turmeric can have a bitter, powdery taste so start slowly and then add more. I haven’t tried the fresh turmeric, but I’ve seen it at Whole Foods.

There are also turmeric supplements, but all turmeric supplements are not the same!

Cheers to a healthy alternative! Try these other Health-conscious recipes:

• Green Berry Smoothie
• Heart Healthy Smoothie
• Rick’s Superfood Smoothie
• Homemade Almond Milk

Look for a product with better absorption rates; one that’s natural; doesn’t use harsh chemicals or solvents to extract it from turmeric root, and stays in the body for a longer time–8 to 12 hours.

(For a detailed review of curcumin which is the anti-inflammatory ingredient in turmeric, see this detailed Facebook post from the medical librarian at Happy, Healthy, Long Life.)

CAUSES OF INFLAMMATION

The answers as to why you might have excess inflammation are not always easy and if you suspect you are suffering because of it, it’s worth consulting with a doctor who is practices functional or plant-based medicine.

(Here are the links to finding doctors who practice plant-based medicine * and to ones who practice functional medicine.) **

A poor diet

Switching to a plant-based whole food diet can reduce inflammation. Primarily the intake of fruit and vegetables as well as of whole wheat is inversely associated with the risk of inflammation. (1)

Lack of exercise

Don’t let a day go by without moving a little. Setting an alarm on your phone is a great way to remember. It doesn’t take much.

Get up and take a quick walk around the block, do a few jumping jacks or knee bends, or marching. And, several times a week get a higher intensity workout at a class or sport you enjoy.

Extra fat

In addition to improving your diet, eating plant-based whole foods should help you take off the extra pounds. Using recipes such as you’ll find on this website can get you going.

Stress

Find ways to tackle stress. Probably the quickest way to trigger the relaxation response is deep breathing. It’s a signal to your brain. Take time to reflect and a few minutes to meditate.

Too much daily alcohol intake

We forget that alcohol is a toxin and that the body works hard to neutralize it’s affect.

The current recommended daily allowance for alcohol is one, five-ounce glass of wine or equivalent for women and two for men. That way, you’ll have the beneficial effect, and non of the downside.

The wrong gut bacteria

Seventy percent of your immune cells reside in your intestines (2) so your gut bacteria can affect your immune system.

A whole-foods, plant-based diet is high in fiber and makes your gut bacteria very happy because they feed on this fiber. Beans, greens, cruciferous vegetables all contain ample fiber. In addition, a good pro-biotic supplement can help you on the way.

Hidden or chronic infections from viruses, bacteria, yeasts, or parasites

Get help from a trained doctor.

Hidden allergies from food or the environment

Avoid these when possible.

Exposure to toxins such as mercury and pesticides or mold

Identify and remove from your environment.

* PlantBasedDocs is a searchable, directory of physicians, clinicians and allied health professionals who understand that a pill for every ill is not the answer.

Instead, they are embracing the nutritional science that overwhelmingly supports the efficacy of whole food, plant-based nutrition and its ability to prevent, suspend, and, often, even reverse the most devastating chronic, degenerative diseases.

** FunctionalMedicine.org is also a searchable database that helps you find healthcare professionals who are familiar with the concepts and approaches of Functional Medicine.

Functional Medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach, and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership.

Turmeric Smoothie

This smoothie is creamy and has a lovely flavor. I like to use my Homemade Almond Milk. You could also try one of these delicious Nut, Seed and Grain-Based Milk recipes.

You’ll also need bananas, frozen mango, the turmeric, of course, freshly grated ginger, your choice of hemp, flax or chia seeds, some vanilla extract, cinnamon and just a pinch of ground pepper.

Blend all your ingredients until smooth and you have one inflammation fighting smoothie! This is a perfect smoothie to start your day or enjoy in the afternoon.

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Healing Tumeric Smoothie! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!

This recipe is Certified Plantricious because it meets the following guidelines.

The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition

• Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
• May be minimally processed
• No added oil
• No added sugars
• No artificial additives or preservatives
• Sodium (mg) to Calories ratio, 1 ≤ 1
• Total Fiber to Calories, 2g ≥ 100 calories

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Healing Turmeric Smoothie

This healing turmeric smoothie is made with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen and is whipped up quickly in your blender. Enjoy as a cooling refreshment on a hot day or to start your day.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Servings: 2 people

1/21x2x3x

Equipment

• Microplane
• High-Speed Blender

Ingredients

• 2 cups non-dairy milk such as almond, soy or coconut
• 2 medium frozen bananas broken into pieces
• 1 cup frozen mango or other fruit
• 1 tsp fresh turmeric root peeled and grated, or 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp fresh ginger root peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp hemp seeds flax or chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract non-alcoholic preferred
• 1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon*
• pinch ground pepper

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Place all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender. Add more or less ginger for your taste.
• Blend until smooth, scraping the sides as necessary.

Notes

*I recommend using Ceylon cinnamon, which has a sweeter, more delicate flavor, because the most common cinnamon, cassia, contains coumarin, a naturally occurring compound that may be toxic to the liver at doses of 1 teaspoon per day for adults and 1/4 teaspoon for children a few times a week. See reference from nutritionfacts.org.

Tip: if you keep fresh ginger and turmeric in the freezer, it's easy to grate with a micorplane grater without peeling. non-alcoholic vanilla extract preferred

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Healing Turmeric Smoothie

Amount per Serving

Calories

285

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

7.9

g

12

%

Saturated Fat

 

1.4

g

9

%

Cholesterol

 

0

mg

0

%

Sodium

 

36

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

45.1

g

15

%

Fiber

 

6.1

g

25

%

Sugar

 

28.8

g

32

%

Protein

 

12.2

g

24

%

Vitamin A

 

150

IU

3

%

Vitamin C

 

55.3

mg

67

%

Calcium

 

20

mg

2

%

Iron

 

3.1

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The nutrition information is a rough estimate. Values will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it’s recommended that you calculate your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

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