Turmeric and Ginger.
Years ago, I was in the midst of a search for natural remedies used as cure-alls with the highlight of achieving a happy gut.
It was the onset of my adventure into self-teaching of herbalism and where I discovered this pair of common yet powerful herbs that served as perfect starter herbs for my journey.
They’ve since become staples used daily in my house and have yielded far more than I initially credited them and could have hoped for.
Turmeric and Ginger actually share the same family crest, have origins in South Asia/India, and are real treasures when it comes to health benefits or additions for savory recipes (like my Golden Plant Milk-see below).
Turmeric can even tout itself as a natural dye! (I believe anyone who has been left with golden yellow fingertips after using Tumeric can surely attest this!)
Turmeric, with more than 4000 years in medicinal usage, is a product of the Curcuma longa plant. As you can see by lead in of the name, turmeric contains curcumin (yet another powerhouse we can save for another day) which gives turmeric its amazingly beautiful golden yellow color and its anti-inflammatory/antioxidant properties.
And, has been known to be used for (listing just some) the immune system, joints, digestive system, liver, brain, skin, and respiratory.
Ginger, a product of the Zingiber plant, too has thousands of years in use and is also an antioxidant known for use in helping areas of inflammation, digestion, nausea, joints, diabetes, cholesterol and menstrual to name a few.
-Elise's Adventures In Herbaland©
*Please consult your healthcare provider before beginning any intake.
Elise’s Golden Plant Milk
This healthy and delicious recipe is my personal version(s) of the original (Ayurvedic) Haldi Doodh recipe of India, my go-to and a gotta have in my home.
It’s a creamy treat that can be whipped up in minutes and served day or night.
This recipe also has optional versions because I personally like options (I am a converse one day and flip flop the next kinda girl) but, also due to testing various combos to achieve my family approved status, which worked out super in the end as it can be tailored to personal preferences, allergens etc. If nothing else, experimenting is plain good fun!
Ingredients for: Elise’s Golden Plant Milk (makes 1 serving)
1 ¾ c of your choice of unsweetened plant-based milk (I have personally found oat and ultra-soy milk make the thickest and creamiest, followed by coconut, flax, cashew then almond for a lighter version)
* ½ tsp of your choice of oil (sunflower and coconut are my favs, but ghee is the traditional and olive oil works just fine)
¾ tsp up to 1 tsp. ground turmeric depending on preference
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground anise (anise because it’s a Texas thing but feel free to swap for cinnamon or cardamom)
* ¼ tsp or a pinch of black pepper
Optional is your choice of sweetener (Because I am one of the anti-sweets people, I prefer no sweetener but my family enjoys a little agave, again it’s a Texas thing, but you can certainly use wildflower honey, molasses or maple, monk fruit, or even stevia- the creativity is yours)
*I have starred these ingredients for special note that they are important not to be left out since our bodies don’t absorb turmeric well enough and because turmeric is fat soluble. Black pepper contains piperine which helps absorption and turmeric dissolves in oil.
Instructions
Simply bring the milk and oil to a low simmer in a small saucepan and let gently roll for 1 ½ -2 ½ minutes, remove from heat, add in spices and stir about 30 seconds, pour into your preferred cup and add sweetener if you wish. Enjoy!
-Elise's Adventures In Herbaland©
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