Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Turmeric tea - cleanse day 3

I'm doing a five-day food cleanse followed by a six-week diet with Liz Vequist in an effort to start feeling fit, active and inspired. The cleanse started on Monday, October 5, 2015.

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Turmeric, the yellow, vaguely musty spice that comes from root of the Curcuma Longa plant (a member of the ginger family), is oft cited as having powerful medicinal effects. These include:


  • Reducing inflammation (e.g., such as that associated with IBD or arthritis)
  • Protection against Alzheimer's and various cancers (including colon, prostate, and childhood leukemia)
  • Improving liver function
  • Reducing bad cholesterol


I've long thought of it as a key ingredient in curries and other Indian foods.

And never have I thought of it as a potential tea.

But, it is a key component of the five-day cleanse, so, like a good doobie, I've been steeping the tea nightly and drinking it.

The recipe we were given was adapted from one by Megan Telpner. The only difference I can see between ours and hers is that we aren't supposed to put the honey in it. As I skimmed the recipe, I imagined it might taste like a variation of chai. I was intrigued.

The first night, I steeped the tea as directed for 20 minutes. And it tasted NOTHING like delicious chai, Instead, it tasted like moldy hot water. #fail

The second night, I skipped the fresh ginger, and steeped a double strength recipe of the spices for 40 minutes. When it was a rich goldenrod color, I poured it into my mug, over four ounces of unsweetened rice milk.

MUCH better. (And if I could add honey to it, it would be even better.)

I typically drink a cup of "Sleepytime Extra" tea in the evening, as part of my effort to get myself to fall asleep. If the sleep benefits of the cleanse continue for the next three days, I can imagine replacing the "Sleepytime Extra"  ritual with a cup of turmeric tea, provided I can find a way to make it more spontaneous. (I don't want to wait 40 minutes every night for my evening cup of tea.) I may experiment with buying OTC turmeric tea (e.g., from brands like Numi, Rishi and The Republic of Tea), and may also experiment with making it "in bulk" and simply reheating daily.

And, if I *do* continue the turmeric tea ritual, I'll be really curious to see if it helps alleviate any of my daily complaints, particularly about allergies and foot pain. I'll keep you posted.

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