Tuesday's Teacher

I've always been interested in herbs - first for taste, and secondly, for nutrition, and lately I've been more and more determined that herbs can do a lot of what modern medicine is trying to do, but more gently. Here is an article from Susun Weed from her Wise Woman Weblog. It's very interesting and very informative.

Golden Milk: An Ancient & Healing Remedy

Golden Milk: An Ancient & Healing Remedy

by Rosalee de la Forêt

Turmeric has been used for thousands of years for countless ailments. In recent years it has also caught the attention of western researchers and there are many studies touting its many benefits.

Some benefits include...

• Digestion and the liver (Ulcers, diverticulitis, flatulence, leaky gut)
• Heart heath (High blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol)
• Immune support (Cancer, colds and flu, bronchitis)
• Musculoskeletal strength and flexibility (Joint disorders, arthritis, pain)
• Nervous system (Pain, Alzheimer's)
• Wound healing and healthy skin (Eczema, psoriasis)
• Diabetes and Menstruation difficulties

Turmeric is pretty astonishing!

I learned this basic recipe from Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa and I often suggest it to my clients with a lot of success.

K.P. Khalsa has a new course coming out this week called Culinary Herbalism.

This recipe is in two parts. First we make the paste and then we’ll explore how to use it.

To make the turmeric paste you’ll need:

• 1/4 cup of turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 1/2 cup of water

Measure out the ingredients. The additional pepper makes the turmeric more bioavailable, meaning that you use less for better results. At these measurements the pepper is about 3% of the mixture.

Next add the powders and the water to a small sauce pan and mix well. Turn the heat to medium high and stir constantly until the mixture is a thick paste. This won’t take long!

Let this mixture cool and then keep it in a small jar in the fridge.

Now we’ll look at a variety of ways to use this mixture.

Golden Milk

To make Golden Milk you’ll need...

• 1 cup of milk (or milk substitute if you don’t consume dairy)
• 1 teaspoon almond oil, ghee or olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon or more of turmeric paste
• honey to taste

Combine all the ingredients (except honey) in a saucepan and while stirring constantly heat the mixture until just before it boils.

Add honey to taste.

Other suggestions... this could be made into a smoothie. When blended it creates a beautifully foamy drink. Fruit could be added. Cinnamon can be sprinkled on top, etc. Experiment and enjoy!

Other options for turmeric paste

• Add a small dollop of the paste on top of crackers and cheese.
• Spread the paste on sandwich bread and continue with sandwich ingredients.

The best way to get our medicine is in our food.

Please check out this new course with K.P. Khalsa ALL ABOUT Culinary Herbalism. There is a video on making this recipe in the Culinary Herbalism course.