I hope you're having a nice week 😁

My week has gone very well, especially considering that that horrible flu everyone seems to have--what could it be, huh?--has finally left me! I wasn't feeling like myself for a whole week, but I never had a fever or any respiratory issues.

I like to think that my immune system is stronger now thanks to incorporating spices like ginger and turmeric into my daily diet, among other things.

Healthy & Healing Traditions

In my town, papelón con limón juice has always been a tradition because it's absolutely hot here 🔥🥵🔥 I don't usually drink juices, but when the heat hits hard like these months (the last two years), you start to get creative, and at a certain point you want what you drink to be healthier.

When it comes to turmeric, well, much research is needed on how to consume turmeric, how much, when and mixed with what, but there is also much that is known from experimentation through the years, and time is wise, my friends 😎

There is a whole tradition of Ayurvedic medicine, for example, that highlights the anti-inflammatory and digestive properties of turmeric and ginger and their value in strengthening the immune system, to name some. I know little about these matters, and if know little like me as well, fortunately, there are a number of Ayurvedic practitioners that you can turn to for guidance if you are interested; just go to the web and navigate wisely. I'd like to recommend the people I follow, but I'm not that confident yet 😏 I keep reading and listening to people who have been involved in these matters longer than I have...

So far, I can only attest to the effects on my own body, which is saying a lot, since I do not consume it as much as most people who have entrusted their health to this miracle root. After a couple of weeks of taking a similar infusion (of turmeric, ginger, honey and a slice of lemon), I noticed that my hands were getting less swollen and my knuckles no longer hurt. A few days later, after incorporating masala chai into my daily routine (alternating days with some homemade coconut milk), I could finally feel my joints returning to normal functioning as before the COVID-19--which left me suffering from a very annoying pain in my knees.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons sliced fresh ginger, unpeeled

• 1 spoonful of turmeric (I used powdered)

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

• 4 tablespoons cane honey

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

It's said that black pepper favors the absorption of curcumin; I hope so because I love the taste in my infusion. It's also said that fats such as milk, coconut or olive oil enhance the effects of curcumin; I haven't tried this one, but I do like golden milk made with coconut milk (homemade and unsweetened).

The Ayurvedic parctitioner I have consulted says that if you want to reduce the pitta, you can use lime juice instead of lemon juice for infusions like this one. As she spoke, I just wanted to raise my hand and ask, "What?" "Pitta who?" Hehe 🙊 It's a whole new world for me. Really interesting, and the best thing is that no one is telling me this and that about the benefits of turmeric and ginger because I am experiencing myself--always with measure.

THE PROCESS

The first thing I did was to confirm if I wasn't using too much ginger. And it was fine. I was just checking because everybody seems to have an opinion on the grams of ginger you may consume per day. Anyway, I'm not chewing it--I couldn't chew this much even if I wanted to 🔥🥵🔥

I alos found that the tablespoon of ground curcuma I use every other day for my husband and I is 6 grams approx.

However, the amount of milligrams taken by test subjects in clinical studies is insane, especially considering that they take pure curcumin. You can read a lot about it at PubMed. I understand half of what I read here, doing my best 😂

To start,

I wash, slice and crush the ginger, unpeeled. I use an old pestle with a flat end to make it easier.

I add a cup of water and bring the pot to simmer for 15 minutes.

Then I add the turmeric and remove the pot from the heat, so that it cooks with the remaining heat. It is a fact that high temperatures lower the curcumin; as my pot is thick-bottomed and retains a lot of heat, I simply remove it from the heat as soon as I add the turmeric.

I stir the mixture well and let it infuse for 5 minutes.

I add the cane honey, lemon juice, and a cup of cold water.

At this point, I like to add a little chopped lemon in the jar to give the drink more freshness.

Time to drain it 😋

Add ice and our cold infusion is ready for you to enjoy.

All in all, I don't think I'll ever take my papelón con limón (cane honey & lemon juice) again without a little curcuma and black pepper--or some Jamaican pepper, perhaps--; it really raises its status a thousandfold!

Cheers!❤️

All text and images are my own. I have taken the pictures with my Redmi 9T cell phone. And if any GIFs here, I've used GIPHY for all them.

Thank you so much for your visit :)

Banner by @andresromero 🖤

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