It’s always wise to be on the lookout for a new powerhouse food supplement that has been long ignored by western diets. A lesser referenced member of the ginger family, turmeric is an essential element of Asian alternative medicine. It’s a prominent ingredient in most curry powders, so there’s a good chance you’ve already been consuming it without being aware. Now, most of us aren’t eating curry dishes every day, and need to find a way to slip this ancient Indian Ayurvedic herb into our routines, and that’s where the turmeric smoothie comes onto the scene.
Let’s touch on just a few of the many uses that turmeric has before diving into its flavor profiles and recipe applications. Considered holy in India, turmeric is commonly used to handle colds, indigestion, and throat infections. It can even be used topically to handle skin problems. The active compound in turmeric is called curcumin, and it has proven anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin is also a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants engage and fight free radicals in the body and help to prevent damage to cell membranes.
There are four main forms that turmeric comes in: powder, fluid extract, whole root, and tincture. According to a University of Maryland Medical Center study, adults should take between one and three grams per day of dried, powdered root when used as a supplement.
Though turmeric has a wide range of uses and is generally considered safe, it’s always wise to take precautions as turmeric can lower blood sugar levels and may also act as a blood thinner.
A turmeric smoothie can be a delicious treat anytime throughout the day. For some, the taste of turmeric may be a little too strong, so it’s important to pair it with some masking flavors to please the palate.
One turmeric smoothie recipe combines oranges, carrot, mango, coconut water, hemp seeds, and ginger. With all of those accompaniments, you’ll hardly know you’re balancing your body to an immune boosting, anti-inflammatory, and even cancer fighting drink. Not only will you have the benefits of the curcumin in your turmeric smoothie, but you will also get the benefits of the other ingredients.
Smoothies are extremely helpful for those who have a difficulty absorbing nutrients because the food is already partly broken down and much easier to digest. Also, micronutrients abound in raw, whole-food smoothies. Micronutrients maintain sufficient cellular regeneration, as the body is under constant attack from the outside. Stress, sickness, and overall fatigue are constant battles that everyone fights. Luckily, turmeric is an herbal remedy that can help.
This wonderful turmeric smoothie, besides giving your health a needed boost, can also give you a lift when your body or mind becomes fatigued.
* If fresh turmeric or ginger is not available, you can substitute each with ½ teaspoon of the dried, powdered version.
Research by Dr. Michael Lam has found that many people who struggle with depression, insomnia, lethargy, chronic illness, and even nervousness suffer from Adrenal Fatigue (AF). With all of the stress that comes from everyday life, many people suffer from adrenal fatigue.
Dr. Lam has connected his findings with the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response system. The NEM system maps the circuitry that the body uses to cope with stress. This process is mainly handled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) hormonal axis. The main organs that carry the burden of responding to stress are the adrenal glands, which is how stress is so closely related to adrenal fatigue.
Turmeric has several medicinal properties that are advantageous to reversing Adrenal Fatigue. The first is its anti-inflammatory ability. The active compound in turmeric may have a similar effect as cortisol. Cortisol is a catalyst in normalizing blood sugar levels and insulin. It also is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Turmeric can help with both of these things, thus reducing the strain on the adrenal glands to produce cortisol.
This is extremely important because, during adrenal fatigue, the body has a very high cortisol output. Though it is there for a good reason, it can also cause damage. Cortisol can suppress white blood cells and the immune system. This can become a vicious cycle where the body is fighting off negative external influences, while becoming weakened and more susceptible to further issues.
With help from the curcumin in a turmeric smoothie, the body can get the ammunition it needs to fight Adrenal Fatigue. When coping with the symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue, it is strongly advised that you ensure the steps you are taking are healthy for your particular condition. Before you implement any natural medicine into your regimen, be sure to evaluate what is best for you.
Many of us don’t get everything we need in our diet. It’s always easier to grab something quickly and get out the door. We have work, the kids have school, the house needs to be fixed and cleaned. This list will never get smaller.
This leads to stress, which causes oxidative damage to the body’s cells. The NEM stress response system benefits from the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory aspects of turmeric, helping it stay strong. Turmeric aids the NEM in fighting free radicals roaming around our bodies.
Without a healthy metabolism, the body cannot detoxify properly to rid itself of harmful substances, and this slows down stress recovery. Healthy and balanced nutrition is important when providing your body with what it needs to maintain an effective NEM stress response and avoid adrenal exhaustion. Prepare yourself micronutrient-rich turmeric smoothies. The time spent making smoothies is well spent when you consider all the damage that occurs without proper self-care.
With information more available than ever before, there will always be someone claiming to know what’s best for you. There seems to be an ever-revolving door of gurus and healers claiming to know the best way to good health. It is always prudent to look into things deeply so that you understand how they will affect you and your body. Natural remedies that have been used for thousands of years and are still being touted by cultures to this day carry substantive credibility. For this reason and many more, it would be wise to consider adding turmeric into your diet.
If you, like many of the people in the Dr. Lam Coachig program, have any questions about stress and adrenal fatigue or any related health issues, please call us at (626) 571-1234 for a free initial consultation. We will try our best to answer any questions you may have on the topic. You can also request a callback here.