Let's talk turmeric (and no it doesn't yellow your teeth)

“I stopped having turmeric, my friend told me it yellows your teeth and she’s Indian”

I would’ve gently dismissed this client’s reasoning if she wasn’t the third to mention turmeric teeth. I  had one of our research elves look into the topic and she concluded: 

I found no reliable research that turmeric yellows teeth. In fact, much of the research regarding turmeric and teeth found that turmeric is very good for teeth!

 One study found turmeric reduced plaque and gingivitis. And there’s a turmeric toothpaste hitting the market as turmeric “not only prevents tooth decay but also decreases halitosis, inflammation and tooth sensitivity”

In case you’re not dental-centric turmeric helps with mood (on par with Prozac), joint pain,

It lowers the risk of brain diseases and heart disease. It slows the growth of cancer cells. With some types of cancer, turmeric prevented cancer from developing (colon cancer).

My favorite way to turmeric is via golden milk, you can find the recipe here 

A lot has changed since I wrote that post in 2014, golden milk is now found on menus. In NYC Blakelane and bluestone both offer it. Whether you include turmeric in your diet or supplement it, be sure pepper is involved as it makes its potency skyrocket.

Any other myths you’d like me to look into?

Our best Squeeze program yet and fave new ingredient

 Oh structure we missed you so. We are midway though our Foodtrainers’ September Squeeze fall reset weeks.  Week 1, led by Lauren, concluded Sunday and week 2, my week, is off and running (shout out to our Squeeze achievers doing both weeks).

We design a new program, with new recipes each time (why do less work when you can do more?) but we never really know how it will go until we have a group of all ages, living in all different places, going through it. Many of Lauren’s week 1 squeezers told us it was our best squeeze yet…nice!  We asked our week 1 Squeeze grads to tell us how they felt:

I feel back on track/more confident/able to say no/in control/clear-headed, rested and resolved to continue.

This Squeeze is NO booze, grains, sugar, cheese or scale (yup a full week no weigh ins).  While it sounds like a lot of no’s we have a lot of yes’s too. We select special ingredients and what we call “secret weapons” to spice things up. My favorite this go around is ashwaganda. Ashwagandha is tough to say and tough to drink. Sunpotion politely says it tastes a little “earthy”, we say it tastes like dirt, unless you have it in our OMG Ashwagandha recipe. Why should you “ash”? It’s an Ayurvedic herb, used for over 3000 years, that lowers cortisol, helps body handle stress, balances thyroid hormones and improves body composition and sleep.

Try Ashwaganda and our other new favorites in our Squeeze Bundle 

Squeeze Nightcap: OMG Ashwagandha

We love us some golden milk and this ashwagandha nightcap is a spin on the classic. Don’t stress out about our recipe, if you don’t have all of these it’ll be ok.

And if you are stressing out…all the more reason to try this.

Ingredients:

·      1/4 tsp. Sun Potion Ashwagandha

·      1/2 tsp. Wakaya turmeric

·      1/2 tsp. Wakaya ginger

·      1 cup water

·      Pinch sea salt 

·      Pinch black pepper (pepper increases the effectiveness of turmeric)

·      1 cup almond or coconut milk

·      Optional drops NuStevia (optional)

·      *Add more sea salt or stevia as needed 

Instructions:

1.    Put ashwagandha, turmeric, ginger, pepper and water into a small saucepan, add water and simmer 8-10 minutes or until this mixture reduces and thickens.

2.    Add almond milk and stir, continue until mixture is warm (a few minutes).

3.    Add salt and stevia (if using) and stir again.

4.    Pour into a mug and sip. OMG, you’ve been ashwagandha’d.

If you want a reset, let us know and we’ll put you on the list for January “Whipping Week” info.

So what do you do when you need to reboot? Have you heard of ashwaganda? Any nighttime rituals you’d like to share?

Wakaya and Foodtrainers a match made it heaven (or Fiji)

There are foods and food products I like and then those I love. When I love something there is no limit. Wakaya’s ginger and turmericteas and more recently their coarse sea salt (avocados love this) and dilo cream (natural sunscreen in it) are on my love list.  So I’m honored that Wakaya interviewed Carolyn and I and posted our new Double Golden Milk recipe. Check it out for our 5 favorite food trends and more.

And here's the recipe

Wakaya Double Golden Milk

What you need (and if you don’t have all of these, it’ll be ok)

1/2 tsp. Wakaya turmeric

1/2 tsp. Wakaya ginger

1 cup water

Pinch Wakaya sea salt 

Pinch black pepper (pepper increases the effectiveness of turmeric)

1 cup almond milk (homemade or brand with no carrageenan)

1 tbs coconut oil (traditional recipes call for almond oil which I didn’t have)

Few drops almond extract 

Few drops Nu Stevia (optional) or Manuka honey

*Add more sea salt or stevia as needed 

What to do

1.     Put turmeric, ginger, pepper and water into a small saucepan, add water and simmer 8-10 minutes or until this mixture reduces and thickens.

2.     Add almond milk and coconut oil (and honey if you are using). Stir until oil is incorporated. Continue until mixture is warm (a few minutes).

3.     Add salt, almond extract and stevia (if using) and stir again.

4.     Voila- you’re golden!

    Have you tried Wakaya? Or Golden Milk? What would you say are food trends you've been hearing about? Maybe we'll do a smoothie version (if it ever stops snowing) but in the meantime....

Maybe the Broncos need Golden Milk, do you?

Mug via David's Tea, mess behind this photo my own

I’m in a warm drink phase that may be an adult food jag. I love matcha lattes made with almond milk. Then I discovered matcha cacao lattes (details in Thursday's newsletter), I soon jazzed these up with cardamom and cinnamon. Last year I was fixated on bulletproofcoffee but this year? I’m all about Golden Milk. What’s that you haven’t heard of golden milk? Well has its roots in Ayurveda, it’s a warm beverage made with a turmeric paste. Turmeric is one of the most powerful nutritional mood boosters (on par with medications, yup), it’s also a potent anti-inflammatory and what we call a “delicious debloater”. So whether you didn’t eat that “super” last night or if Monday or everyday blues have taken hold, read on.

There are many versions of Golden Milk, I tweaked a couple coming up with this:

Ingredients

1/8 tsp turmeric

½ cup water

pinch black pepper (I added this as pepper increases the effectiveness of turmeric)

1 cup almond milk (homemade or 365/Whole Foods brand no carrageenan)

1 tbs coconut oil (traditional recipes call for almond oil which I didn’t have)

½ tsp manuka honey (an anti-inflammatory)

few drops Nu Stevia (optional)

Simmer turmeric, pepper and water for 8-10 minutes until mixture thickens.

 

At the same time, in another pot (you could do in the same pot as turmeric once it thickens) heat almond milk and oil. 

I kept this at very low heat as I didn’t want to boil the manuka. Add honey and stevia to taste toward end of cooking. Transfer turmeric paste to the milk.  

This drink is satisfying enough to be a breakfast. I also enjoy 4 ounces in place of my nighttime tea.  I do want to try the almond oil and also saw a recipe with molasses (loaded with magnesium) that’s I’d like to test out. And not to worry, I have saffron in the back of my head as the research is impressive there too.

Have you heard of golden milk? Any warm drinks you’re loving?  Interesting uses for turmeric?