Golden Milk - A Recipe For Reducing Inflammation

Turmeric has been famous as a powerful anti-inflammatory herb for at least 3 millennia in Chinese and Indian healing systems. It has recently surfaced again in natural healing discussions and research. There are loads of proven health benefits in this herb and it's efficacy is even greater when combined with a couple of other ingredients.

The following trifecta of ingredients create a powerhouse concoction that will have a more powerful effect than taking any of them on their own. The components to this Ayurvedic recipe that work synergistically to create the best results are: 

1. Curcumin - in turmeric
2. Piperine - in black pepper
3. Good Lipid - in coconut oil

Curcumin is the constituent in turmeric that contains all the health benefits - particularly anti-inflammatory properties. And it's widely known that inflammation is at the root of most bodily dysfunction and illness. The following recipe's ingredients also act as antioxidants, thereby reducing the likeliness of inflammatory conditions wreaking havoc in the body.
Loads of research has been done on the many ways this substance supports the body's health. Some of the most commonly known benefits of turmeric are for treating the following conditions:

• Inflammation 
• Osteoarthritis
• Muscle and joint pain
• Cardiovascular conditions
• Treating and preventing cancer

This is a great article on increasing the bioavailability of curcumin - the active ingredient in turmeric. Have a read if you are interested in the science behind it all.

Okay, let's get started!

Step 1: Make Turmeric Paste:

Turmeric paste will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.

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

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a small a small sauce pan. Turn the heat to medium and stir constantly for about 5-8 minutes and the the mixture becomes a thick paste. Use a spoon or whisk you don't mind being stained bright yellow; aside form it's health benefits, turmeric is a known natural dye. This boiling step is a fast process so don’t walk away from the pan. You may need to add a tad more water if the paste becomes thick too quickly. Boiling* the herbs is an important process, making the medicinal properties of the turmeric and pepper bioavailable, so don't skimp on the time of this step. 

Let this mixture cool and then keep it in a small glass jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. This paste can also be used in other cooking concoctions. Try it in scrambled eggs or add some to curries and soups. 

Step 2: Make Golden Milk

• 1 cup of 2% milk (almond, soy, hemp or coconut are also good options)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional, add if using a milk substitute that has little to no fats)
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric paste
• Unpasteurized raw honey to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients, except honey** in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium. While heating make sure to stir constantly and do not allow the mixture to boil. Add honey to taste. 

Dosage:

Start by drinking 1 cup of Golden Milk once or twice a day. You should feel the results - less pain and stagnation - within 3 to 4 days. 

Footnotes:

* Boiling a root to extract it's medicinal properties is called making a decoction. This process makes the herb's constituents soluble in the boiling water. FYI: I feel somewhat entitled to claim knowledge on this topic because before I was a massage therapist and life coach, I obtained a Chartered Herbalist Diploma from Dominion Herbal College back in 2004. This was during the hippy days of my past life when I lived closely with the earth on a small gulf island in the coast of British Columbia.

** Try to seek sources of local unpasteurized honey and be sure to never boil it! The antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and other magical qualities that are naturally inherent in honey are lost when heated. Don't un-do all the hard work the bees have done for you. 

Happy concocting!

~ Dana

Circulatory Whip Yourself Into Shape

1. Play hard 2. Work hard 3. Get a massage.

A client came to me complaining of early carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms: occasional tingling of some of his fingers, loss of grip strength, and hypertoned forearm muscles. As a carpenter, rock climber, and downhill mountain biker, his hands are used vigorously for both work and play. With both income and enjoyment on the line, I encouraged him to integrate a contrast arm bath regime to supplement the massage therapy I was providing.

The results were profound. With daily alternating hot and cold arm baths for a week, he felt that the hydrotherapy was perhaps even more effective than the semi-regular massage treatments he was receiving for his arms and shoulder girdle.

Hydrotherapy affects the blood & lymphatic circulation.

Benefits:
Contrast limb bathing can be used to prevent and treat repetitive strain injuries, and clear congestion in areas of chronic edema by aiding venous return. This type of hydrotherapy provides a circulatory whip by harnessing the power of contrasting temperatures to alternately move blood and lymphatics to and from the limbs, clearing metabolites (wastes created by cells) from the tissues. The resulting sensations in the limbs is tingly and  invigorating.

Conditions that may be treated:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tennis and golf elbow
• Chronic inflammation after fracture or sprain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Aching tired feet.

What you will need:

• Two vessels large enough to submerge both forearms or ankles, as deeply as possible, ideally 2-3 inches above the joint, such as double kitchen sinks or plastic wash bins.
• Ice water
• Warm/hot water
• Towel for drying

Stagnation of circulation decreases tissue health.

How to do it:

1. Fill one basin with very warm tap water (about the tempurature of what you'd consider a hot bath)
2. Fill the other basin with cold tap water. Eventually, after a few sessions of building tolerance to the cold, adding ice cubes.
3. Plunge the limbs to be treated into the hot water for 30 seconds (or until it starts to feel nice).
4. Immediately dunk arms into cold water for 60 seconds (or until it feels like your bones are aching),  hooting & hollering as much as needed. 
5. Repeat three times, ending on cold.
6. Pat your skin dry and enjoy the invigorating sensations as your body normalizes its circulation.
7. Depending on the severity of your condition, repeat 1-5 times per week.

These times are approximate, but the cold plunge should always be twice as long as the warm plunge. With repeated treatment, you will gain a tolerance to the temperatures and require longer soaks and/or greater temperature differences to achieve outcomes.

Limb contrasting is generally very safe, and what risk is present may be avoided with common sense; don't burn yourself with the heat or ice. Please be advised that contrast hydrotherapy is not appropriate for individuals with sensory impairments, obstructive vascular pathologies, or nervous system disorders where stimulation may aggravate symptoms. If you aren't certain, please check with your primary health care provider.

Happy dunking!
Dana