Have you noticed Turmeric starting to show up in some of your favorite foods? There are different variations of it within ice cream, smoothies, lattes…and all for good reason! Turmeric is one of the healthiest supplements you can put into your body. If you aren’t sure what Turmeric is, you’ll often find it in the spice aisle of the grocery store. It’s bright, golden hue is very eye-catching and originates from South Africa. However, you don’t have to use it as a spice to mix in your food, there are so many different variations of it, and I’m sure there is one out there for you.
9 Ways To Use Turmeric
Table of Contents
Turmeric comes from a plant in South Africa, therefore you could actually eat the root version of it (similar to ginger), take it as a supplement, or use it as a spice. Turmeric powder is definitely my favorite way to go as it is super easy to find at the store and easy to cook right into my diet. Here below I will share with you 9 of the best ways to incorporate turmeric powder into your diet to receive some amazing health benefits!
Turmeric for Breakfast: Smoothies, Scrambled Eggs, Tea, and Golden Milk
Getting your turmeric intake right away in the morning is a great way to ensure you are getting turmeric in your diet. You can add turmeric powder into your breakfast smoothie by adding in one or two teaspoons of ground turmeric. Adding two teaspoons will give a more distinct flavor. If you are looking to have a more gentle introduction to turmeric while you are still testing out the taste, add just a pinch of turmeric powder to your scrambled eggs in the morning.
You can even have Turmeric to drink by making turmeric tea. Add in ¼ teaspoon of powdered turmeric into your tea before your hot water and you will have a delicious turmeric tea, ready to indulge in all of the health benefits! You can add in some raw honey if you want to get a sweeter taste. If you want to get super trendy with the health supplement, make yourself some “golden milk” with turmeric. Just get together your favorite milk and a pinch or two of turmeric and mix either in a blender or in a saucepan. You can drink it hot or cold and it gives your milk a pretty golden hue and your body all the health benefits!
Turmeric for Dinner: Soup, Rice and Stir Fry
How much more healthy can soup get you ask? Add in turmeric! To give your chicken noodle soup an even deeper golden hue, add one to two teaspoons of ground turmeric to your recipe and it will give it a nice earthy taste. You’ve probably traditionally tasted turmeric in rice or stir fry recipes and didn’t even know it. It is also very commonly used amongst curry powder to give it the extra golden glow. Adding just one teaspoon of ground turmeric to your brown rice and vegetables would be a great way to incorporate turmeric into your diet and give your dishes a mouth-watering, traditional taste!
Fresh Turmeric Root: Yogurt Bowl, Salad Dressing
If you can get your hands on a fresh, turmeric root here are a few options to give this a try. First, you will need to give it a peel and definitely make sure you wear gloves because fresh turmeric root can stain your fingers! You can chop it up or finely shred it with your grater which also makes an easy way to add turmeric to your diet. You can also add your turmeric shavings on top of a greek yogurt bowl with a pinch of sea salt and olive oil to make for a savory treat. To make for a delicious salad dressing or vinaigrette, add into your favorite recipe and see how the peppery taste totally transforms!
Health Benefits Of Turmeric
Turmeric isn’t just a spice you can add to your foods to give it a better taste and color. There are so many health benefits to it making this one of the healthiest supplements you can add to your diet! Turmeric contains many compounds within it that have medicinal properties – the most important being curcumin. Here I am going to give you the health benefits of turmeric of why you should add turmeric to your diet (and a few extra ways you can use it)!
Can Whiten Your Teeth
Because turmeric is 100% natural, it makes it a much better option for you to use to whiten your teeth than some other products that are on the market. In addition, it won’t give you some of the side effects that happen with other teeth whiteners. To use turmeric to whiten your teeth, you can make your own homemade turmeric toothpaste with turmeric and coconut oil, add the powder to your toothbrush bristles or you can buy a few of the turmeric-based whiteners that are out there on the market. Just make sure you don’t do this more than once a day!
Anti-Inflammatory
Curcumin is extremely high in anti-inflammatories. So powerful, that there are even some studies that show it is more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs on the market. By adding turmeric to your diet which increases your daily absorption of curcumin, you are also doing your body a big favor by helping keep you healthy.
Improved Brain Function and Lower Risk of Brain Disease
Another awesome health benefit of curcumin which is found in turmeric is that it is linked with the growth hormones in your brain. With a high absorption of curcumin, your brain increases the levels of these hormones which helps to fight off brain disease, improve your memory, and keep your brain functioning properly.
