Changes in temperatures can weaken your immune system, leading to colds and flu. Luckily you can easily get your hands on a powerful immune booster: turmeric.
That’s right, turmeric isn’t only meant for curry and yellow rice! This bright yellow spice is a natural antioxidant (helps with anti-ageing) and anti-inflammatory (helps with joint pain or arthritis). It can also help with heartburn and indigestion symptoms, and may even lower your chance of a heart attack and brain disease.
Curcumin, the ingredient in turmeric that gives it that bright yellow colour, is behind the spice’s health benefits.
In the kitchen, you’re not limited to curry when it comes to turmeric. A sprinkle of turmeric over roasted vegetables, like carrots, sweet potato and cauliflower, will not only add to the nutritional value, but also give it rich colour. You can also add it to soups and stews.
Turmeric powder also brings out the taste of fresh fruit, and you can add it to your oats in the mornings.
Besides using it when you cook, you can also brew this immune-boosting tea.
Immune booster
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup water
- 1½ teaspoons turmeric powder or 3-6cm-piece turmeric root, in slices
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger or 3cm-piece of fresh ginger root, in slices
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or a small cinnamon stick (optional)
- ½ to 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Whisk all ingredients in a small pot over low heat. Cook for at least 20 minutes to allow all the ingredients to infuse and the powdered ingredients to dissolve. Increase the heat towards the end of the cooking time so that the tea is boiling.
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