We have to remember, wellbeing doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Our lives are complex webs woven of our bodies, the environment, the compounds we eat, the thoughts we think, the people in our lives, what we spend our days doing. I’ve been drinking a turmeric, black pepper, honey, lemon and ginger potion almost every day for quite some time. As someone who tries to value his comforts both at home and on the road, it’s a switch I won’t be going to back from.
I just stir half teaspoon of turmeric powder into a a big glass of hot water with some freshly cracked black pepper, teaspoon of honey, juice of half a lemon and a generous amount of grated fresh ginger. I let it rest for five minutes, give it a good stir and drink it in one gulp. It’s a pretty strong mixture and not for everyone. There are so many other opportunities to incorporate your daily dose of turmeric. Because it is so easy to stir it into virtually anything. I’m adding it to almost everything I prepare and try not to exaggerate. It’s almost a must to powder my soups with turmeric. I don’t know about you but it’s still cold here!
Freshly grated turmeric root or curcuma longa has been used for thousands of years to treat a bunch of diseases and conditions, though powder works great too. I’m a full time working dad, building my own business while also working five days a week, writing and drawing a cookbook, playing in a band and skateboarding. It’s a beautiful life, but a life this full requires mindfulness and intentional eating to mantain clarity, health and energy necessary for me to run on all cylinders. So a bit of turmeric I can stir into a simple soup or a glass of lemon juice is a big win. When I’m looking to heal or mantain health, food and thoughts are the first places I look to make changes. But I start with food. Because our brains, our very atoms and in some sense our thaughts themselves are products of what we take in.