Our fridge can vary in appearance depending on how recently we’ve gone grocery shopping -- from a bountiful garden of plenty to a frozen desert of empty shelves. There is one thing that remains a constant no matter the landscape, however: a large glass pitcher filled with an orange-yellow liquid. This is our go-to drink. It is homemade and has more health benefits than can fit in this one blog post.
The main ingredient is turmeric, which contains curcumin. This is a powerful anti-inflammatory that serves as a natural pain killer. The journal Oncogene published the results of a study evaluating several anti-inflammatory compounds and found that aspirin and ibuprofen are least effective, while curcumin is among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world. Many people think diseases such as cancer, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, high cholesterol, and chronic pain can be the result of excess inflammation in the body.
We also use fresh ginger root which has a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound called gingerol. Gingerol has been proven to be effective against exercise induced muscle pain and even the proliferation of cancer cells. It not only has amazing health benefits, but it’s delicious too.
Just cut up 5 to 6 inches of ginger and turmeric into a metal bowl and add a full teapot of boiling hot water. Once this has cooled add a few shakes of cayenne pepper and a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar. This lowers blood pressure, detoxes the liver, and stimulates the circulation of blood vessels. It also helps your body maintain a healthy alkaline PH level. Finish by squeezing in a fresh lemon and strain the contents into a glass picture for the fridge. This inflammation medication is great mixed with hot water or cold, carbonated seltzer.