Month: October 2017

Dairy Free Turmeric Milk

I enjoy a warm drink in the evening, year around. During the summer, my drink of choice is a cup of hot herbal tea, brewed from herbs freshly picked from my garden. With the arrival of cooler weather, I look for additional nighttime drinks to sip on. It is essential to me that these bedtime drinks be warming and soothing and also full of health boosting benefits.

I was excited to try this dairy free turmeric milk. I found the recipe on Facebook, in a group I am part of called Avocado. This delicious and easy to prepare recipe comes from Anna Davis.

Warm Turmeric Milk

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dried turmeric

• 1 tablespoon raw organic honey

• Dash of coarsely ground black pepper

• Dash of cinnamon

• 1 cup of unsweetened dairy free plant based milk such as almond or coconut

In a small bowl mix together honey, turmeric, black pepper and cinnamon, making a paste. Warm plant based milk. Add small amount to turmeric mixture, stirring until smooth and thinned out. Add turmeric mixture to remainder of milk. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon and enjoy.

I used unsweetened almond coconut dairy free milk. The coconut adds a subtle flavor that I like. Plain almond milk can be used as well. As the milk heated, I whisked the honey, turmeric, and black pepper together.

The spicy aroma was wonderfully tantalizing as I added a small amount of warm milk to the honey mixture. After it was thinned out, I poured the mixture into the cup of milk.

A sprinkle of cinnamon on top and my bedtime turmeric milk was ready to savor. And savor it I did. This drink was so good that I had to pace myself. The taste is full of flavor but mild.

Turmeric is considered one of the most effective medicinal herbs with powerful benefits for the body. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. The body absorbs curcumin much better when black pepper is ingested at the same time.

Curcumin is linked to improved brain function and a lessening of brain diseases, less risk of heart disease, cancer prevention, depression prevention, inhibition of Alzheimer’s, improvement of arthritis through lessening of inflammation and it has anti-aging properties.

That’s a lot of health benefits packed into a tasty nighttime drink. In addition, turmeric soothes the digestive tract, which contributes to a better night’s sleep.

Raw organic honey, locally produced, is a good source of antioxidants. Health benefits of honey include soothes the digestive tract, eases seasonal allergies and sore throats, protects the body from cell damage, and it is antibacterial and anti-fungal.

Best of all, this drink centers me as it warms me, preparing me for a time of deep rest. My body craves it, encouraging me to sip on a cup every evening. Turmeric milk has become my favorite bedtime drink!

30 Day Walking Challenge

One of the things I loved about my recent travels abroad is how much walking I did. The best way to explore new places is on foot, and I would spend hours walking with my traveling companions. My body responds well to that kind of daily exercise. And yet, when I return home, in spite of my good intentions to continue walking daily, I fall back into my old routine and my old habits.

I decided to challenge myself, in a way that encouraged me to walk daily while having fun and seeing some new places in my own area. The 30 Day Walking Challenge was born.

The rules of the challenge are simple.

One…walk every day for the next 30 days.

Fourteen months ago, the 28 Day Cleanse, during which I ate raw fruits and vegetables, shifted my life. I felt so much better and saw such profound improvements in my health and well being that I embraced a plant based lifestyle. I know what adopting a new practice for 30 days can do! I am curious to see what walking daily does for my body and my soul.

I prefer to walk outdoors, so rain or sunshine, cool or warm temps, I’ll dress for the weather and enjoy nature or suburban neighborhoods. If it is storming, or there is heavy rain, then I can walk at the mall or other indoor venues.

Walking has many health benefits, including improving mood, maintaining or losing weight, improving circulation, preventing disease, toning the body, improving balance, and boosting creativity. For me walking connects me with my body, quiets my mind and increases my appreciation of beauty and fills me with wonder.

Two…walk somewhere different every day.

Because I am easily bored, and boredom kills an exercise routine for me, I chose to add a fun element to the challenge. I will walk in a different location every day.

There are many nature trails and walking paths in my area. And I want to explore parts of my own city that I have never visited before. There are neighboring towns that I can walk in and three nearby states that offer parks and hiking trails.

I will do solitary walks. And I intend to walk with others. I’m excited to walk with my three grown children, along with their spouses, kids and pets, in their neighborhoods. I’ve been invited to walk along on a golf course. And I will drive to visit my grandson, who is away at college, and walk the campus with him.

This is day three of my walking challenge. Here are the locations I have visited.

Day 1: Wildcat Park, south of Joplin, with its trails through woods and along Shoal Creek. Walking in nature is so restorative to me, body and soul.

Day 2: Joplin High School Campus. Although I drive by this school, rebuilt after the 2011 Joplin tornado, I’ve never explored the gorgeous campus. Among the buildings, sports fields and parking lots are natural areas designated for water run off and collection, where flowers and ornamental grasses flourish.

Day 3: Cunningham Park, west Joplin. This park and the surrounding area was destroyed in the tornado. However, now it is a beautiful memorial park, in honor of the people who died and with gratitude for the many volunteers who came to help Joplin in the recovery phase. It was a soulful place to walk this morning…peaceful and yet with signs of life everywhere. There was a child’s birthday celebration beneath a pavilion, kids playing on the playground and even a couple of knights having a mock sword fight.

I’m excited about this 30 Day Walking Challenge. I want to see how my body responds. I am curious to see how I respond, on the first rainy or blustery day, when I feel the tug to skip the walk. I look forward to walking in new places and having companions that walk alongside.

It is a challenge…and I am in high anticipation as I meet it. Walk with me.