Many thanks to Leeds based nutritional consultant Melanie Hadida for sharing the health benefits of turmeric along with a recipe for healthy ice lollies. Great if you need a wellbeing boost, and perfect if your little ones come down with any of those summer bugs. Read on to find out more;
What’s so good about turmeric?
Turmeric is a beautiful and fragrant root vegetable that is most commonly used in powder form in British kitchens as a staple spice to add subtle flavor and a vibrant yellow colour to curries. Turmeric in curries is great, but if this is all you’re doing with it, you have not even scratched the surface of all the wonderful uses and health benefits that turmeric can bring to your family’s life!
Turmeric is rich in vitamins and minerals that are proven to have many healing properties both long and short term. It contains natural anti-inflammatory compounds that aid in preventing heart disease, cancers and Alzheimer’s. Turmeric is also known to dramatically increase the concentration of anti-oxidants in the body and helps to combat illness. Turmeric also happens to be handier than plasters if you need to attend to a kitchen injury! Making a thick paste with water and turmeric, or just tossing a scoop of turmeric over a wound will help to quickly clot blood and prevent bacteria from entering the body – before you can reach for that first-aid kit!
Kids feeling poorly?
Many of us know of the benefits of gargling with salt water, or enjoying a hot tea to help soothe a sore throat or even prevent a cold from worsening. Adding turmeric to your salt water or tea will help to accelerate your healing, but most kids aren’t keen to try either of these remedies!
One great way to offer our children the healing and soothing benefits of turmeric is to disguise it in a brightly coloured and all natural ice-lolly! Homemade ice-lolly molds are quite easy to buy and are a great way to offer your kids a ‘treat’ without loading them up with sugar. Here’s a recipe for some soothing orange, ginger and turmeric ice-lollies that are packed with vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and anti-oxidants.
Ice Lolly Ingredients
6 large oranges, fresh ginger, honey, turmeric powder, ice lolly molds
Method
Using a juicer, or citrus reamer, squeeze the juice out of at least 6 large oranges (you may need more depending on how many ice-lolly molds you have—but if you’re short on oranges, you can always dilute with some filtered water!)
Grate a large thumb of ginger into the orange juice add a squeeze or spoonful of honey and a couple of heaped tablespoons of turmeric (organic turmeric is the best; especially if you’re using it as medicine!). Stir well! You do not need a juicer for this, but if you want to add more fruit and whizz it up in a blender then go for it!
Pour the vitamin-packed juice into the ice-lolly molds and allow to freeze fully. Enjoy!
Check out Melanie’s website for more healthy family recipes or to find out about her cookery workshops and nutritional consulting services.
