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A few weeks ago, I spent the day in the city in Boston, MA and wanted to try a few new food places that I had heard were pretty good. One of the places I went to was Jugos Supremo in the South End. I has seen them online and heard that they were pretty good so I decided to check them out so I did. The first thing I noticed about the place was that it was very small and quaint, like a lot of Boston cafes and restaurants, but it was very welcoming and homey at the same time. I took a look at their menu and was totally overwhelmed by all of the amazing food and drinks they offered. Their menu is loaded with fresh blended smoothies, smoothie bowls, egg plates and dishes, salads with fresh veggies and so much more. I wanted to get so many different things all at once! So, I finally decided and I ended up getting a matcha latte and my boyfriend, Alex ended up getting a turmeric and ginger latte. They were both SO good. Of course I had to have some of his :) I was actually surprised with just how much I loved his drink! I had found a new flavor combo for turmeric and really became inspired to re-create this drink at home because I wanted more! The next day, I created my own ginger turmeric latte but decided to add some protein and make it more of a meal or snack replacement.
Now, for anyone who hasn't heard of turmeric, it is an orange/yellow root that be ground into a spice and is naturally grown in India, Asia and Central America. It is most commonly used as a spice and has functional characteristics. For anyone who has had it before, you probably know it most for staining everything that it touches to yellow and that it can be prettttttyy bitter if you don't add it with the right flavor profiles. I was always unsure of how to best incorporate turmeric into my diet because of its unique flavor profile and its pungent taste. I usually will always try to throw a pinch of turmeric into my morning smoothie but end up covering the flavor up with loads of cacao powder! It works to get it in, but I want to enjoy the taste of turmeric! That is exactly what this turmeric ginger latte did for me and it is also acting as a functional food by improving health just upon ingestion.
A functional food is a food that has an effect on our biological chemistry when we interact with it and creates reactions within our body that can be used as a treatment or remedy for a certain condition or disease state. Functional foods have measurable effects on the body that can be seen through metabolic changes such as changes in our overall health like getting rid of headaches or easing pain. Turmeric is a highly functional food, and a very powerful one at that too! There are many functional effects of turmeric and I am really excited to share them with you guys because turmeric can be used to treat and heal so many things that you may be experiencing!
Inflammation
Turmeric is one of the best natural remedies to decrease inflammation. It has very powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can be used to treat chronic inflammation. Inflammation can be caused by so many things in our environment, from our food or from other disease and illness. Stress alone causes high amounts of inflammation! We are an overly flimflammed society these days with the amount of hours people work on average and the number of things people try to multi-task. We don't give ourselves a break and can become inflamed. Arthritis another cause of inflammation; one that we can physically feel. Turmeric is an amazing remedy for arthritis because it can decrease pain and swelling. Turmeric is best absorbed by the body when paired with black pepper. Black pepper will enhance and amplify the effects of turmeric on the body so make sure to always try to combine turmeric and black pepper to get the most out of it! This drink that I made has a combo of turmeric, black pepper and ginger!
Mood
Turmeric is also known to help boost mood and fight depression. It is a very uplifting spice that seems too good to be true so far! You're saying that turmeric can take away my pain and make me a happier person? Yup. Turmeric was studied in a trial where patients who had depression took turmeric and noticed and improvement in mood and energy and a decrease in their depressive symptoms. Depression is a disease of the brain and is caused by imbalances and poor brain health. Turmeric has been shown to boost brain health and ward off brain disease from its strong antioxidant properties. I actually really do notice a difference in my mood when I have turmeric vs when I don't. I just feel as though I have a more positive outlook on my day when I consume turmeric vs when I don't.
Immunity
Turmeric is so powerful that it can even act as a defense shield for us. It is not only anti-inflammatory, but it is also anti-microbial as well. It can help to ward off and fight bad bacteria that cause illness. The combination of its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-microbial properties are what make it such a strong functional food that should be incorporated into everyone's diet at least once a week, if not once a day! If you struggle with bouts of the common cold or frequent infection, you may want to consider consuming a concoction of turmeric and black pepper! The following recipe that I have will make you crave it! If you are trying to find ways to get more turermic in and if you like eggs, check out my Turmeric Scrambled Egg Bowl!
Okay, so now that you know a little bit about the amazing functions of turmeric, I hope you give it a try! You won't regret trying it. I always wanted a recipe that made me crave turmeric rather than feeling like I had to cover it up with loads of chocolate (which isn't bad of course) and then I found this turmeric ginger latte and my world was flipped! Naturally, I wanted to re-create it but put my own twist on it to make it more of a meal or snack. I also prefer thick and creamy textures so I wanted to bulk this latte up! The addition I used was my Nuzest pea protein powder that will give me some clean plant based protein to keep me full, maintain muscle mass and thicken it up! I prefer the smooth vanilla flavor because it can be mixed with anything and taste so yummy! I prefer an iced turmeric ginger latte but with the colder weather coming soon, I can also turn it into a hot latte as well!
Turmeric Ginger Protein Latte
Ingredients
2 scoops smooth vanilla Nuzest clean protein
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper
Method
Iced: Mix all ingredients together in a NutriBullet or blender with 1/4 cup ice
Hot: Heat almond milk first and then add all ingredients a NutriBullet or blender
Enjoy!!
If you make this recipe, let me know how you enjoy it! If you add any other flavorings or spices, I would love to know what you use.
Happy Friday my friends!
Katie