In a follow-up to yesterday’s post, I wanted to continue talking about ways to clear up our skin and prevent many signs of aging, naturally – from the inside out.
The Sacred Spice
Most people think of turmeric as a spice used in Indian and South Asian food, but not necessarily as a medicine or beauty remedy. The truth is, tumeric is one of the most powerful beauty AND health supplements out there (are you noticing the correlation between beauty and health?).
Tumeric & Ayurveda
Ancient Indian medicine has been using turmeric in ayurvedic treatments for thousands of years, namely because of its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Today research is being done on its ability to improve liver function, inhibit cancer growth, prevent Alzheimers and treat Arthritis (to name a few). These days, however, us Westerners are starting to see what Indian women have known for years: turmeric has natural anti-aging and anti-acne properties.
Turmeric acts as a janitor for your blood, cleaning it out and thus detoxifying your skin. This action helps clear up acne and other skin imbalances such as eczema and skin discoloration. Further it’s antioxidant properties help clear up those nasty free radicals that lead to disease and aging.
How to Use Tumeric?
So, how do we use it? Well, eating it for starters. Adding turmeric to your diet (remember turmeric is not curry) is a good place to begin.
Try creating your own Turmeric Tea:
- Boil 3 cups of water
- Add 1 tsp of ground turmeric (or grated if you can find it)
- Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Strain the tea through a fine sieve into a cup
- Add honey and/or lemon to taste
Or, add it to sidedishes like quinoa or brown rice:
- Cook 1 cup of brown rice or quinoa
- While hot, add 1 tbs of Olive Oil (or coconut oil if you have it)
- Add 2 tsp of turmeric and 2 tsp of cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
You can also add it to your morning green smoothie, like I do.
You can also create face masks using the spice for specific remedies. My favourite is homemade turmeric eye cream for wrinkles (use twice per week):
- Add a pinch of turmeric to a tsp of organic yogurt – if you don’t have dairy use coconut oil
- Pat around eye area and leave for 15 minutes
- Rinse with cool water
You can also throw honey and turmeric together to create a full face mask to achieve similar beauty benefits.
I try to buy my turmeric in bulk organic form. My favourite brand (because it comes in a convenient resealable package, is sustainability harvested and certified organic) is Organic Traditions Turmeric Powder which can be found at Planet Organic and Whole Foods.
Enjoy the benefits of turmeric from the inside out.
Pretty spicy ;)
X
K
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