A couple weeks ago, I made a post on what to eat to stay healthy right now and touched on inflammation. If you missed that post, check it out https://www.ascensionlifecoach.com/uncategorized/eating-healthy-can-keep-you-healthy-during-covid-19/
Inflammation is such an important factor in staying healthy, I wanted to dig in a bit more and give you some delicious options to really reduce inflammation and boost your immune system.
How Do I Know If I Have Inflammation?
- Joint pain or stiffness
- Muscle soreness or stiffness
- Fever
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
The above signs are full blown inflammation. By the time you’re experiencing these things, you are already sick. That’s good to know because you can at least respond by really ramping up your efforts to help yourself heal.
However, there’s an important factor to consider and that is stress. “Psychological stress triggers inflammatory activity” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6491771/) Even those in the best of circumstances are under extreme stress right now! I venture to say that yes, you absolutely have some inflammation right now and it is making you more susceptible to contracting coronavirus and whatever else might be going around.
How Do I Calm Inflammation?
In Eating Healthy To Keep You Strong During Covid-19 I provided you with a cheat sheet that gives you a well-rounded guide of foods to target.
Today we’re going to zero in on herbs and spices. These are the hidden gems of the kitchen. Small but mighty, they pack a nutritional punch and each can be considered a medicine. Some of the most potently anti-inflammatory spices are:
Turmeric
Cayenne
Ginger
Garlic
While there are many ways to increase consumption, here are a couple recipes to get you started. After that, you’ll find a FREE GIFT to help you get started immediately with what may become delicious lifelong adjustments you can easily make in the kitchen!
Anti-Inflammatory Tonic
This is my personal Golden Milk recipe, including lots of variations to experiment with.
Ingredients
1 1/2 inch knob of fresh turmeric or 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 inch knob of fresh ginger or 2 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch cayenne
3 cups non-dairy milk (dairy is inflammatory)
Optional: Honey, maple syrup or Stevia
Preparation
- Whisk all ingredients over medium heat until simmering but not boiling.
- Taste and adjust any of the spices to your preference.
Makes 3 servings.
Can also be refrigerated. Heat on stove before serving.
VARIATIONS
-If a straight up cup of milk is too thick for your liking, go with half milk and half water.
-If sweetener in your tea is a must, at least avoid sugar which is highly inflammatory. Consider honey, maple syrup or Stevia instead.
-Consider adding 1 tbsp coconut oil. It’s not only an anti-inflammatory but also antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral.
-Hot, this tea is a delicious and soothing way to unwind at the end of the day or take a break in the afternoon. If you make it with half to three quarters water or even all water, it’s also a refreshing cold tea.
-If you try it cold, consider adding lemon slices.
-Add vanilla extract.
Dr. J’s Honey Garlic Inflammation Killer
This recipe is my husband’s genius. It began nearly 20 years ago when he forced all sick people who couldn’t escape him to eat raw garlic. Can you imagine! It was medieval torture! But it worked so he was relentless. Then he learned not only of the healing properties of honey but that garlic and honey combined create a synergistic effect that is a power punch to all viruses and bacteria.
In 2009 our oldest son had swine flu. This recipe had him on his feet in 3 days – no lie! It’s been a gamechanger for the whole family ever since.
Contrary to my first reaction, this stuff is actually good; I genuinely like it.
Ingredients
1 bulb garlic, finely diced
Honey
Preparation
- Put the garlic in a small cup or bowl.
- Add just enough honey to cover.
Store in the refrigerator up to one week. The longer the garlic and honey sit, the more potent the mixture becomes.
DOSE: 1 teaspoon, 3-6 times a day
Take prophylacticly if others are sick around you and definitely at the first signs of illness.
(In full disclosure, my husband’s not a doctor. He’s nicknamed Dr. J because he’s like a walking encyclopedia.)
FREE GIFT!!!
Now that you have those two powerhouses to get started with, are you ready for lots more ideas and recipes? Click to download this Anti-Inflammatory Herbs and Spices Guide including a substantial list of anti-inflammatory herbs and spices; learn how to use them; learn how to build your spice collection; and recipes for a whole day’s meals all packed with flavor and health!
