Turmeric Milk

Turmeric milk also known as "The Golden Milk" has claimed to be pretty much a miracle potion being able to heal so many ailments and of course a huge part in prevention. 

It's been recommended for colds, flu, depression, beauty, gut healing, sleep, digestion, arithus, liver detox, acne, weight loss, inflamed joints, immunity, blood pressure, blood purifier, lower cholesterol & triglycerides and more. 

The reason why is from the anti-cancerous, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial properties it contains.

Did you know? Turmeric is called "natural aspirin" in Ayuvedic medicine? 

Ingredients

2 cups of homemade coconut milk ( you can find that on the blog under the title "refreshments" )

1 tsp fresh grated turmeric 

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1/4 tsp black pepper ( do not skip )

1 packet of stevia 

** use organic when possible**

Method

Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a simmer.

Cook for approx 5 minutes, whisking often to make sure the milk does not burn.

Remove from heat and set aside for about 15 minutes for the flavours to infuse. 

Pour the mix into a mesh strainer over a jar or bowl to remove the pieces of ginger & turmeric.

**I suggest keeping the pulp to use in your smoothie.

Enjoy right away or refrigerate. I prefer it warm

There are a lot a different recipes out there and a lot the same pretty much when it comes to most recipes. This one is no exception. How I came to my recipe was by researching and using what I had on hand. I always prefer fresh ingredients when I have them and that's why I used the fresh ginger & fresh turmeric. Fresh is always more flavourful. Making your own milk for the recipe is also a huge flavour enhancer. But store bought milk & powdered versions of the spices will work too.

** tip: I also read that using black pepper with the turmeric increases the curcumins ( which is the phytonutrient in what makes turmeric so healthy ) bio-availability by 1000%. This is from black 

peppers phytonutrient component "piperine"  You'll read more about using black pepper in the first 

link below. 

**tip: you can also make a turmeric paste for more convenience to keep in the fridge for further milk making if you prefer. You will also find that recipe in the first link below.

I hope you enjoy and mostly be Nutritionally Well

Turmeric for Health!

www.turmericforhealth.com

Turmeric - The World's Healthiest Foods

www.whfoods.com › genpage

Coconut Milk

How to make your own coconut milk. 

Ingredients 

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 cups hot or boiling water

Method

Place in a high speed blender ( I use my Vitamix )

Blend for about 2-3 minutes

Strain into a nut bag over a glass bowl and squeeze all the milk out until just the dry coconut pulp is left

** do not throw out this pulp as its great added to hot or cold meals. Add it to soups & curries or how about your smoothie or sprinkled on top of a salad. 

My favourite so far has been the combination of pulp from my cashew coconut milk. It is so delicious and naturally sweet from the cashews. 

FYI: Making nut milk is pretty much the same measurements. The only difference is soaking the nuts. Soak time differs from nut to nut though. 

Hope you enjoy! 

Rejuvelac

First try and first batch of rejuvelac and IT'S AWESOME! 

This is another probiotic drink I've been wanting to try & make. 

I started researching recipes to see what suited me the most. 

Traditionally rejuvelac is made using wheat berries. I don't buy them so for me I wanted to make this drink using what I have most of, then see if it tastes good. So this is what happened " QUINOA" rejuvelac. I had no idea this would be so delicious. I can't wait to try a few other grains I use & love. 

But for now here's the recipe and method. Courtesy of Incredible Smoothies--link at bottom of blog

Thanks to her I'm on my way to making & creating more.  

** her picture here shows her using some paper towel with the jar lid rim. If you have a mesh top like I did you can use that also. You'll see that in my picture below**

STEP 1: Soak 1/2 cup of quinoa in a glass jar. Add enough water to cover the quinoa with about an inch of water on top. Cover with a breathable cloth or paper towel and secure it with a rubber band. Soak for 8 – 12 hours.

STEP 2: After 8-12 hours of soaking, pour off the water and rinse the quinoa with room temperature water. Rinse about 2 to 3 times. Drain all of the water out of the jar. Cover with a breathable cloth or paper towel and secure it with a rubber band. 

STEP 3: Set the jar in a low light, room temperature location. Make sure the room is not overly hot. Let it sit for about 4 to 6 hours. When you start to see little sprouts on the quinoa, you will know that it is ready. The tails do not have to get very long. 

STEP 4: Add about 3 cups of water (purified is best) to the sprouts and place the jar in a low-light, room temperature location for 2 days. Gently stir the liquid twice a day. After two days, 

Fermented foods are easily contaminated so make sure the jar is completely clean and the location you place the jar in is not a high traffic area for humans or pets. The final rejuvelac should taste like flat lemonade and have a slight yellow tint. If it tastes like sour milk, don’t drink it. 

After it has fermented for about two days, store it in the refrigerator for up to one week. I’ve been drinking about 1/4 to 1/2 cup per day, which is a typically recommended serving size.

PRECAUTION: Rejuvelac, as with any fermented food, poses an inherent risk of harmful bacterial, yeast and mold contamination. If you have a weakened or compromised immune system, I do not recommend that you make your own fermented foods, including rejuvelac. 

Be especially cautions of any strong, offensive odors or tastes, discoloration of the water or growths in the liquid. If you are concerned about the safety of drinking a batch that you have made, it is best 
to dump it and start again or seek the advice of an someone with more experience.

So here is my beautiful and delicious creation.

 The two days are over and the quinoa is ready to be strained out & discarded.

 

The now REJUVELAC is ready to be consumed.

I love how incrediblesmoothies.com states the precautions. However I do encourage you to try making this beautiful probiotic drink. As long as you know what to look for.

My recommendations are to always do some research before jumping into anything. Especially when it comes to bacteria. To make sure you start off on the right foot. You always need to make sure you know the signs of what to look for when it comes to something being good to consume or not good to consume. After all we are trying to get healthier not sicker and beautifully she has stated what to look for when making this drink.

To add to that, what I have also read is ***Avoid drinking rejuvelac if you have IBS, colitis, candida overgrowth or leaky gut** I haven't done extensive research on this but I have come across it on a few websites and I can see why they are mentioned.

Well off I go making some more fermented drinks and some cashew cheese with some of this rejuvelac batch. Hope you enjoy and be Nutritionally Well.

Here's the link to the recipe I used, plus another to refer to.

How To Make Rejuvelac - Incredible Smoothies

www.incrediblesmoothies.com › recipes

How to Make Rejuvelac, The Fermented Super Drink

www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com › r...

Probiotic Cashew Milk ( AKA Kefir )

Just 3 ingredients to this raw probiotic drink. 

Nut milks are not only easy to make but the fresh homemade taste you just can't beat. No additives like carrageenan to consume like most store bought non dairy milk brands include. Just cashews. If you do choose a store brand try looking for one that doesn't include this preservative. I use the creamy cashew Silk brand when I'm not making my own. Now to further increase the healthiness of your freshly made nut milk, add a few probiotic capsules to it to increase the health benefits with the help of some good bacteria. 

Just why does this process increase our health benefits? Fermenting our foods help increase the absorption of nutrients. It helps balance the good & bad bacteria in our guts which in return helps improve our immune system, improves metabolism, aids in weight loss, supports mood and brain function and the biggest support in preventing chronic diseases. Our health begins in our gut. 

I've just recently started fermenting, well I mean outside of my canning & pickling I have done on & off for years. It's been a dry spell on that for awhile now. I usually buy my fermented foods as I found I just didn't have time with all the cooking I do already. But I have to admit I was delusional on that thought. As this does not take up any of my time as I thought it would previously before I started fermenting. When I'm juicing my citrus fruits it's only one more step to turn it into its healthier version. Same with the coconut yogurt/kefir I made using a can of coconut milk or how about some fresh berries or lemons I previously blogged about. I get so excited seeing all my jars sitting out on the counter. I'm like a little kid waiting for the cookies to come out of the oven.

So let's get started on this easy & healthy recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews (or nut of your choice/soaking times will differ) see link at the bottom of the blog

8 cups of filtered water

3-4 probiotic capsules

Method

Rinse cashews in filtered water.

Soak cashews for about 4 hours or if more convenient leave out overnight in a glass bowl. Add filtered water to cover the nuts. 

Once done soaking rince the cashews from its water. ** note that this is not healthy to drink and needs to be discarded**

Place cashews and about 8 cups of filtered water into your blender. I use my Vitamix. Blend for about 2 minutes to ensure water and cashews are completely blended.

Using a clean bowl big enough for the entire milk amount, place a nut bag over the bowl and pour contents into the bag. Squeeze out all the milk leaving the remnants of the nuts to be either discarded, used in another recipe or added to your smoothie. You will find that there isn't very much pulp left. The soaking and longer blending is part of the result of that. 

Now open your probiotic capsules and pour the powder ( discard the casing ) into the milk and mix with a wooden spoon. **do not use a metal spoon as it may deactivate or weaken the probiotic strength.

Leave on the counter or anywhere out of direct sunlight that is at 70 degrees F ( about 21 C ) for about 12 hours and then cover the bowl with a breathable cloth. example: cheese cloth.  

When is it ready?

If the kefir smells like yogurt and taste sour then it's done. If you prefer the taste to be stronger then ferment longer. Mine wasn't ready at 12 hrs and it was 9:30 pm so I just left it till the next morning which was about 22 hrs in duration. I have to admit it's AMAZING! 

**being my house gets to about 65F during the night I left my kefir wrapped in towels. The bottom & the sides leaving still the top open with the hood range light on. Just to keep it to as close to 70F as possible.

Pour your now "kefir" into sterile glass containers and refrigerate. Consume within approx a week or a bit longer. 

** by putting the kefir into the fridge slows the fermenting process down. If you were to keep it on the counter in your glass jars it will continue to ferment. Still safe to drink but to be honest I don't know how long to say to consume it with using this method** Besides I prefer it cold & the taste would probably get to sour for my liking. 

How to consume your kefir. 

 Add it to your smoothies.

 Or drink it straight up.

Some people are a little sensitive to consuming fermented foods. Due to what kind of shape the gut is in. If you are not used to eating or drinking them start off with a little shot glass ( 1 oz ) to see how you react. Then increase the amount if you wish.

Some people just consume kefir as a supplement but as I mentioned you can add it into a smoothie using even a cup full if you wish. I recommend approx 1/4-1/2 daily on an empty stomach otherwise

I seem to favour making probiotic drinks. I just love how they taste & how simple they are to make and that the whole family loves them too. I hope you join me on making these recipes I post to also help improve you and families good health. After-all we all need to be Nutritionally Well and this is a great start to just that. 

Soaking Nuts and Seeds | Soaking For Health | Healthy Blender ...

healthyblenderrecipes.com › info › soaki...

Probiotic Juice's

Making your own probiotic drink can't be any simpler. 

Improve your health and please your taste buds at the same time.

Ingredients 

2 cups freshly squeezed organic lemon juice or another citrus fruit of your choice

10 cups of filtered water

3 probiotic capsules

** using organic is best**

Method

Squeeze lemons and add the juice and the water to your clean 1/2 gallon mason jar

Break open your 3 capsules, using the powder only and add to the jar and mix well 

Seal tightly and set aside out of direct sunlight for 3 days. I just leave mine on my kitchen counter

I suggest writing on a sticky note your date & time and stick it to the top of the lid of the jar to help you keep track of the days. 

Open the lid once each day to release some of the pressure ( carbon dioxide ) and seal again tightly 

After the three days open the jar and add sweetener of your choice. 

***When I first made this I added sweetener at the very beginning of the process, which was organic coconut palm sugar which is why the juice has a bit of a brown colour. The next batch I added it after the fermentation stage. So which ever you prefer. I found after worked best for me. I used 5 packets of stevia and it was perfect. Depending on your sweet taste buds will determine how much sweetener you will need

 My second batch. As you can see it's a nice yellow colour with the stevia added. Taste the same, just looks different. 

 Using orange juice

 Using grapefruit juice

 Using raspberries

The raspberries were my first probiotic juice using the same above recipe with 6 ounces of raspberries.

With the raspberries I used fresh and mashed them a bit in the jar to release some of its flavour then added water and probiotic powder. 

I think with other citrus fruit like oranges, grapefruit & limes I would still juice first. However you can just slice the fruit too. For any berry I would recommend the same process as I did with the raspberries.

Hope you enjoy!

The Cold Weather Elixir

Help prevent a cold or soothe the one you may have with a drink that contains antioxidants, immune boosting properties, ant-inflammatory properties, suppresses nausea & detoxification. 

So just what is in these ingredients that makes them a good choice.

Oranges are high in vitamin C which is an antioxidant. Antioxidants fight free radicals that love to damage our cells and can cause us to get sick.

Ginger helps with gastrointestinal relief.

It contains certain chemicals that help to influence the nervous system, stomach and intestines to reduce the nausea feeling.

Ginger clears the ‘microcirculatory channels’ of the body, including the clearing your sinuses that can flare up seasonally or during colder months. 

Matcha Green tea contains a specific set of organic compounds known as catechins. Among antioxidants, catechins are the most potent and beneficial. 

The catechins in Matcha Green Tea have been shown to have antibiotic properties which promote overall health. 

Matcha is also a powerful detoxifier capable of naturally removing heavy metals and chemical toxins from the body.

Ingredients 

4 cups water

1 Orange squeezed

1 inch piece of ginger

1 tsp matcha tea powder

Method 

Add matcha with a little water to form a paste in a coffee press. One big enough to hold 4 cups of water. 

Peel and grate the ginger and add it to the press.

Squeeze the juice of one small orange. I used a seedless mandarin and add that to the press.

Poor hot water not boiling water into the press and let steep for approx 30 minutes. 

** boiling water destroys the matcha and gives it a bad taste** 

Put the lid on and press down. Serve warm or cold. 

Drinking this warm offers our not so feeling good selves a warm and comfortable feeling helping soothe

our throats and tummies. Plus it could promote a good sweat which is beneficial when not feeling well. That helps our bodies rid more toxins.

Drinking this cold will help quench our thirst as we need to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. A nice option if you get tired drinking just water.

Cantaloupe Water

Infused Water 

These hot summer days require loads of hydration. It's nice to sip on more then just plain water all day long. Adding fruits, vegetables & even some herbs makes staying hydrated easier. Why? Because not only does infused water taste great, it's fun to make & it looks pretty but what I love is that it also adds a little extra nutrition with some health benefits. 

Another great way to sneak in more nutrients in anyone's day, especially the kids.

Nutritional breakdown of cantaloupe

One cup of diced melon (about 156 grams) contains 53 calories, 0.3 grams of fat, 13 grams of total carbohydrate, 12 grams of sugar, 1.4 grams of fiber, 1.3 grams of protein, 106% the daily value for vitamin A, 95% vitamin C, 1% of calcium and 2% of iron needs. A one-cup serving also provides 5%, or more of the daily value needs for vitamin K, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, magnesium and potassium.

Cantaloupe contains an abundance of antioxidants including choline, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, all of which provide protection against a range of diseases and conditions from the common cold to cancer.

Promotes the Health of Your Lungs 

Prevents Cardiovascular Disease 

Reduces Stress

Age-related macular degeneration 

Asthma 

Blood pressure

Digestion 

Hydration 

Inflammation

How to make this beautiful water

All you need is: 

1/2 a cantaloupe 

Water

Lemon slices

Ice

Optional* sweetener 

Juice the cantaloupe and add its juice with all the other ingredients to a pitcher.

Let it sit for an hour & serve!  Whoever loves cantaloupe will love this..enjoy and may you be Nutritionally Well.

Summer Refreshments

  ☀️ Summer is full of outdoor activities like BBQ's, friends & family get togethers, beaches, gardening, boating etc. In this wonderful season we all know temperatures can really rise and can get really hot. Time to pay extra special attention to properly hydrating ourselves no matter what activity we choose, because heat exhaustion & heat stroke can strike very suddenly depending on our activity, duration, level of hydration and of course tempurature. 

 

 Play it safe and keep plenty of water with you for all your activities & adventures. 

 **Athletes .... You know how important hydration is during normal temperatures. Remember you also need extra hydration for your training & events from extra sweating in hotter temperatures.

How Much Water Should You Drink When You Exercise? - WebMD

www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/water-for-exercise-fitness

“When you're working out, you're more likely to be losing water, both through your ...much sweat they lost and consequently drank too little to stay well hydrated.

 Not a big drinker?

 Did you know some of our foods contain a lot of water and can help us stay hydrated? Check out below which ones to eat plenty of.

15 Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated - Health.com

www.health.com › Home › Food & Recipes

These high-water-content foods are refreshing, hydrating, filled with nutrients, and naturally low in calories.

For example: 

Cucumber is 95% 

Celery, tomatoes & zucchini are 95%

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach & sweet peppers are 93-91% 

Watermelon & strawberries are 92% 

Cantaloupe & raspberries are 91-90% ----- water

Now knowing to stay hydrated with water and that some of our foods contain lots of water to help keep us hydrated, we often get a little tired of just drinking water. To avoid drinking high calorie sugary drinks that seem to be so refreshing but in fact only make us more thirty. Let's make drinking water a little bit more interesting.

 Let's add some fruit or a whole lot of fruit to our water. Not only will the taste be pleasing but you would be adding extra essential nutrients to each and every drink not to mention NO CALORIES OR SUGAR. Just plain ol' goodness. 

Still not satisfying enough? 

Then be even more creative and make fruity tea or green tea as your cold and refreshing beverage. If you need a little sweetener. I recommend coconut palm sugar because it's actually low on the glycemic index so it won't raise your blood sugar levels like regular sugar.** Just a quick note**sugar is still sugar. Calories are still calories and coconut palm sugar is equal in calories to regular sugars. 

A great option I also use is stevia as it has zero calories. I just prefer the taste of coconut sugar in these types of drinks. Being that I don't eat much sugar, I feel it's a treat for me. The choice is yours.

 

Another cold beverage can be iced coffee. But will this caffeinated beverage actually work against us?

( remember not to over do it on your caffeine intake. No more than 400 mg

( or approx 2 cups ) a day is recommended )

Why? 

1. It can raise your blood pressure.

2. It can damage your liver.

3. It can make you irritable

4. It can cause insomnia 

5. It can increase risk of osteoporosis 

6. It's additive 

***Myth or Truth*****

 Do caffeinated &  alcohol beverages dehydrate you? 

 Caffiene is technically a diuretic (it increases water excretion from our bodies), you retain most of the water from caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea and soft drinks. Alcohol, on the other hand, particularly at high doses, can cause you to excrete more than you consume. One drink, especially of beer, won’t do much (it’s about 92 percent water), but wine and hard liquor have more of a dehydrating effect because of their higher alcohol content.

** be careful while enjoying your favorite fun summer time drinks that you incorporate lots of water to avoid a nasty hang over from lack of hydration plus the increase chance of heat stroke. 

  The above beverages & foods mentioned will help you stay & keep hydrated so you can continue with all your summer fun. Stay Hydrated and Enjoy but mostly, may you be Nutritionally Well.