You hear a lot about turmeric these days and with good reason - its health benefits are impressive! Turmeric is a known blood purifier, improves liver function, supports the circulatory system, heals gastrointestinal disorders and decreases inflammation. It is also one of the most important anti-cancer nutrients studied today. Curcumin is turmeric’s active ingredient. Over 2000 published studies have shown demonstrated anti-cancer benefits.

It’s easy to add more turmeric/curcumin to your diet - grate or chop a fresh root and add to vegetables and smoothies, or add the powder to eggs, soups, as a rub on chicken or in smoothies. The challenge is that curcumin is not highly bioavailable, meaning the human body doesn’t absorb much curcumin when it’s ingested alone. Curcumin is also not soluble in water, only in fat. Therefore, it’s best to combine turmeric with a healthy oil such as extra virgin olive or coconut oil and also pair it with a pinch of black pepper which increases the absorption by as much as 2000%.

For a great rainy day drink that's full of goodness, make an Iced Turmeric Latte!

Place 2 cups coconut milk, 1 T raw local honey, 2 t coconut oil in a small pot. Heat on low until warmed through. In blender add ½ cup organic raw coconut water, 3 T freshly grated turmeric (or 1 1/2 t ground turmeric), a pinch of black pepper, and ½ t ceylon cinnamon. Blend for 1 minute. Fill a glass halfway with ice, add 3-4 T of turmeric mix, and fill the glass with the warm milk.

Note: The pepper may seem out of place in this recipe but it helps the body absorb the turmeric.