Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
The winter season comes as a welcome break from the scorching heat of the summers, but with it comes a host of diseases that can bring you under the weather and affect your overall health.
These include ailments like the common cold, flu, acute and chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, and pneumonia, to name a few.
But you can easily avoid the pangs of these winter illnesses or get quick relief if already afflicted if you are aware of the home remedies to counter them.
These easy-to-find at-home solutions are full of immunity-boosting nutrients and can provide long term protection from several medical conditions when consumed regularly.
Now you may ask, HOW? Well, because they are all-natural and fall under the umbrella of Ayurveda. The traditional yet scientifically-proven medicine technique that’s been around for thousands of years.
One of the best ayurvedic ingredients available in every Indian household is turmeric, also known as Haldi. It contains an active ingredient called curcumin, which is a natural antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties.
The properties of turmeric are known to provide an effective defence against a variety of winter illnesses while strengthening the immune system to help it fight various other ailments including:
- Arthritis
- Indigestion
- Depression
- Type 2 diabetes
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cancer
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
The benefits of raw turmeric cannot be replaced by supplements or pills. To reap the full benefits of turmeric, you need to have it in your daily diet.
Apart from adding it as an ingredient for flavour and colour in your food, you can also make turmeric-rich drinks that can help boost your immunity.
In this article, we bring you five recipes on how to make turmeric-rich drinks that can protect you from winter illnesses and strengthen your immunity.
Turmeric & carom seed drink (Haldi – ajwain ka pani)
The combination of turmeric and carom seeds (ajwain) is known to have a host of health benefits. In the case of infants and children, it should be given in small quantities (2 to 3 tablespoons only), while the adults can consume this herbal concoction in slightly large quantities.
To make this drink, soak the carom seeds in water overnight. The next day, add raw turmeric to the water and boil it for around five to seven minutes. Strain it into a cup and drink it lukewarm to extract the goodness of both the ingredients.
Benefits of hald-jawain ka pain:
- Improves digestion
- Strengthens immunity
- Prevents infections
- Good for people with respiratory issues
Orange + ginger + turmeric = Detox + strong immunity
Orange in itself is a healthy fruit. It contains anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in nutrients like vitamin C, fibre, calcium, good sugar, potassium, and citric acid. Orange can provide several health benefits, such as protecting cells from damage, absorbing iron, and improving immunity.
Ginger is undoubtedly one of the healthiest spices. The main bioactive compound in ginger is gingerol which has powerful medicinal properties. Adding ginger to your diet can help in managing various conditions, including chronic indigestion and even osteoarthritis.
When these two nutrient-rich foods are blended with turmeric in the right amount, they may protect you from several winter ailments and increase immunity. You can also add lemon juice and carrot for a tangy taste.
Turmeric masala milk
This delicious drink involves super healthy ayurvedic ingredients like turmeric, cinnamon powder, and black pepper.
To prepare this age-old immunity-enhancing drink, boil milk for a few minutes and add the remaining ingredients one by one. Keep stirring while adding them, and let it boil for three to five minutes.
To add more flavour to the drink, add honey or crushed jaggery (gud). Drink it lukewarm to enjoy the aroma, flavour, and numerous health benefits it brings.
Simple turmeric milk
Turmeric milk (Haldi ka doodh) is commonly served in almost every Indian household during winters. To prepare it, all you need to do is add a pinch of turmeric powder or a tablespoon of crushed turmeric to one cup of milk (approximately 250ml) and boil it at medium flame for around 10 to 15 minutes.
You can also add a teaspoon of honey or crushed jaggery to savour every sip of the beverage, as an option to sweeten it up. Serve the milk lukewarm.
Turmeric tea
Brewing turmeric tea might sound like a new thing, but it’s not. It is simply the addition of an ingredient while preparing a normal cup of tea.
Along with the other ingredients such as ginger, cardamom, tea leaves, sugar, milk, and water, add a pinch of turmeric powder or crushed turmeric, and let it boil for a few minutes. Strain it, and de-stress with a cup of hot turmeric tea.
Final thoughts
Turmeric is an ayurvedic ingredient loaded with nutrients that possess amazing benefits for your body. This immunity-boosting spice can be consumed in different ways and help protect you from the onset of winter ailments.
The above-mentioned are five delicious beverage recipes for making turmeric-rich drinks that can help in maintaining your overall well-being. But remember to consume turmeric in an appropriate amount as it can lead to blood thinning.
