The Indian spice Turmeric is an herb frequently used in Ayurveda for its great healing benefits:

Purify physical and subtle bodies, muscles and marmas, the subtle points of energy

Helps to make the ligaments and tendons moist, flexible and vigorous. Its antiseptic and Anti-inflammatory properties are more effective than drugs and a traditional Ayurvedic remedy for arthritis to ease joints and pain inflammation. Turmeric is thought to reduce inflammation by lowering histamine levels and it may also stimulate the adrenal glands to increase production of a hormone that reduces inflammation.

Turmeric helps reduce pigmentation on face and even out body skin tone and various skin afflictions that are caused by chicken pox etc. Turmeric helps in reducing skin rashes as well.

Its various antiseptic properties are perfect for using it for minor cuts, wounds and abrasions and it helps in quickening the healing process.

If you’ve accidentally burnt your hand in the kitchen, here is quick remedy to ease the burn: Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder with some aloe gel and apply to the burn.

Turmeric helps to normalize the immune system by boosting it in times of need and calming it when it is working too hard for the given situation.

Because turmeric grows in hot, moist tropical climate where microbial attack would be standard, it has developed a chemical defense system from these attacks. For this reason also defends human body from parasites, carcinogens, and oxidation.

Its antioxidant properties are disease-fighting substances that mop up the continuous onslaught of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that damage cells and DNA as they travel through the body and are responsible for premature aging and diseases such as cancer if left unchecked. In fact, Naturopaths often recommend turmeric for situations in which high concentrations of antioxidants are required.

Turmeric Latin name is Curcuma Longa and it is a member of the ginger family. It is native of Tropical South Asia.

The rhizome, the underground horizontal stem is frequently used. When not used fresh, the rhizomes are boiled for several hours and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a spice in curries and other South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, for dyeing, ant to impart color to mustard condiments. Its active ingredient is curcumin and it has a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter, slightly peppery flavor and a mustard smell.

In medieval Europe, turmeric became known as Indian saffron, since it was widely used as an alternative to the far more expensive saffron spice.

Try turmeric as a spice in cooking, in smoothies (fresh, powered) as a supplement; you can mixed it with ghee and milk to strengthen the body and reduce the effect of trauma or externally as an ingredient of your skin daily regimen (cleanse, mask

Many people will wonder what is the advantage of drinking the well-known green smoothie?
One of the most important reasons is that the daily consumption of raw fruits and vegetables meet what the body needs to nourish every cell, preventing the risk of disease, maintains weight loss and energy level needed for daily activities.
In other words, the green smoothie is an ideal food to stay healthy.

The green juice is a combination of fruits and green leafy vegetables like spinach, chard, kale, parsley, mustard green, etc. Everything is mixed in the blender with some water and is ready to drink it.
Robyn Openshaw mentions in his book “Green Smoothies Diet, The Natural Program for Extraordinary Health”, that plants especially in its natural form “raw” are the “fountain of youth” because they provide the nutrients needed to slow the aging process and maintain vitality for life.
The chlorophyll in plants are equivalent to the hemoglobin in red blood cells of the human body that neutralizes odors inside the body, bad breath and removes free radicals that cause cancer and other degenerative diseases.
There are many more reasons to include in our daily diet the green liquid, which will continue citing in future articles. For now I leave you the recipe for this delicious and nutritious drink that you can vary to taste. Maybe at first you include more fruit, then you’re going to decrease until you get used to the taste of vegetables.

GREEN SMOOTHIE
You can take it daily or at least three times per week (32 oz) 946 ml, 1/4 gallon, nearly one liter
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups distilled water
a bit of ginger (amount to taste)
a handful of almonds (optional)
1 tablespoon of chia seeds (or some other so-called “superfood”)
1 whole orange (peeled)
1 piece of lemon peel or rind only
1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil or coconut oil (or coconut meat)
1 or two stalks of celery
a handful of the following greens:
Kale, spinach, cabbage, chard — these are the basic
You can add or combine lettuce, cucumber, broccoli, bok choy, collard greens, arugula, mustard green, avocado, cilantro, etc, etc, etc,

How to prepare:
After you pour the water, add the rest of ingredients until it is full (also depends on the size of the blender) you may be experiencing, there should be neither too thick nor thin. If at first you do not like the taste you can add fruit, pineapple, pear, strawberry, mango until you get used to the taste, the less fruit, the better.
When you take it, try to chew a little while this liquid, so that the enzymes in saliva to help digestion.
Well, now enjoy it and detoxify the body and mind!

Muchas personas se preguntarán ¿cual es la ventaja de tomar el tan mencionado jugo verde?

Una de las razones mas importantes es que el consumo diario de frutas y verduras crudas reune lo que el cuerpo humano necesita para  nutrir cada celula, prevenir el riesgo de contraer enfermedades, mantener el peso ideal y la energia necesaria para las actividades cotidianas.

En otras palabras, el jugo verde es uno de los alimentos ideales para mantenernos saludables.

El jugo verde es la combinación de frutas y verduras de hoja verde como espinacas, acelgas, col rizada, perejil, etc. Todo se mezcla en la licuadora con un poco de agua y listo.

Robyn Openshaw menciona en su libro “Green Smoothies Diet, The Natural Program for Extraordinary Health” que los vegetales , especialmente en su forma natural “crudos”  son la “fuente de la juventud” ya que proveen los nutrientes necesarios para retrasar el proceso de envejecimiento y mantener la vitalidad de por vida.

La clorofila de las plantas son el equivalente a la hemoglobina de los globulos rojos del cuerpo humano que neutraliza los olores internos del organismo, el mal aliento y elimina los radicales libres que causan cancer y otras enfermedades degenerativas.

Existen muchas mas razones para incluir en nuestra dieta diaria el licuado verde, que continuaremos mencionando en otros artículos. Por lo pronto les dejo la receta de esta deliciosa y nutritiva bebida que tu puedes variar a tu gusto. Tal vez al principio incluyas mas fruta, despues la vas disminuyendo hasta que te vayas acostumbrando al sabor de los vegetales.

LICUADO VERDE (GREEN SMOOTHIE)

Puedes tomarlo diario o el menos tres veces por semana (32 oz) 946 ml, 1/4 de galón, casi un litro

Ingredientes

2 1/2 tazas de agua destilada

un pedacito de gengibre (cantidad al gusto)

un puño de almendras

1 cucharada sopera de semillas de chia (o alguna otro tipo de los llamados “superfood”)

1 naranja entera (pelada)

1 pedacito de limón con cascara o sólo la cáscara

1 cucharada sopera de aceite de linaza o aceite de coco (o la carne del coco)

1 o dos tallos de apio

un puño de las siguientes hojas verdes:

Col rizada (kale), espinacas, berza (collar green), acelga (chard) —estas son las de base

Puedes agregar: lechuga, pepino, brocoli, bok choy, col verde, arugula, mustard green (hojas de mostaza); aguacate, cilantro, etc, etc, etc,

Forma de prepararlo:

Despues que agregas el agua, vas añadiendo los ingredientes hasta que se llene (tambien depende el tamaño de la licuadora) puedes ir experimentando, no debe quedar ni muy espeso ni aguado. Si al principio no te gusta el sabor puedes agregar fruta, piña, pera, fresas, mango hasta que te vayas acostumbrando al sabor, entre menos fruta, mejor.

Cuando te lo tomes, trata de masticarlo un poco aunque este licuado, para que las enzimas de la saliva ayuden a la digestión.

Bueno, ahora a disfrutarlo y a desintoxicar cuerpo y mente!!!