Hello to long evenings spent on my terrace, watching the sunset and feeling grateful for everything I have. Summer is officially here, and all the heat and energy accumulated throughout the day needs to be gently dissolved with soothing drinks that remind me of sunlight.
Did you ever think of adding turmeric to a cooling drink? For me, this has always been a warming ingredient, until I decided to add it to my summer lemonades. This root works wonders, because it turned my cooling drink into a soothing and balanced elixir, perfect for preparing my body for a quality sleep.
It’s been a while since my lemonades have turned into something more serious than just water, lemon and honey. Herbal tea, spices, cucumber slices – there are so many nurturing ingredients you can play with that it’s a pity not to experiment a bit.
I brought home a bag of lovely turmeric roots from my trip to Malta, and ever since, I forgot about the powdered version. The fragrance of freshly grated root is livelier in every dish and drink I add it to, and the taste is slightly bitter and blends perfectly with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Curcumin is the healing treasure hidden in the tiny orange root of turmeric. While everybody knows about its exceptional anti-inflammatory effects, its antioxidant properties are still in the shadows.
Curcumin can reduce the damaging effects of free radicals on cellular DNA and inhibit tumor growth and destroy the mutated cancer cells by enhancing the liver function and natural detoxification processes.
For this lemonade, I combined a cooled concoction of turmeric and ginger roots with citrus fruits and fresh aromatic herbs. Citrus fruits are vitamin C superstars, and also contain a unique active compound called limonin, with powerful protective effects against colon cancer.
The ginger-turmeric combination has soothing gastrointestinal effects, easing digestion and preparing the whole system for a repairing sleep. As for the aromatic herbs, crushing them releases their essential oils, with calming effects and a lovely fragrance. I especially like fresh rosemary or mint, but you can also use basil or thyme.
Make sure to also check my Detox Water Recipe for Weight Loss , it’s another refreshing drink that can cool you down during hot summer days.
Cozy Turmeric Lemonade for Digestive Relief
Ingredients
- 2 inch ginger piece peeled and grated
- 1 turmeric root peeled and grated
- 5-6 fresh rosemary needles crushed
- 4 cups purified water
- 4 organic limes juice only
- 1 tbsp organic raw honey use maple syrup for the vegan version
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Lime slices fresh rosemary springs, to garnish
- *Optional - ice but I recommend having it at room temperature
- *The nutrition label is made for all the ingredients including the discarded roots after brewing
Instructions
- Add 1 cup water in a small sauce pan, add grated turmeric, ginger, rosemary and black pepper, bring to boil over medium heat, then simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
- Strain to obtain a clear liquid and set it aside to cool.
- Add the rest of the water in a pitcher, together with the turmeric concoct, honey and lime juice, and mix to combine.
- Pour evenly into the serving glasses, garnish with fresh rosemary springs and lime slices, and serve.
Notes
May 24, 2016
Don’t you mean lemons instead of limes?
May 24, 2016
No, I prefer limes to lemons in this lemonade, but you can use lemons, the health properties stay the same 🙂
May 26, 2016
Turmeric in lemonade…LOVE it! And this does indeed look just like the sunset. Beautiful recipe and photos!
May 26, 2016
Thank you Megan! I was very excited by the idea of adding turmeric, it turns lemonade into something really interesting – taste and nutrition wise. Happy to discover your blog 🙂
September 14, 2016
I cannot get tumeric root, how much powder should I use?
September 16, 2016
2 tsp should do the trick 🙂