When I found this organic turmeric at the grocery store the other day, I squealed like a little pig!
Just the thought incorporating it even more in my diet is a dream come true.
I knew the first thing I wanted to do with the turmeric was kiss it… haha, just kidding.
Actually, I wanted to make juice!
Turmeric has the ability to reduce inflammation in the body naturally.
Did you know the inactive ingredients in different forms of over-the-counter medications include artificial food coloring made from petroleum, artificial sugars, sodium benzoate, GMO’s, propylene glycol and parabens?
These are ingredients I wouldn’t normally put into my body – and most definitely don’t want to subject my body to when I’m trying to recover from something.
When I had a bad accident a couple of years ago, I did not take painkillers long term, and I took turmeric in pill form to help my body to heal naturally. And I would not be sharing this story, unless it freaking worked! To this day – whenever I have an injury – I turn to turmeric.
But that’s just the icing on the cake – Turmeric has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat a number of conditions and scientists believe that one of the reasons why turmeric is so powerful is that it contains curcumin. Its beneficial properties have been the subject of thousands of peer-reviewed and published studies.
So now that I’ve hopefully convinced you to try this root…. I need to tell you that juicing turmeric can be really tricky. If you use too much – the juice can end up very bitter and not at all pleasant to drink.
I experimented with a few different blends that don’t use fruit juice or sugar (like most recipes call for) because I wanted to find a way to drink this all the time without having to consume the additional added sugar.
The blend that worked is so REFRESHING. The coolness of the cucumber and romaine worked like a charm…. I hope you can find fresh turmeric root where ever you are… because this juice is the BOMB.
- 2 inch piece of turmeric
- 1 bunch romaine lettuce
- 3 carrots
- 1 cucumber with ends removed
- 1 lemon with peel removed
- Wash all vegetables thoroughly and place into a large bowl
- Juice each vegetable in this order – turmeric, romaine, carrots, lemon, and cucumber
- Stir mixture before serving
- Clean juicer immediately
*Please buy all organic ingredients if possible*
Want to learn more about turmeric?
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- Truvani Life: I’ll walk you through my top healthy-living tips. I answer some of your most-asked questions about what to eat (and what to avoid) to stay fit and healthy.
- The Ultimate Guide To Turmeric: A beautiful 35-page guide to help you better understand the remarkable power of Turmeric, the ancient Ayurvedic remedy. I’ll show you how to incorporate it into your daily life with delicious recipes, specific product recommendations, and more.
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Our mission at Truvani is to choose the absolute best ingredients, as nutrient-dense as possible, without processed chemical ingredients invented by the food industry to increase their bottom line. We enjoy food the way it was meant to be – real, whole, organic, and full of nutrients. Experience it for yourself!
If you are like me, sometimes you can get in a juicing rut. I am so glad to have this new medicinal cocktail in my repertoire…. if you know someone who could benefit from incorporating this juice into their diet – please tell them about it and share this recipe with them!
XOXO,
Food Babe
*This statement has not been evaluated by FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
As with any dietary supplement, you should discuss with your healthcare professional prior to use. If you are breastfeeding, pregnant, or considering pregnancy, you should consult your healthcare professional prior to taking any supplements. Discontinue use and contact your healthcare professional if you experience any side effects or an allergic reaction. Keep out of reach of children.
I’m thinking this may be my new cramp remedy =]
YES! totally.
I was thinking the same thing. Thank you
Do you peel the tumeric before you juice it? And can you use it in a blender instead of a juicer?
Same question.
Same question about can you blend instead of juice.
Yes you can blend too – won’t be as potent, but will do the trick.
I do not peel the turmeric because it is organic, if it wasn’t – I would peel it.
Okay, thank you! I’m excited to try this.
Wow this is really great to know. I’m all for natural remedies over chemicals. Thank you for posting.
I don’t have a juicer, but I have a vitamix, can I just make a smoothie out of these ingredients or is it completely different? Thanks for the advice!
Yes – you can grate fresh turmeric in your smoothie.
Thanks for asking this Lisa O.! I also have a Vitamix and I am excited to try this new drink!
Looks like a real winner!! I use a small piece in the daily green juice, but this one packs a real punch for those special times – and without the bitters? I’m in. The advice on cleaning the juicer fast is good, as turmeric can gum things up. When juicing turmeric, I tend to put it in first and then let the lemon and other ingredients clean out the juicer screen, as it follows the turmeric. Thanks!
Is there a way to consume turmeric without juicing? We don’t have a juicer and I can’t see my blender handling it well with my smoothies.
Many people make tea from ginger root; here’s a recipe for tea from turmeric: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02833/turmeric-tea
I’m sure you could boil the turmeric root the same way one would boil a ginger root (some small chunks, not necessarily powdered).
I guess you could also add it to stir-fries the same way you would with ginger? Of course both of these are cooking it; maybe fresh has different benefits. My dad used to just chop off a piece of raw ginger and chew on it but that may be too strong for some; I wonder if you could chop into small pieces and add to salads or something as well.
I grate fresh turmeric on my eggs and veggies every morning. Add a dash of salt, violia. Also, add it to ACV along with ginger and garlic. Let it sit for a few weeks shaking now and again. Strain and take 2 tsps of the infused vinegar daily. Look up recipe for Master Tonic.
Hi Kathleen – you can grate fresh turmeric or sprinkle turmeric powder into smoothies, or into other food like eggs, stir fried veggies, soups etc. You can also take turmeric extract in pill form. Food Babe suggests New Chapter Turmeric Force – there is a link to it in the post.
Do you think this would help a teething toddler (help with the sore swollen gums)?
We use turmeric in all our cooked vegetables. You have to add a spoon of dry turmeric in warm oil, or ghee and roast it slightly before adding vegetables.
After my accident, I drank warm milk with turmeric at night time.
I also enjoy eating raw turmeric piclkle; simply cut long pieces and add fresh lemon juice, salt and red pepper. Keep it in the Frig and enjoy!
It also makes a great mask!
Every Indian bride goes thru the ritual of ‘vatna’ before the wedding and that is a paste of turmeric, chickpea flour, dab of coconut oil etc;
Any ideas on natural remedies for migraines and or tension headaches…..ive had migraines since kindergarten and since having my last son have gotten lite of tension headaches from muscle pain in my neck and shoulders…been to a chiro…it only helps while I go and I cant afford to go 3x/wk forever!
I’ve had migraines since I was a kid too. I stopped eating gluten and the migraines and my horrible allergies all stopped. It took about 4-6 months to detox my system, but I’ve been gluten free for 7 years now and haven’t had another migraine.
Krystin, that’s good to know. It’s been suggested to me that I should eliminate gluten entirely, and the migraine I woke up with this morning pretty much sealed the deal.
What grocery store had the root like this to buy?
My whole foods has it!
I second this question. Where in Charlotte were you able to find this?
The store name is clearly visible on the package!
Thanks David!
Can you just sprinkle tumeric in your drink and get the same affect? I would love to try this.
Yes, you can grate fresh into drinks or sprinkle turmeric powder (buy organic if you can)
I wonder if this would work for hormonal migraines, I’ll give it a try. Ive never seen whole turmeric, would dried work as well?
Yes, you can use organic turmeric powder. For migraines, you might try turmeric extract in pill form. Food Babe suggests New Chapter Turmeric Force – there is a link in the post above. Good luck…
This sounds fabulous! I keep reading “bunch” of romaine in different recipes. Does this mean a whole head?
Yes! exactly – the whole head. If you only have hearts, just use two.
Thanks!
My (Vietnamese) family uses this to reduce scarring. It totally works! Use a toothpick to scrape out a tiny bit of the inside of the root and rub onto the scar. Repeat for as long as needed. The scar will slowly fade after a while.
SO INCREDIBLE to know… Thank you.
Jaci, my husband is a massage therapist. There is big vibration machines like, “geni rub” if you have somebody who will rub it up and down your back slowly for under $200 you can have a easy fix for the tension. You will however be a little sore because it is breaking up all the congestion in your body.
I would loooooooove to find a solution to ibuprofen. I have particularly *bad* periods and ibuprofen is the only thing that sorta works. Keeps me from losing my senses and throwing up. I wonder if turmeric would be a good substitution?
Hi… I too suffered with cramps…. I use to take Advil, 4-6 at a time. They are one of the cause of leaky gut. Please try CRAMP BARK. Works so great. Chinese herb. I promise it works!!
http://www.amazon.com/Cramp-Bark-Extract-1-Ounces/dp/B0016B7TC4
Thanks! I take Vitex too but it hasn’t really done much yet that I’ve seen. I’ll check this out!
I juice turmeric weekly! It zaps headaches and sinus pressure right away. I use a concentrated mix with a lot of Turmeric, half a stock of kale, and one apple. It makes a small glass worth that our family takes 2 tablespoons when needed, but I add it to my juice almost everyday! I love Tumeric !!!
Erin when you make that juice do you drink it all in the same day or will it keep in the fridge?
Where to buy? Can I use the ground spice I have?
You can sometimes find it in natural grocery stores. If not, yes you can use turmeric powder – try and use organic if you can so that you know it is good quality.
So what are your thoughts on using tumeric powder if you cannot find the root?
See my reply above to Donna.
Yes to everyone else’s comments, but also – what a gorgeous color! …Also, I think cucumbers seem to make just about every juice better. They are magic.
Also, forgot to ask in my last comment, whether any of you ever refer to the sloan kettering website? They have a great databse for integrative medicine, specifically herbs. The reason I love it so much is that it presents purported uses separately from research (which is great, since many purported uses are not yet researched). Also handy, especially in the case of plants like turmeric, which really have a powerful medicinal effect, the list contraindications and warn about other herbs and medications which might not be safe to use in combination. http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/turmeric
thank you thank you thank you! everytime I reach for the bottle of advil I wonder if there is something”natural” that I can use! will definitely give this a try!
I may need to try tumeric. Not much of a juicing person, but the tea doesn’t sound bad. If this would help relieve my arthritis pain that would be incredible!!!
Awesome post! I just stumbled upon your blog a few days ago and I’m loving it. 🙂 I live in northern VA just outside of DC and my local farmer market now carries turmeric root…I too about screamed and did a little dance. Not only is it organic but it’s local. I just throw a small chunk in my morning green smoothie and it blends up beautifully. It helps with my scalp psoriasis (along with taking a bio curcumin supplement and a lot of fermented veggies and probiotic supplement).
Hello. I live in northern VA too! What farmers market do you go to? I haven’t had luck with finding it.
Hi Christy,
I go to the Arlington market and my favorite vendor is Potomac Vegetable Farms: http://www.potomacvegetablefarms.com/ Last year they carried ginger and turmeric root later in the summer and fall months as they say it is pretty difficult to grow turmeric in VA. So until then I just use powdered turmeric. Mom’s Organic Market in Alexandria also sells turmeric root at $12 per pound – I just saw it the other day. 🙂
Great juicing post Vani!!!
Hi Food Babe! I’ve recently discovered your blog and am learning so much from it! It makes me so happy to see this information being spread all over the web and social media. Although your blog focuses mostly on what we put in our bodies, I’d be interested to hear your opinion on what we put on our bodies. Is it necessary to buy organic or all natural beauty products? I haven’t given it nearly as much thought as I do my food, and came across this article today that made me think of this – http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5282/The-515-Chemicals-Women-Put-on-Their-Bodies-Every-Day-Infographic.html
Should I be more concerned about my beauty products? What do you use? (Hair, makeup, nails etc.)
Thanks!!
organic is best for internal as well as external! what goes on the skin IS absorbed into your system!! so it only makes sense to take care of your skin as well…….
Can tumeric be frozen? I can not find it, even in my local Earth Fare and am considering ordering it from Amazon, but don’t want to order if it is too much for me to use in a reasonable amount of time. If it can not be frozen, how long will it keep in the frig?
Sure you can freeze it just like fresh garlic.
You can freeze fresh ginger, too. I cut into smaller pieces and freeze then put in my juice or smoothie. After reading this article, I am going to do the same with tumeric.
This is great, thanks! I’d love to read a post about your thoughts on Emergen-C…
So if I have a splitting headache I can juice this tumeric? How long until it kicks in?
I’m so happy you posted this! I had my wisdom teeth removed in November and I refused to take the narcotics they gave me but I was on quite a bit of ibuprofen for close to 2 weeks and I was very unhappy about it. I’m so excited to know that there is a good alternative to regular pain relievers! I don’t have a juicer YET, but I definitely will be purchasing some turmeric extract in pill form.
my concern is staining of the teeth with the powder. what’s your take on using the root?
If you use the root – grate it in your tea – and I wouldn’t be too worried about the stain.
Thanks Food Babe for all your hard work. 🙂
I am visiting my family in Singapore and I was just telling my mom about the benefits of turmeric. She has been using it to cook with but I didn’t think she knew it could cure pain. After telling her about the benefits, she told me she has a plant pot of that. I walked into her bedroom and looked at her pots in her balcony. Sure enough, I saw a long pc and a smaller pc of turmeric in one of them. I thought they looked cute and I chuckled. Anyway,back home in Ohio, I have been taking turmeric capsules and I also have frozen turmeric that I have not used yet.
For cramps from bad periods…. Try cramp bark extract! It works! Promise!!
http://www.amazon.com/Cramp-Bark-Extract-1-Ounces/dp/B0016B7TC4
I was on my period and had a lot of cramps. I inserted one turmeric with my tampon and poof, all the pain was gone! Go Turmeric go!!!
You can also get Turmeric capsules at your natural food store….. I have my father taking these twice daily and they have helped with his pulmonary fibrosis tremendously. I’ve also recently read they are looking at positive effects of Turmeric on Parkinsons.
I found the following review regarding one of the manufacturers of the capsule form so hopefully I’ll be able to incorporate more of the organic whole root into my shakes and salads.
>>”I was super hyped about this company when I found them due to it’s commitment to wholefood and organic products. I really enjoyed this product also. Unfortunately this company sold out to global corporate giant Procter and Gamble. Procter and Gamble’s main shareholders are also Monsanto’s …. a company who has done damage around the world and especially in this country to food supplies through greed based genetic engineering of food. I believe that twisted practice will carry over to New Chapter products resulting in an inferior product.”
Vani, I’m a new “Juicer,” and loving it! I recently read an article that warned against eating more than one carrot, red pepper, and other various vegetables with high amounts of vitamin a due to vitamin a toxicity. What are your thoughts on this? I usually use at least 3 carrots in my mixes!
Ummmm…I’ve been eating that much for years and never had an issue. Listen to your body and get your vitamin levels checked once or every two years. Good Luck!
Hi! Can you take the turmeric pill you were referring to in the place of Advil? Op
Hi Jill – you can definitely try it.
I have been trying to find ways to incorporate turmeric in my diet to help my body fight cancer. Do you think the powdered spice would substitute well in the juice? If so, how much would you recommend? Thanks so much!
Sure you can use powdered – just start with a small amount and gradually add more – a few big shakes! Try and buy organic so that you know it is good quality. You can also take turmeric extract in pill form. Food Babe suggests New Chapter Turmeric Force. There is a link in the post above….
LOVE turmeric! Is there anything I could substitute for the cucumber? My fiance can’t have cucumbers. We want to get back to juicing, and a lot of green drinks have cucumber in them, as well.
I’m a juicer & you might want to try zucchini, it has a very light, neutral taste. While not as watery as a cucumber it produces a surprising amount of juice.
I do not have the resources for juicing but would you still recommend turmeric in pill form?
Yes! There is a link in the post to Food Babe’s favorite brand.
I have seen a lot of questions asked about the tumeric powder and did not see an answer. I don’t have the roots, would the powder have the same effects? Thanks for sharing.
V/R
Joy
Joy – yes you can use turmeric powder – try and buy organic. Another option is taking turmeric extract in pill form. There is a link in the post above to Food Babe’s favorite brand. Good luck!
Hi Vani,
I cannot get turmeric root around here. The nearest Whole Foods is about 2 hours away and I won’t be back for a bit. Is the powder ok to use?
Thanks so much!
Hi Nikki – the powder can be beneficial also but only if it is the best quality which is hard to find or know. We recommend pill form if you can’t find turmeric root. You can find it on-line if you can’t buy it locally. Here is a great link with a lot of info about what to look for and benefits. Good luck!
http://organicindia.mercola.com/herbal-supplements/turmeric.aspx
Hi Nikki – I want to add…if you want to use powdered turmeric, you will still get benefit, just make sure you buy organic so you know it is good quality.
Proctor & Gamble bought out New Chapter so I don’t know if the pill form is the same.
Do you peel the turmeric root first?
You don’t need to if it is organic.
If it doesn’t work for cramps (or if you need another thing to combat it) try clary sage essential oils. There are various ways you can use it, but even smelling it can help!
can you buy this in pill form and does it have the same benefits?
See reply to Joy above!
would ground tumeric work in a pinch? I can get fresh but i would like to make this in the am. 🙂
See reply to Joy above!
So, Friday I went to Whole Foods for this root – they informed me they “stopped ordering 3 days ago” and it would take a “week and a half to special-order some in” Yesterday (Sunday) I tried Earthfare and they were sold out – hope to find some soon!
What would you substitute instead of carrots? I’m allergic 🙁
You can just leave them out but you will probably need to add more of something else to have enough juice – you could add another cucumber. You might also want a little sweetness (to replace the sweetness from carrots) so you could add an apple or pear. Hope you like it!