HERBS, FRUITS AND FLOWERS: A RECIPE FOR EASING JOINT PAINS

I had been experiencing some pain in the joints, and as I don’t want to see the doc who will definitely prescribe painkillers and other medicines, I was trying to think of an alternative way to heal myself when I suddenly remembered an old traditional recipe. It’s a concoction of turmeric, ginger, lime juice and honey, blended together and drank fresh.

I got the recipe from my sister who had got it from an old lady at the tamu (local weekly open market). My sister was amazed at how healthy she was although it was obvious that she was a ‘senior citizen’. She was still carrying her goods consisting of pineapples and tapioca and sweet potatoes to the weekly market in her wakid (a large wicker kind of basket carried on the back). With prompting, she revealed that she had been taking the special drink for years.

We have turmeric in the garden so there’s no problem about getting fresh supply. We also have a few lime trees that are bearing fruit at the moment. Looking into our pantry, I found that we also had ginger and a bottle of honey ... so yes, I got cracking.

The recipe called for about 2 inches of turmeric and the same for ginger which I pounded together. I got the trusty blender out and poured 2 mugful of water into it, added the pounded turmeric and ginger, poured 3 tablespoons of honey and 3 tablespoons of lime juice and let the blender go for a couple of minutes. I stopped it just to check if the taste was balanced, and added honey or lime juice as needed and blended for another 2 minutes.

This time I only made enough for 2 mugs, but in the past I had made more and kept it in the fridge. It actually tastes better when taken cold.

Here are a few facts about the ingredients involved:

TURMERIC : In http://www.whfoods.com it says that it’s a potent yet safe anti-inflammatory relief for rheumatoid arthritis.

Clinical studies have substantiated that curcumin also exerts very powerful antioxidant effects. As an antioxidant, curcumin is able to neutralize free radicals, chemicals that can travel through the body and cause great amounts of damage to healthy cells and cell membranes. This is important in many diseases, such as arthritis, where free radicals are responsible for the painful joint inflammation and eventual damage to the joints. Turmeric's combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects explains why many people with joint disease find relief when they use the spice regularly. In a recent study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was compared to phenylbutazone and produced comparable improvements in shortened duration of morning stiffness, lengthened walking time, and reduced joint swelling.

FRESH TURMERIC

TURMERIC PLANTS IN THE GARDEN

Who doesn’t know about GINGER? It is used in almost every kitchen in the world but more so in some parts of the world who use it as a healing herb.

Ginger is commonly used to treat various types of “stomach problems,” including motion sickness, morning sickness, colic, upset stomach, gas, diarrhea, nausea caused by cancer treatment, nausea and vomiting after surgery, as well as loss of appetite.

Other uses include pain relief from arthritis or muscle soreness, menstrual pain, upper respiratory tract infections, cough, and bronchitis. Ginger is also sometimes used for chest pain, low back pain, and stomach pain. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/961.html

FRESH GINGER

THE POUNDED TURMERIC AND GINGER

LIME : It is a good appetizer and digestive. It helps cure arthritis, rheumatism, prostrate and colon cancer, cholera, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, fatigue, heart diseases and even very high fever (contrary to popular belief). The best part of it is that it has no negative side effects! http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-lime.html

FRESH LIME