Indulge yourself in this beautiful cardamom turmeric spiced golden tropical smoothie. It has an exotic flavor and aroma. Better yet, it’s vegan, gluten-free, no added sugar, and rich in probiotics.
With cooler weather here again, so is flu season as well as more frequent outbreaks of the common cold. In addition to seeing flu shot signs everywhere, you may also have come across bloggers claims of turmeric’s medicinal benefits. It will help you dodge seasonal sickness, reduce inflammation, help digestion, reduce pain, etc.
Are those claims really true?
Having a strong chemistry background has instilled in me the need to to see solid research behind such claims.
Unfortunately I found a research paper that refutes such claims. The paper concluded that the active compound, curcumin (which is thought to be the key ingredient for all the benefit), is not easily absorbed by the body. It also stated that many claims are exaggerated and reported by the supplement companies to benefit their sales on curcumin extract powder.
“This manuscript reviews the essential medicinal chemistry of curcumin and provides evidence that curcumin is an unstable, reactive, nonbioavailable compound and, therefore, a highly improbable lead.” J. Med. Chem., 2017, 60 (5), pp 1620–1637
So, what can help us dodge seasonal sickness?
- Washing your hands or using hand sanitizer
- Getting a moderate level of exercise
- Sleeping well and enough
- By avoiding too much stress, both physical and emotional, you’re less likely to get sick.
One of the best ways to do that is to keep a smile on your face. You can easily do that by immersing yourself in one of the greatest joys in life; enjoying flavorful food. That’s where this Cardamom Turmeric Spiced Golden Tropical Smoothie comes in. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Although the turmeric in this smoothie will not directly help you dodge seasonal sickness, there is no doubt that as a spice, it’ll make this smoothie, as well as other dishes, delicious. I also love the bright yellow color. All natural.
Here is how I made it. I blended together some fresh turmeric, a cardamom pod, blood orange, pineapple, coconut milk, water kefir, and a pinch of black pepper to make this golden tropical smoothie. The exotic flavor and aroma from cardamom make this smoothie even more alluring.
This vegan, probiotic rich golden tropical smoothie will be something you’ll want to sip on and enjoy. Most important though, keep a smile on your face, a spring in your step, and a song in your heart.
- 1 cardamom pod
- ⅔ cup water kefir refrigerated
- 1 cup coconut milk from a can, gum-free preferred
- 6 oz pineapple
- 1 Ataulfo mango skin and pit removed
- ½ inch turmeric root
- ¼ teaspoon pure stevia extract powder
- 1 medium size blood orange
- Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Sieve through a fine-mesh strainer to discard any large particles, if necessary. Serve cold.
Your photos just keep getting prettier and prettier! This smoothie sounds so good, and full of good-for-you stuff!
Thanks Willow! I have this photo done in the spring. Do you remember the blood orange you gave to me? That’s it. 🙂