I’m a big fan of turmeric for its antioxidant, anti inflammatory and immune boosting properties, and will often add it to my cooking (despite not being the biggest fan of the flavour) for that reason.

Recently I’ve heard a lot about the health benefits of drinking ‘golden milk’, derived from turmeric, which is said to: work as an antiseptic to help with pain relief; ease joint inflammation to help with problems such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; reduce inflammation of the skin asscoiated with eczema and other skin conditions and provide a powerful dose of antioxidants to help a lowered immune system.

After a nasty flare up of sinusitis yesterday I decided to give this ‘golden milk’ a try and see if it could be an alternative to popping a handful of ibuprofen and cold & flu tablets!

To make it I started by making a turmeric paste: 125ml water; 40g turmeric; 1/2 tsp ground pepper. Simmer this over a medium heat for about 7 minutes until a thick smooth paste forms (add a little more water if it starts to dry out). Let it cool and then transfer to a glass jar which can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks. The paste can be eaten directly, applied to the skin for dermatitis conditions or used to make the golden milk drink…
Combine 250ml milk (I used whole cows milk but you could use almond or coconut milk) and 1 tsp turmeric paste in a pan. Gently heat until steaming, but not boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tsp coconut oil & 1/2 tsp honey. Then drink!

It could be unrelated but the almost blinding, nauseating sinus pain I felt yesterday is significantly better which is the fastest a sinus infection has eased for me. Either way, coincidence or not, I would definitely recommend this drink for anyone feeling under the weather at this time of year, if nothing else the taste alone is pleasantly soothing!