Over this past year, I have become obsessed with morning detox drinks. I'm sure you've heard about the perks of drinking warm lemon water in the morning, especially if you've spent any time around me. I rave about it constantly! It's a great way to flush out your system and jump start your metabolism for the day... But this being my routine for the past year, I was looking for a way to spice it up (pun intended). I quickly came across turmeric powder and tons of information about it's health and healing benefits, one of which being anti-aging... Sold! Here are some of the other awesome health benefits of turmeric powder...

Anti-Inflammatory: Chronic, low-level inflammation plays a role in almost every chronic disease (heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, etc..). Curcumin, found in turmeric powder, is a natural anti-inflammatory that targets inflammatory pathways at the molecular level. It is so strong that it has been proven to work as effectively as pharmaceutical drugs, but without the side effects.
Antioxidant: Due to it's chemical structure, curcumin can neutralize free radicals and stimulate the body's own antioxidant enzymes.
Linked to Improved Brain Function: Curcumin boosts levels of BDNF, a brain hormone, promoting growth of new neurons and fighting degenerative processes of the brain.
Lowers Risk of Heart Disease: Endothelium (lining of blood vessels) dysfunction is a huge cause of heart disease. Turmeric improves the function of the endothelium, allowing the body to regulate blood pressure, clotting, etc. As discussed earlier, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties also serve in fighting heart disease.
Help Prevent (Possibly Even Treat) Cancer: Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells. Curcumin has been shown to reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors), metastasis (spread of cancer) and also contributes to the death of cancerous cells.
May Prevent and Treat Alzheimer's Disease: Inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in Alzheimer's disease as well as dementia. As we know, curcumin is beneficial to both. Studies also show the it can help clear protein tangles called Amyloid plaques, which are a key feature of Alzheimer's disease.
Arthritis Relief: Caused by joint inflammation, arthritis can be relieved by turmeric almost more effectively than pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory drugs.
Fights Depression: Depression is linked to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic and a shrinking hippocampus (the part of your brain with a role of learning and memory). Because curcumin boosts BNDF levels, it can potentially reverse some of these changes.

I encourage you to give it a try. Cheers!

Daily Detox: Warm Turmeric and Lemon Water

Serving Size: 1

What You'll Need:

Directions: