My mom and I just got in a fight. Well more like a disagreement regarding natural medicine and the body's ability to heal itself vs. modern technology and the idea that the body gets old and worn out.
My mom was telling me that she reaaaaallly didn't want to buy a hearing aid. My response was, with, "Why not ask Dr. Jen [our naturopath] if there is anything you can do?"
My mom thought it was an okay idea, "But sometimes, Noelle, things just wear out."
"Well, why not just see what she says?"
About a week later, my mom called me, super excited, and with a list of all the things she can do that will help the body regrow hair in the ears... ie improve her ability to hear and get things flowing! Yay!
While Dr. Jen suggested my mom make her own bone broth (and to add a lot of beans and sea veggies), she also suggested my mom up her intake of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, rosemary, and sage.
Synchronicity at work as I just started making a new smoothie recipe with cinnamon and ginger that I found on Ugly By Nature's Instagram page (they have a 100% non-toxic, fluoride free, safe to eat toothpaste that is amazing...and they post lots of helpful info including the difference between Ceylon and Cassia cinnamon - now I only use Ceylon! More info below :).
While this smoothie may not boost your ability to hear, it is packed with vitamins and minerals your body needs. One of the main ingredients is turmeric, which most of us have heard of the beneficial properties of curcumin, (the active ingredient in turmeric). Many studies have shown its ability to block the growth of certain types of tumors and reduce inflammation.
Pineapple Turmeric Smoothie
- 1 cup coconut milk or nut milk or filter water
- 1/2 cup pineapple or mango (organic mangoes are fresh right now, but you can always opt for frozen mango or pineapple chunks which make this smoothie an easy go-to)
- 1 banana
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon of maca powder
- A pinch of freshly ground black pepper, which helps make turmeric much easier to absorb when taken together
Blend together and enjoy! Makes about 2 servings (6oz each).
* I like to use Ceylon cinnamon. In the United States, we usually use Cassia cinnamon. Both possess antimicrobial properties and help regulate blood sugar, but they have different amounts of coumarin. Coumarin is a naturally occurring blood thinner.
Ceylon cinnamon contains a very small amount of coumarin, but Cassia cinnamon has about 1200x as much coumarin! Consuming this amount of coumarin over time can lead to health problems such as liver and kidney damage. The FDA in Germany has warned its citizens about consuming too much Cassia cinnamon because of the amounts of coumarin in it.
If you don't like "green drinks", then this is a nice change. It's not very sweet (be careful not to add too much black pepper), but the spices make it an easy way to get the benefits of reducing inflammation, the fruit adds a good source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and the chia seeds add protein, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids.
The maca power is a nice addition since it helps beat fatigue (natural energy booster), can increase libido, and is packed with vitamins, minerals and amino acids. However, don't worry if you don't have it - it's good without it. :)
Let me know if you try this or leave your favorite smoothie recipe in the comments below. I'm always looking for new ones to try!
Original recipe: http://www.organicandhealthy.org/2017/02/have-this-pineapple-and-tumeric.html