Turmeric Recovery Protein Smoothie

Turmeric Cherry Recovery Protein Smoothie

Turmeric is one of the more truly medicinal spices ever discovered.  Making a smoothie out of it is a great way to enjoy this natural medicine.   This is not something your great grandmother just says because it's what she has heard.  The spice is very versatile and you can either cover up the flavor and complement it.  I have done both here.  Below, you will find 2 recipes, one to cover the taste and one to enhance it but you can also be creative.

General principles for making a turmeric smoothie out of anything.

• Turmeric is a spice, it has a taste that reminds me of a pumpkin spiced latte minus the pumpkin flavor.  Pair it with flavors that complement this like apple.
• Research from the University of Maryland found good evidence of turmeric being as good as ibuprofen for anti-inflammatory purposes in the following doses.
  • ¼ teaspoon which is about 1 gram up to 3 times per day.    If you watch my video I mentioned going over that dose.  I hadn't found the correct dosage yet at this point and used 2 tablespoons.  I felt horrible afterwards, low energy and almost feverish feeling.  Don't mess around with this stuff, it has possible side effects.
  • If you have a medical condition it is recommended to speak with your doctor and or pharmacist before using this.   We are neither on this blog, just epicurean food bloggers.  We are always trying to make our favorite recipes healthier and appreciate comments.  Your situation is fact dependent so never assume with questionable ingredients.
• There are different recommended dosages for different conditions and uses.  Here I am focusing on the anti-inflammatory purposes.  According to American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists in this abstract there is a wide variety of research.  This research spans several centuries, starting in the 1700's and covers a wide variety of aliments.
• The powdered form may contain differing amounts of the active ingredient curcumin.
• If you are taking other medicines or have a special medical condition check out WebMD's article on precautions, side effects and contraindications.

Turmeric Verses other Common Over the Counter Anti-inflammatory drugs

Check out this video of these famous physical therapists and their pharmacist friend comparing the anti-inflammatory agents.  Based on him saying it takes quite a bit of turmeric I took 2 tablespoons.  Do not do that, I assumed he meant a lot and that was too much.  From what I found it doesn't take but ¼th teaspoon of the powder.  Remember, there may be different amounts of the active ingredient curcumin and use caution.   I love these guys and am jealous of the great workplace chemistry and youtube blog.  They are having a blast and helping people.  🙂

My Recipes

Last weekend, as mentioned before, I tried this and used too much turmeric.  According to the university of Maryland study from 2016, you just need ¼ teaspoon of the powdered turmeric or 1 gram at a time.  They recommend no more than 3 grams per day.  I just went with ⅓rd of the daily max because who knows what else I am taking with similar effects in my allergy meds.  Plus, I'm just not getting that sore with my workouts.  If you are 22, healthy and getting insanely sore after your workouts you may go more.

Really, you can use any fruit for this but we used what we had and what was in season here.  Just use your judgement and it'll be good.  If you like the spiced flavor of a pumpkin latte go with the first recipe.  If not, use the second one with liberal amounts of fruit to cover the taste.

Protein Requirements

All my smoothies are based on 1.4-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.  There are 2.2 pounds per kilogram so you can calculate your weight in kilograms and multiply by 1.6.  These are general guidelines I learned in college for someone lifting weights and doing cardio regularly.

Turmeric Recovery Protein Smoothie

Turmeric Apple Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients:

• ⅓ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 handful/1/2 cup ice
• 1 scoop protein powder or however much is implicated for you via the equation to calculate protein above.
• 2 cups reduced fat coconut milk or coconut water.
• ½ apple sliced

Instructions:

1. Mix together and blend for several minutes until smooth

Turmeric Cherry Recovery Protein Smoothie

Turmeric Cherry Apple and Coconut Smoothie

• ⅓ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 handful/1/2 cup ice
• 1 scoop protein powder or however much is implicated for you via the equation to calculate protein above.
• 2 cups reduced fat coconut milk or coconut water.
• ¼ apple sliced
• 1 handful pitted sweet cherries
• 1 cup low fat coconut milk or water

Instructions:

1. Mix together and blend for several minutes until smooth

If you like this recipe you might also like one of these below.

Guava Mango Smoothie

Thai Lemongrass Watermelon Smoothie

Thai Banana Chocolate Coffee Protein Smoothie

The printable recipe cards are below.  Please don't forget to share on your favorite social media and subscribe to our mailing list so you never miss one of our recipes!  Thanks!  Adam ?