Ever feel like your body’s just in a constant battle with inflammation, pain, or exhaustion? Whether it’s autoimmune, an injury, or simply the effects of stress on the body, some weeks feel just a little extra crazy…like you just need something to take the edge off (they do say inflammation is the root of most health issues)! And if you live a crazy busy life, even if it’s just temporary, you need something quick!
When battling a really bad bout of inflammation, I became a little desperate and spent hours googling the top anti-inflammatory foods. On almost every single list was tart cherries and turmeric. I’ve personally tried tart cherry and turmeric supplements of different types/varieties. However, I really didn’t feel like many made a difference on the inflammation. I’ve heard the body heals better when the vitamins/supplements are from the diet instead…and I believe it.
Anti-Inflammatory Drink Recipes – Tart Cherry Juice (#1), Golden Milk (close 2nd)
So, I decided to try a whole foods version of each. Fresh turmeric was hard to find and the only place I was able to locate it pretty regularly was my local Whole Foods. With fresh turmeric, I made the ancient Ayurvedic anti-inflammatory beverage, golden milk. This was my turmeric drink of choice because it combines two of nature’s most powerful inflammation fighters, ginger and turmeric. Plus the creaminess of the milk disguises some of the spiciness of the ingredients.
Golden Milk (featuring turmeric and ginger)
Benefits: anti-inflammatory, high in anti-oxidants, said to help with joint pain/inflammation and to help improve mood.
Ingredient Source: fresh ginger and turmeric were found at my local Whole Foods.
Make It: click >> to get the Anti-Inflammatory Golden Milk recipe.
However, tart cherry juice is my top choice for an anti-inflammatory drink! It’s convenient, has many additional benefits, is listed on SO many articles for anti-inflammatory benefits, and is the whole food I have found from personal experience to work the best. I have tried a ton of supplements with it in (so don’t waste your money), but so far have not found any to really work in the way that drinking the straight juice has worked for me.
It’s rather tart at first (you get used to the flavor) and I’ve found I need to drink the entire bottle over the course of a few days, but it really does seem to help and has been backed by a lot of research. Give it a try yourself and let me know how it’s worked for you! *Please note that while I typically write for those who are battling autoimmune disease and/or inflammation; there have been many known benefits for athletes.
Tart Cherry Juice (100% tart cherry only)
Benefits: anti-inflammatory, high in anti-oxidants, said to help with muscle soreness, arthritis, and gout.
Ingredient Source: local health food store, most grocery stories, Amazon Prime
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Make It: no prep required; although it does taste better chilled! Make sure to grab the 100% tart cherry juice (usually found in a glass bottle), USDA organic, and not from concentrate when budget allows/available. This is the tart cherry juice I prefer to get (center one shown in the image above), but I also grab a cheaper one from Trader Joes or my local grocery store that’s from concentrate when my budget requires.
I hope you’ve found something that works as well for you as it did for me! Make sure to sign up for my email list (on right sidebar) to stay in the loop on the latest posts. As inflammation fighting seems to be a popular topic (and I love making drinks), there will be plenty of amazing immune-boosting and inflammation-fighting drinks to follow in the near future.
Here’s to fighting inflammation and regaining our sparkle together,
✧❈✯✦Jenn✦✯❈✧
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