Hey guys! After a short break, I’m back! If you remember, my very last post, “Can We Talk: Illness On The Homestead“, I was talking about having a plan when things get a lil squirrely and someone gets sick on the homestead. I had just gotten out of a short vacation at Chateau D’ Hospital and felt that was a pretty interesting topic to talk about. Well, afterward everything went great….for about two weeks. Then I checked back in again – same symptoms, same treatment, same answer – “we don’t know what’s happening”. Anyway, here I am and by God’s grace I bounced back quickly – still standing. We still don’t know what happened, but sometimes you have to just look to the sky, say “Thank You” and not be worried about it. I’m alive and that’s all that matters. Anyway, I took a break from writing for a bit, but not from life for sure!
One thing I did while on hiatus was making “Golden Paste”. Have you ever heard of it? If not, let me tell you a story….
So, the 4-legged dog-child some how hurt his foot, (paw?) or leg. In the middle of the night I heard this incessant smacking. Seriously, like non-stop licking and smacking. He sleeps near our bed in our room, so I got up to put him in his second favorite spot by the stairs facing the door (He likes to keep an eye on things – nothing gets by him). He couldn’t even get up. There was severe limping for two days. I know it was bad because these type of dogs are super stoic and it takes a lot for them to show pain. Some may say, “why didn’t you take him to the vet??” Short answer, as lovable and handsome as he is to us…
1. He doesn’t like strangers in his space too much
2. He doesn’t like strangers in his space too much
The visit would have required tranquilizers just to get him through the door, then boarding because they were “squeezing him in”, then more tranquilizers because he would have probably been unruly by the time they got to him, and then the exam and for sure X-rays. And we just didn’t wanna go through all that. SO, we prayed and I reached into my bags of tricks. I came up with Golden Paste which is a mixture of turmeric, coconut oil, fresh cracked black pepper, and water.
I knew his foot wasn’t broken or he didn’t have anything stuck in it because he let us palpate his paw and legs. But whatever he did, it caused his paw to swell and he couldn’t put pressure on it. So, the first night I gave him Tramadol just to help him get some sleep. He had some left over from a past issue and it was still good. The next day, we visited our local Indian Spice market to get some turmeric. I find they have a better selection and (usually) quality and it’s cheaper because they often carry it in bulk.
I mixed together my ingredients and then started out by giving him a quarter teaspoon of the mix twice a day to see how he would tolerate it. On the third day, I increased it to a half a teaspoon twice a day (he’s a pretty big boy).
Within a day’s time, he was able to put his foot down, in two he stopped limping, and by the fourth day he was back to normal activities! Now, I have some left over and I am freezing it. I like to drink “Golden Milk” in place of coffee and tea sometimes in the mornings – especially if it’s a cold morning. Freezing them in my gummy bear molds will make it that much easier to pop them in some warm home made almond milk or coconut milk. Add some honey, vanilla, and a little dash of cinnamon? YEEESSSS….
Anyway, Golden Paste is great for swelling, inflammation, pain, arthritic conditions, cancers, blood pressure, digestive issues, and just about everything else you can probably think of for both pets and people! WORD OF CAUTION: Turmeric has the potential to interfere with some medications, so speak to your doctor or your vet before starting to use it. Some people even use it topically for cuts and gashes as a wound healing agent (PLEASE note this is NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. SEE YOUR DOCTOR FOR INJURIES). Look it up when you get a chance!
So, about this turmeric, what should you look for? Make sure that your turmeric if in powder form, says it is 100% or “pure” turmeric. You can buy turmeric root, but to make paste, you’ll need the powder. A lot of times, especially in supermarkets, you will find turmeric blends. That’s not what you want. Also, look to see if you can find it in bulk. If you buy it from the seasonings aisle, you are going to pay a lot for it. Of course, that’s fine if that’s all you can get or if you are just starting and want to try it without the huge commitment of bulk. But, if you are going in for the long haul, try ethnic markets first. Be careful! Turmeric when it hits moisture will leave a yellow stain on everything. Use caution when handling it.
Next, you’re going to want black or white (but preferably black) peppercorns. Red pepper will not work the same. Freshly cracked and grounded pepper works best with the golden paste mixture. When the pepper is freshly cracked, it produces piperine. This is what gives pepper it’s smell and taste. If left open to air, heat, or light it’s not as potent or helpful. You can find peppercorns already in grinders at your grocery store.
You will also need a fat. Many use coconut oil for its healing properties as well, but you can also use olive oil, flax seed oil, or ghee which is a high quality and purified butter. You must use a fat because turmeric is not water soluble. This means, if you are eating turmeric without a fat, it will just go right through your (or your animal’s) intestinal tract without being absorbed and you are excreting money and all of the turmeric’s benefits into the toilet (or in an animal’s case – ground or litter box).
So, how do you make it? Glad you asked! I put the recipe on a separate page because this was getting too long. Click here for the recipe!