One of my pillars for my 15-month plan is fitness, and for me that means a lot more than losing weight (though that’s on my list too). As with everything else, I just want to be better. And that means decreasing the amount of drugs I’m putting into my body, because I know better.

When we’re on the road, I used to take ibuprofen regularly during my menstrual cycle. My cramps are brutal.

But when we moved to Thailand for a year, I learned the magic of turmeric root. They use it for everything involved with the stomach, including menstrual cramps. A bottle of 100 capsules was $2, and because they’re all natural, you can take them as often as necessary.

I’ve since progressed into making my own juice, and let me tell you, this recipe is liquid gold. I’ll be honest, I don’t measure much, but I estimated about how much will be necessary for a smaller mason jar.

What I like to do, is buy a lot of the ingredients, then juice one fruit/veggie at a time using a standard juicer. I open all my glass jars up, and fill ¼ of the way with carrot juice, ¼ with papaya or cantaloupe (this cuts the spiciness of the ginger and turmeric roots), and then fill the rest with the last three ingredients – orange, ginger, and turmeric root. I like to use a fine strainer, because I’m not too fond of a lot of pulp, and the papaya especially can get pretty thick.

Turmeric and ginger root don’t give off much juice, but they’re the medicine of this recipe, so add depending on how strong you need the medication. If ever you cannot get the exact ingredients I listed, substitute until your heart is content, just make sure to include the turmeric and ginger root.

Ingredients for 16 oz juice

• 4 Carrots

• 3 Large Slices of Papaya OR 2 Slices of Cantaloupe

• 1 Orange

• 2 Nubs of Ginger Root

• 3 Nubs of Turmeric Root

xoxo