Turmeric for Inflammation, Sickle Cell, and More with Mylinda Ogundipe

What if one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory herbs isn’t in your supplement cabinet—but already in your kitchen?

In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of my students, Mylinda Ogundipe, to talk about a plant that has quietly become a lifelong ally for her family: turmeric.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is one of the most widely used herbs in the world—and that familiarity can make it easy to overlook just how powerful this plant really is. In this heartfelt and practical conversation, Mylinda shares how turmeric moved from being a favorite culinary spice to a foundational part of her family’s daily care, particularly in supporting her daughter, who lives with sickle cell disease.

She also shares reflections on her time in our Rooted Medicine Circle course, exploring how learning in rhythm with the seasons and in community deepened her relationship with plants—and ultimately shaped the way turmeric became a daily ally in her home.

Mylinda shares her fantastic recipe for Creamy Golden Sauce—a delicious way to incorporate turmeric into your diet—along with her recipe for Black-Eyed Pea Fritters (perfect for dipping in the sauce!). You can download a beautifully-illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Why capsules are a great way to take large daily amounts of turmeric (and how to do this without breaking the bank!)

► Five simple ways that Mylinda works turmeric into her family’s daily meals

► How turmeric has helped Mylinda support her daughter and ease common symptoms associated with sickle cell disease

► A surprising way that turmeric can benefit the menstrual cycle

► How studying herbs in a seasonal, relationship-based way can deepen your confidence in making herbal medicine

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t know her, Mylinda Ogundipe is a community herbalist, sickle cell disease advocate, wife, and homeschooling mother whose journey with plants began as a way to nurture and support her daughter living with sickle cell disease.

Rooted in ancestral wisdom, storytelling, and an everyday herbal practice, she invites families to rediscover their relationship with the earth, one dandelion, one cup of tea, and one story at a time. Blending her love of community-centered learning with accessible kitchen remedies, Mylinda weaves together bioregional herbalism, Ayurveda, and the wisdom of ancestral traditions to make plant medicine empowering for everyday families.

I’m delighted to share our conversation with you today!

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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Mylinda on Instagram.

Access sample pages from Mylinda’s dandelion activity book here.

Learn more from Mylinda about herbs for sickle cell disease here.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter.

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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.