Spice Up Your Life with Turmeric

What food dish comes to mind when you hear the word turmeric? Or maybe you aren’t familiar with this Spice Up Your Life powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory compounds. It is made from the root of the tropical plant Curcuma longa and is a common ingredient in mustard and Indian food – it’s what makes curry bright yellow.

Simple tricks for getting turmeric past the stomach and into the small intestines where it can be absorbed into the blood are:

• Add turmeric plus black pepper and a healthy fat to your favorite heated dishes
• Brew some turmeric tea (see below for recipe)
• Look for enteric-coated turmeric capsules that contain black pepper extract or piperine

Daily use of turmeric has definitely peaked my interest since finding out that my blood platelets spiked (again). Elevated platelets can increase your risk to Atherosclerosis as defined in this article from Mayo Clinic.  Commonly called hardening of the arteries and known as the “silent-killer” there are no symptoms until blood flow becomes slowed or blocked. Family history can be a factor, specifically in my case this would be my mom’s side of the family. Other factors can be diabetes, smoking and high blood pressure, all which I don’t have. With a healthy diet and daily exercise this disease can be prevented and even reversed. It’s time for me to kick it up a notch with turmeric plus other foods and supplements that can reduce inflammation in my body.

Dr Andrew Weil says about turmeric, “Elderly villagers in India, who eat turmeric in their daily curries, have the world’s lowest rate of Alzheimer’s disease.”

In addition, “Other studies have suggested turmeric has broad anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects as well.”

Here’s an easy way to add turmeric to your daily routine. Dr. Weil found this tea during one of his many trips to Okinawa, the island nation with the world’s longest average life span, 81.2 years.

• Bring four cups of water to a boil.
• Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
• Strain the tea through a fine sieve into a cup, add honey and/or lemon to taste.

Feel free to experiment with the ingredients and flavorings to find a combination that suits your cup of tea!

For turmeric supplements “look for supercritical extracts in dosages of 400 to 600 mg, and take three times daily or as directed on the product,” says Dr. Weil.

Read more about turmeric from Dr. Weil, Healthy Turmeric Tea and 3 Reasons to Eat Turmeric

Reduce the signs of aging by protecting your heart and arteries from blood clots by adding more turmeric to your diet…add to dishes, take a capsule or brew some tea.

Follow me on Pinterest to see what healthy recipes I’m pinning then give some a try!

Photo credit: Photodune

Cheers to a Healthy Life!