A bit about Turmeric

Todays post is about Turmeric.

This is a plant that grows very successfully in our garden. Scott needs to harvest it quite regularly to stop it from taking over the vegetable bed.

Turmeric is something that has received much interest from both the medical/scientific worlds as well as from the culinary world.

I thought I would share some information about it and it’s uses.

Is it herb or spice?

Turmeric is actually a spice. The plant is part of the Ginger family and its botanical name is Curcuma longaCurcuma is native to Southern Asia and it’s used for both medicinal and religious applications. Like ginger, the root or rhizome of the plant is mainly used.

For centuries it has been used  in various ways. As early as 600BC, Turmeric was listed as a colouring an Assyrian herbal text. Documents record that it had reached China by the seventh century AD. By the 13th century it was being used as a dye in West Africa.

What about health applications?

Worldwide, the health applications of Turmeric or Curcumin, vary greatly. It is used as an antiseptic in Malaysia, as an anti-inflammatory agent in Pakistan and in Thailand it is used in cosmetics.

Recently, science has started to back up what the Eastern cultures have known for a long time. Turmeric really does contain compounds with medicinal properties. These compounds are called curcuminoids, one of which is curcumin.

What is Curcumin?

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.

Studies have revealed that curcumin aids in the management of various health conditions. These include inflammation, metabolic syndrome, arthritis and anxiety. It may also help in the management of exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness. Scientists have concluded that may enhance recovery and performance in active people. In addition, relatively low doses can provide health benefits for people that do not have diagnosed health conditions.

Actually, the body has difficulty with absorbing curcumin into the bloodstream. However there are ways to improve this situation. It is fat soluble, so consuming it with some healthy fats will increase the absorption. Add to this some piperine, a substance in black pepper, to increase absorption of curcumin by up to 2000%.

Interestingly, the curcumin content of turmeric is not that high. On average it contains only around 3%.

Most of the studies on this spice are using just the curcumin compound  itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day. It would be very difficult to reach these levels just using the turmeric spice in your foods.

With this in mind, it is easy to supplement your diet. Health stores sell capsules,  drink mixes and chewable vitamins. It is readily available in different concentrations that already blended with the ingredients that assist with absorption.

There are even pet supplements now with turmeric!

Turmeric as a food spice

It is remarkable how versatile its flavour becomes in a wide variety of dishes. United States manufacturers use it as a preservative and a colouring agent in mustard sauce, cheese, butter, and chips.

Turmeric makes significant contribution to the flavours of Indian style curries. However, many Asian dishes use fresh grated turmeric. Fresh rhizomes are also used in making commercial and homemade pastes. Recently, it has been making an appearance in salad dressings, smoothies and teas.

Conveniently, turmeric powder will always be a stronger flavour. This is because the active ingredients becoming concentrated with the removal of the water content. Should you wish to use turmeric powder as a substitute for fresh, use about one quarter of the amount in the recipe for fresh.

Try adding some Turmeric to your diet. It doesn’t matter what form it is in, any will be beneficial.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper.

Sources – WikipediaNational Library of Medicine

 

Herbs, Spices and Weight loss

Todays post is about herbs, spices and weight loss, a topic suggested by one of my readers. There are several herbs and spices that are used in commercial weight loss formulas. The most popular or well known are green tea and cayenne pepper. However, there are many other herbs and spices that have been used for thousands of years.

History

The Ancient Chinese used remedies for weight loss. Traditionally, this was in the form of raw herbs that were boiled and then consumed. This method is still followed in most hospitals in China today. Ayurvedic medicine uses certain herbs alone or in synergistic combinations to increase the possibility of treating obesity. Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems. It was developed more than 3,000 years ago in India. Modern scientists have put some of these ancient herbs and spices to the test. In a study completed by the South China Agricultural University, the anti-obesity effect of eight common spices were reviewed and evaluated. They found a variety of naturally occurring bioactive ingredients in these spices have weight-loss effects. The spices put to the test were cinnamon, rosemary, ginger, pepper, saffron, garlic, onion and turmeric.

Cinnamon

This classic aromatic spice is rich in antioxidants and offers several health benefits. In regards to weight control, cinnamon is effective in stabilizing blood sugar, which may help reduce appetite and hunger. It also has an affect on the levels of certain digestive enzymes to slow the breakdown of carbohydrates.

Rosemary

A fragrant evergreen plant, which has been used for hundreds of years for its medicinal benefits. Rosemary is naturally rich in carnosic acid, a substance that inhibits the formation of fat cells. Scientific studies have concluded that rosemary extracts can be used as a preventive treatment against metabolic disorders.

Ginger

The results of several studies indicate that supplementing the diet with ginger significantly decreases body weight. It does this by increasing thermogenesis and increasing the breakdown of fats. It also suppresses the formation of fat, inhibits fat absorption, and controls appetite.

Pepper – Cayenne and Black

Cayenne contains capsaicin, which has multiple benefits for metabolic health, especially for weight loss in obese individuals. Capsaicin plays a critical role in the regulation of metabolic health for the whole body, including body weight and glucose metabolism. Cayenne also raises body temp, increasing thermogenesis and helping to boost metabolism. Adding red peppers to your diet can suppress energy intake and reduce appetite. Cousin to cayenne pepper, black pepper is rich in piperine, which gives black pepper its unique flavour. Piperine creates anti-obesity activity without any change in appetite. The spice has also been shown to block the formation of new fat cells.

Saffron

Saffron is the stigma (the female organ) of an autumn flowering crocus (Crocus sativus). It has been used in both in Iranian medicine and modern medicine to reduce appetite. In a study using rats on a high fat diet, saffron extract significantly decreased food consumption. It also significantly reduced the rate of body weight gain.

Garlic

Garlic is traditionally used to treat infection, colds, diabetes and heart disease. Clinically, it has been evaluated for lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose concentration. Recently is has been linked with weight loss in a study that fed garlic to mice. After 7 weeks the mice had reduced body weights and fat stores. The garlic had also reduced the effects of an unhealthy diet on their blood and protected the liver from damage.

Onion

Onion stimulates bile acid production by the liver. Bile and bile acids play a major role in fat digestion and absorption. A study by the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine concluded that Welsh onion extracts have potential for weight control in obesity.

Turmeric

This spice is already known for fighting inflammation but it may also help the body burn fat. Turmeric contains a highly beneficial compound called ‘curcumin’. This increases body heat, which, in turn, can boost metabolism. Over 20 scientific studies have been conducted to assess the influence of curcumin intake on weight among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders. The results showed that Curcumin intake significantly reduced body mass index. 

(Sources – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, https://www.sciencedirect.com, https://www.hindawi.comhttps://www.researchgate.net )
I hope that this information has given you some ideas on how you can spice up your diet for weight loss.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper.

A Great Coconut Curry recipe

Today I thought I would share a great curry recipe.

Since my last post, Scott and I have been eating primarily a plant-based diet.

This is intended to help our bodies eliminate any toxins and improve our digestive system. I am also hoping to shed a couple of ‘cruise kilos’. So far I am on track. We are both feeling better and interestingly our sleep has improved.

Recipes for Inspiration

There are many great recipes that I regularly use for meal inspiration and this is 1 of our favourites.

The original recipe is in a small booklet that I got from The Source Bulk Foods last year. I have made a couple of small additions.

This quick, easy and delicious meal has many health benefits.

  • Garlic contains antioxidants that protect against cell damage and ageing.
  • Onions have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
  • Broccoli is high in many vitamins and minerals.
  • Cauliflower provides a significant amount of antioxidants
  • Capsicum is very high in vitamin C
  • Studies show that tomatoes and tomato products may reduce the risk of heart disease and several cancers.
  • Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

You can add or change out the vegetables to suit your tastes, or what you have in the fridge. Though it is a vegetarian curry, it can easily be changed to a meat curry by simply adding your choice of diced meat.

Coconut Curry

serves 4

Ingredients

½ onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ broccoli cut into small flowerets

½ cauliflower cur into small flowerets

4 small potatoes diced

½ capsicum roughly chopped

2 tbsp tamari sauce

2 heaped tbsp. curry powder

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tin diced tomatoes

400ml coconut cream

bunch of fresh coriander roughly chopped

* Cooked rice, noodles or quinoa to serve

Method
  • In a large saucepan, cook the onion and garlic till the onion is translucent
  • add the spices and stir for a minute
  • add all the rest of the ingredients (except coriander and rice/noodles)
  • bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer until the vegetables are cooked
  • add ½ the coriander and stir through
  • serve on rice or noodles
  • sprinkle rest of coriander on top

When I first made this, I thought that the sauce would split. This is not the case.

It becomes a really creamy sauce.

 

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n prosper