Now the days are getting darker by 4.30pm and the weather is getting colder and I for one suffer physically at the hands of the cold weather.
I don't have arthritis however I do suffer with long standing lower back pain as well as a more recent injury to my right ankle and find that when the weather is cold, the room temperature is cold, these weaker areas suffer. However, after following a strict diet of adding turmeric to my fresh juices, porridge, foods and hot milk drinks, the inflammation in my body is reducing and the pain factor that was previously between 8-9/10 is now between 2-4 depending on what my activity levels have been throughout the day.
I have mentioned in an earlier blog the importance of moving, whether it be walking, swimming, jogging or more intense forms of exercise, the body NEEDS to move. This helps in keeping the body mobile and flexible and aids in the reduction of inflammation in the body as well as reducing the pressure in the head on the onset of a headache/migraine (works wonders for me)!
I love to walk and do this both for pleasure and health. It is at the moment one form of exercise I can do comfortable that doesn't irritate any of my joints and of course keeps me mobile, and aids in my gentle weight loss journey of course paired with eating a healthy balanced diet.
So going back to my favourite spice = TURMERIC, I wanted to share with you some delicious recipes of how you can add this into your diet.
Turmeric is deeply golden in colour and is used in ancient medicinal practices such as Ayurveda. This punchy spice has the backing of modern scientific studies that verify its wide-reaching preventative and functional health benefits. This comes from naturally occurring chemical compounds known as curcuminoids, the most significant of which is curcumin, which gives it all its incredible positive molecular benefits.
Curcumin has a justifiable rep as a potent anti-inflammatory that research shows targets and blocks NF-kB, a molecule that switches on inflammatory mediators and has been linked to chronic diseases such as arthritis.
There is one caveat though - you need to eat turmeric with black pepper when cooking as it needs this partner to be properly absorbed or it pretty much goes right through the digestive tract. It's also best eaten with a healthy oil. Curry works well (made with coconut oil) or add to salad dressings with sesame oil, black pepper and lemon juice, or in fresh juices and smoothies, always with a pinch of black pepper.
So here are some tasty ways for you to add turmeric into your diet.
2 servings
Ingredients:
8 stalks of celery
2 green apples
1/2 cucumber
1/2 fennel bulb
1/8 tsp of ground black pepper
1 inch fresh ginger root
2 inch fresh turmeric root
1/2 lemon/lime (remove skin)
2 cups of organic washed spinach
Juice all the ingredients except the spinach. In a blender add the spinach and fresh juice, blend and enjoy.
**Some delicious variations: add kale instead of spinach, add beetroot instead of apple, add carrot instead of apple, add orange instead of apple.
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 cup of Almond or Soya milk
1/2 cup of water
1 inch turmeric grated or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 tsp of ground black pepper
1/8 tsp of ground cinnamon
Sweetener to taste (I use Stevia or you can use 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave syrup)
Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and gently whisk and bring to the boil.
**Some delicious variations: add 2 tsp of cacao powder into the mix to make a warming hot chocolate.
Serve and enjoy.
Here is the link to my website where I share with you a truly tasty Butternut Squash Curry which contains fresh turmeric for that added benefit.
http://virtuosofoods.co.uk/recipes-3/butternut-squash-curry/
Turmeric is also a great addition to any soup, not only for its properties, also for its flavour and colour.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 medium white potato
2 stalks of celery
1 medium carrot
1 medium red chilli
2 inch fresh turmeric root
1/2 tsp coconut oil
1 can coconut milk
Chop all the vegetables into small pieces. Grate the turmeric. Saute all the vegetables in coconut oil for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add some boiling water to cover the bottom of the pan so the vegetables do not burn and saute for a further 10 minutes. Then add 6 cups of boiling water to cover all the vegetables and simmer until tender (about 20 minutes). Add salt, black pepper to taste.
Lastly, add a can of coconut milk, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat. Blend the mixture until smooth. Serve with a garnish of fresh coriander.
So nutritious, colourful and tasty.
**One thing worth mentioning - turmeric thins the blood so should be avoided by people taking warfarin or other blood thinners, or for anyone with a condition that could be harmed by taking blood thinners.**
I don't have arthritis however I do suffer with long standing lower back pain as well as a more recent injury to my right ankle and find that when the weather is cold, the room temperature is cold, these weaker areas suffer. However, after following a strict diet of adding turmeric to my fresh juices, porridge, foods and hot milk drinks, the inflammation in my body is reducing and the pain factor that was previously between 8-9/10 is now between 2-4 depending on what my activity levels have been throughout the day.
I have mentioned in an earlier blog the importance of moving, whether it be walking, swimming, jogging or more intense forms of exercise, the body NEEDS to move. This helps in keeping the body mobile and flexible and aids in the reduction of inflammation in the body as well as reducing the pressure in the head on the onset of a headache/migraine (works wonders for me)!
I love to walk and do this both for pleasure and health. It is at the moment one form of exercise I can do comfortable that doesn't irritate any of my joints and of course keeps me mobile, and aids in my gentle weight loss journey of course paired with eating a healthy balanced diet.
So going back to my favourite spice = TURMERIC, I wanted to share with you some delicious recipes of how you can add this into your diet.
Turmeric is deeply golden in colour and is used in ancient medicinal practices such as Ayurveda. This punchy spice has the backing of modern scientific studies that verify its wide-reaching preventative and functional health benefits. This comes from naturally occurring chemical compounds known as curcuminoids, the most significant of which is curcumin, which gives it all its incredible positive molecular benefits.
Curcumin has a justifiable rep as a potent anti-inflammatory that research shows targets and blocks NF-kB, a molecule that switches on inflammatory mediators and has been linked to chronic diseases such as arthritis.
There is one caveat though - you need to eat turmeric with black pepper when cooking as it needs this partner to be properly absorbed or it pretty much goes right through the digestive tract. It's also best eaten with a healthy oil. Curry works well (made with coconut oil) or add to salad dressings with sesame oil, black pepper and lemon juice, or in fresh juices and smoothies, always with a pinch of black pepper.
So here are some tasty ways for you to add turmeric into your diet.
FRESH GREEN BREAKFAST JUICE
2 servings
Ingredients:
8 stalks of celery
2 green apples
1/2 cucumber
1/2 fennel bulb
1/8 tsp of ground black pepper
1 inch fresh ginger root
2 inch fresh turmeric root
1/2 lemon/lime (remove skin)
2 cups of organic washed spinach
Juice all the ingredients except the spinach. In a blender add the spinach and fresh juice, blend and enjoy.
**Some delicious variations: add kale instead of spinach, add beetroot instead of apple, add carrot instead of apple, add orange instead of apple.
BEDTIME MILK
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 cup of Almond or Soya milk
1/2 cup of water
1 inch turmeric grated or 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 tsp of ground black pepper
1/8 tsp of ground cinnamon
Sweetener to taste (I use Stevia or you can use 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave syrup)
Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and gently whisk and bring to the boil.
**Some delicious variations: add 2 tsp of cacao powder into the mix to make a warming hot chocolate.
Serve and enjoy.
Here is the link to my website where I share with you a truly tasty Butternut Squash Curry which contains fresh turmeric for that added benefit.
http://virtuosofoods.co.uk/recipes-3/butternut-squash-curry/
Turmeric is also a great addition to any soup, not only for its properties, also for its flavour and colour.
SWEET POTATO, CHILLI & COCONUT SOUP
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 medium white potato
2 stalks of celery
1 medium carrot
1 medium red chilli
2 inch fresh turmeric root
1/2 tsp coconut oil
1 can coconut milk
Chop all the vegetables into small pieces. Grate the turmeric. Saute all the vegetables in coconut oil for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add some boiling water to cover the bottom of the pan so the vegetables do not burn and saute for a further 10 minutes. Then add 6 cups of boiling water to cover all the vegetables and simmer until tender (about 20 minutes). Add salt, black pepper to taste.
Lastly, add a can of coconut milk, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat. Blend the mixture until smooth. Serve with a garnish of fresh coriander.
So nutritious, colourful and tasty.
**One thing worth mentioning - turmeric thins the blood so should be avoided by people taking warfarin or other blood thinners, or for anyone with a condition that could be harmed by taking blood thinners.**
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