…Keeps The Doctor Away
It’s a spice that we all know and love and it’s also one of the most powerful medicines in cancer prevention.
This is the first in a small series about Turmeric and how it prevents cancer.
The articles will get more detailed as they evolve but for now, here is the fun bit with a gentle introduction to this fragrant friend and a delicious recipe (so you can be ready and prepared, sipping your turmeric latte when then next articles land).
Turmeric is the yellow coloured spice which flavours many indian and asian dishes. It is the flavour in Bombay potatoes and Lentil Dhaal. Turmeric’s health giving properties have been well documented for centuries but it is often unclear how and when to use the spice therapeutically.
Turmeric is native to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent and is actually part of the ginger family. Distinctive in flavour, it is most commonly associated with curries and spiced foods and it also has a history in textile dyes.
The main active ingredient in Tumeric is Curcumin, used in many preventative and curative health remedies. Curcumin is the aspect of turmeric that gives it the yellow colour and it is also the anti-inflammatory component of the spice. Whilst discoveries are constantly being made about the health benefits of Turmeric, it is known that curcumin increases levels of antioxidants in the body which combat inflammation.
It significantly contributes to a lessening of systemic inflammation (systemic means ‘system-wide’, so across the entire body).
Turmeric has also been shown to lessen the pain from arthritis and other chronic pain conditions.
Turmeric is good for so many ailments and preventions including being anti-parasitic, excellent for clearing up skin conditions, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer and it even aids memory and cognitive function. More on the benefits and why in the next article.
It is possible to buy curcumin supplements if you don’t like the taste of turmeric but there is no substitute for a whole food in the diet. I love this image of turmeric chicken curry and bone broth! What a nourishing meal!
There are many ways to incorporate Turmeric into the diet, both sweet and savoury and there are some neat bio-hacks which allow your body to take in and ‘absorb’ more of the active components of turmeric, meaning you get more bioavailability from the spice.
For people with cancer, arthritis, chronic pain or inflammatory conditions a daily dose of turmeric is a great way to boost health. In order to use Curcumin effectively and for it to be bioavailable, the body needs the right co-factors. These are other ingredients which bind to the curcumin and help the body to use it better.
One co-factor is black pepper, ideally fresh cracked black pepper from peppercorns, due to a substance called piperine in the pepper. You might see curcumin and piperine together on the outside of a supplement, and this is why.
Also, when we think about cooking, the flavours complement each other so well too!
Thank you, nature!
Turmeric is naturally very poorly absorbed and if you just take it in water with a spoon, it will almost all pass through you with minimal benefit for the yellow tongue it gives you! You need to eat fat along with the turmeric to help it be absorbed in the body.
Of course we know that not all fats are created equal, you need to avoid pro-inflammatory seed oils for a start (see my earlier post about seed oils). An ideal fat to have with turmeric is coconut oil, ideally organic extra virgin coconut oil and it works so well in flavour combining to make delicious thai or asian style fragrant meals. Extra virgin olive oil is another great fat to add or you could even use ghee which would create a delicious base for an indian style curry.
My mouth is already watering and wondering if I can make something like that for dinner here too! I think it’s going to be beef strips in ghee with tomatoes and spinach with turmeric, ginger, pepper and chili plus seasoning. Please do share photos in the comments if you decide to use turmeric today, I would love to see what you are making! Please also share your turmeric recipes for the community! (low carb/keto is best for cancer).
Golden Milk
Including golden milk into your daily routine brings a host of health benefits including a boost in energy. Here is a recipe to inspire you.
First make Golden paste
1/2 cup Turmeric Powder
1 cup water
2 tsp black pepper
5 tbsp coconut oil
On a low, slow heat mix all the ingredients except the coconut oil together until it is a paste – don’t cook, just gently heat. Then take off the heat and stir in the coconut oil. You can then refrigerate this paste to use daily in your golden milk.
The Recipe
The Keto Version
2 cups coconut milk or 150ml thick cream blended in 250ml water
1 teaspoon of golden paste
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (this balances blood sugar)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Optional: 1 tsp keto sweetener, erythritol, monk fruit, stevia, allulose (if you are in the US – not available in the EU, yet).
The Not Keto Version
2 cups Raw goats or cows milk is best otherwise, you can use any other milk (though try to avoid vegetable/oat based milks if you are actively cancering)
1 teaspoon of golden paste
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (this balances blood sugar)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Teaspoon raw honey/maple syrup (avoid agave syrup and anything with high fructose corn syrup in it, like the plague).
Optional extras for both keto & non keto:
- Pinch of himalayan/celtic sea salt.
- Shot or two of good quality organic espresso coffee.
You can change the flavour of your golden milk to suit your taste. You can add honey to taste, spices like ginger or cinnamon will compliment the flavour well. Or you can add cream if you are keto or yoghurt if you aren’t keto (unless it’s greek) if you like to thicken up the milk to a drinkable smoothie consistency.
Summer is coming, consider making ice pops with the drink instead. If the weather is good, freeze cream in little silicone ice cube moulds and add them frozen, then blend/crush that into the mix. The coldest versions of this recipe can have the added benefit of combating chemo nauseau while still keeping you nourished and in ketosis.
Play about with the recipe & work out what you love!
Main – Photo by Angelo Casto on Unsplash
