You may have heard about the numerous health benefits that ginger and turmeric provide but perhaps you're a little unsure about how to fit these invaluable spices into your daily meal plan?
First of all, here are a few interesting facts to remind you of the good stuff ginger and turmeric can do for you:
• They both have anti-inflammatory properties, pretty important considering that a lot of studies are finding that inflammation seems to be a big issue in many diseases and conditions including heart disease and autoimmune disease.
• Curcumin (found in turmeric) is said to have the ability to kill or prevent a number of cancers including breast, colon, prostate and skin.
• Both ginger and turmeric have been used for thousands of years, especially in Chinese medicine, to treat digestive problems, wounds and also skin conditions.
• Turmeric and ginger can be used as a safe and natural pain reliever and are said to be just as effective as over the counter pain medication.
Here are just some of the health issues these spices have been shown to help with:
• Ulcerative colitis
• Colds and flu
• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases
• Eczema
• Many types of cancers
• Infectious disease
• Liver disease
I don't know about you, but to me all of that sounds like a good reason to make these spices a staple of your diet! Going back to what I said earlier about adding ginger and turmeric to your food, since these spices are quite strong (in terms of western dishes) and maybe not to everyone's taste, you might find it difficult to cook with them. Personally I'll add them to curries, stir fries and scrambled eggs but since I don't fancy those everyday the easiest way to get my daily dose (without spending a fortune on supplements) is to put a bit of each in a spoon of honey and eat it straight. I also add black pepper (the piperine it contains increases the bioavailability of the curcumin in the turmeric) and also cinnamon for additional benefits and also because I like the taste!
First of all, here are a few interesting facts to remind you of the good stuff ginger and turmeric can do for you:
• They both have anti-inflammatory properties, pretty important considering that a lot of studies are finding that inflammation seems to be a big issue in many diseases and conditions including heart disease and autoimmune disease.
• Curcumin (found in turmeric) is said to have the ability to kill or prevent a number of cancers including breast, colon, prostate and skin.
• Both ginger and turmeric have been used for thousands of years, especially in Chinese medicine, to treat digestive problems, wounds and also skin conditions.
• Turmeric and ginger can be used as a safe and natural pain reliever and are said to be just as effective as over the counter pain medication.
Here are just some of the health issues these spices have been shown to help with:
• Ulcerative colitis
• Colds and flu
• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases
• Eczema
• Many types of cancers
• Infectious disease
• Liver disease
I don't know about you, but to me all of that sounds like a good reason to make these spices a staple of your diet! Going back to what I said earlier about adding ginger and turmeric to your food, since these spices are quite strong (in terms of western dishes) and maybe not to everyone's taste, you might find it difficult to cook with them. Personally I'll add them to curries, stir fries and scrambled eggs but since I don't fancy those everyday the easiest way to get my daily dose (without spending a fortune on supplements) is to put a bit of each in a spoon of honey and eat it straight. I also add black pepper (the piperine it contains increases the bioavailability of the curcumin in the turmeric) and also cinnamon for additional benefits and also because I like the taste!
To make up your own supercharged spiced honey, you'll need a jar of honey (raw is better). It's best to take some out so you can mix the spices in more easily. You'll want to add about 1/4 teaspoon of ginger and turmeric per teaspoon of honey. Start with less so you can add more if you want it stronger. Add in a few teaspoons of cinnamon and about 2 teaspoons of black pepper. Stir well and keep in a cool dark place.
I like to drizzle the honey on banana and Greek yogurt or banana pancakes (made with banana and egg only) or you could even squeeze some lemon juice and mix in a teaspoon with some warm water to soothe sore throats and cold and flu symptoms. Give it a try and share it with anyone else you think would benefit!
References:
Influence of piperine on bioavailability of curcumin: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9619120
Comparison of Effects of Ginger, Mefenamic Acid, and Ibuprofen on Pain in Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2008.0311
Anticancer Potential of Curcumin: Preclinical and Clinical Studies: http://www.curcuminresearch.org/PDF/Anticancer%20potential.pdf
I like to drizzle the honey on banana and Greek yogurt or banana pancakes (made with banana and egg only) or you could even squeeze some lemon juice and mix in a teaspoon with some warm water to soothe sore throats and cold and flu symptoms. Give it a try and share it with anyone else you think would benefit!
References:
Influence of piperine on bioavailability of curcumin: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9619120
Comparison of Effects of Ginger, Mefenamic Acid, and Ibuprofen on Pain in Women with Primary Dysmenorrhea: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2008.0311
Anticancer Potential of Curcumin: Preclinical and Clinical Studies: http://www.curcuminresearch.org/PDF/Anticancer%20potential.pdf