Turmeric Tea

turmeric powder

We’ve been hearing about turmeric for the last year or so, but it’s true–it’s a super-powered spice!

Turmeric Tea
Add boiling water to a mug, with a teaspoon or so of turmeric. Add cinnamon, a small splash of real vanilla, fresh ground black pepper, and a half teaspoon of honey or maple syrup. Add a touch of grass fed butter too–it’s absorbed better in the presence of fat. Enjoy!

Turmeric has some of the world’s most powerful fat-burning and healing qualities of any food or spice. It is a potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial substance.

Turmeric grows as a shrub in India and tropical parts of Asia. The roots are ground up to make turmeric. Its active ingredient is a substance called curcumin and it is bright yellow.

Ayurvedic medicine has used this spice as a whole body cleanser, an aid for digestion, and in treatments for fevers, infections, liver and gall bladder problems and arthritis. It helps to burn fat, and is also very effective as a preventative for heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

The rich stores of anti-oxidants are very effective against the free radicals which contribute to premature aging, disease and cancer. Many natural practitioners actually recommend turmeric when a potent antioxidant is needed.

Turmeric helps to digest fats by stimulating the flow of bile in the gall bladder and therefore is very effective as a digestive aid and fat-burning compound. Studies also show it is highly effective at reducing the inflammation from arthritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease and a hundred other inflammatory conditions.

It also contains strong anti-platelet substances which help prevent the blood from clotting too easily, and so is very effective against heart attacks and strokes. In addition, homocysteine, a chemical component in the body, which is one of the primary predictors of heart attacks, is significantly lowered in the presence of curcumin.

As an anti-inflammatory it has been used effectively for a treatment for all types of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and for joint pain.

Turmeric is a powerful weapon against cancer cells as well. Studies show that this super spice can actually prevent cancer tumors from growing and in those who already have cancer, turmeric slows the growth and spread of cancer. The curcumin in turmeric is also highly effective when combined with the anti-oxidant quercetin (found in red onions, apples and cherries) against pre-cancerous polyps in the colon.

One of the most exciting new studies has shown turmeric’s value against Alzheimer’s. Studies of the Indian population who have a high intake of turmeric in their curry dishes show a very low incidence of Alzheimer’s and dementia in the elderly.

How to get turmeric into your diet:

-I put it into smoothies–especially my favorite pumpkin smoothie.
-Add to soups
-Make tea or turmeric milk
-Add to other baked or cooked meals. The flavor is mild when used by itself.
-Add to homemade applesauce
-Add to sautéed apples, or steamed cauliflower, green beans and onions, or any of your favorite veggies.
-For a great, low-calorie dip, try mixing turmeric and dried onion with a little omega 3-rich mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
-Turmeric is also a great spice to complement recipes that feature lentils. -Give salad dressings an orange-yellow hue and a little extra flavor by adding some turmeric powder to them.

Once you start using turmeric on a regular basis, it’s fun to find new ways to use it in recipes. My favorite way to use it is to add a pinch of it to egg salad. It adds a great flavor, and gives the egg salad a delicious rich yellow hue.

 

Mexican Fiesta Salad with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

This is a super healthy meal full of color, fiber, antioxidants and absolutely bursting with vitamins and minerals!
This is a great meal for company, and perfect for summer when these ingredients are easy to find locally…

Mexican Fiesta Salad with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

This is a super healthy meal full of color, fiber, antioxidants and absolutely bursting with vitamins and minerals!

It will make you feel full of energy and vitality after you eat this wonderful salad. I like to make this when I have company over because it is so popular. Perfect for summer when so many of these ingredients are easy to find locally, bursting with freshness and nutrition.

I am sure this will become one of your favorites too!

Dressing

¼ cup chopped shallots

¼ cup fresh lime juice (juice of 1 lime)

½ cup fresh cilantro chopped

2-3 cloves of minced garlic

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Combine first four ingredients in medium bowl.

Gradually whisk in oil. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Salad

3 cups of thinly sliced red leaf lettuce (preferably organic)

3 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage

2-3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

½ roasted red bell pepper (you can usually find these already roasted in the store or see below on how to roast your own)

½ roasted yellow pepper

Half (or more) firm avocado, peeled and diced

¼ cup minced red onion

Half a can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small jalapeno, de-seeded, de-ribbed and minced

1-2 small tomatillos, chopped (green Mexican tomatoes)

¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds or pepitas

½ cup crumbled queso anejo, or feta cheese (optional)

2 chicken breasts (optional), cooked and sliced thinly or shredded with a fork (I usually grill the chicken)

Directions

To roast peppers: heat oven on ‘broil’. Slice peppers in quarters; remove stem and seeds. Place skin side up on flat pan in oven near heat. Roast for 4-7 minutes until skin begins to turn black. Remove and cool. When cool, slide off blackened skin and slice up peppers.

Combine above ingredients in large bowl and stir in dressing just before serving. If you would like to make a meal out of it, add chicken. Serves 4-6.

Enjoy!

Till next time,stay healthy and lean!

 

 

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.