Over the last ten weeks I have gotten quite a number of injuries (it seems that an initial injury lead to a chain reaction that I had a hard time stopping). And since I am not one for taking pain medications on a regular basis, I’ve decided to pack my diet with some inflammation fighting super foods and I thought I would share.
Turmeric:
If you eat curry this is probably a familiar spice. It is what gives curry that distinctive yellow color and a good portion of the taste.
Turmeric contains Curcumin (the active portion) that fights inflammation.
Curcumin/turmeric has been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine to treat all sorts of ailments (skin conditions, depression, digestion problems, and wounds just give a few examples). Lucky for us there have also been numerous studies done by the modern medical community and it turns out this spice packs a powerful punch. It has antiseptic/antibacterial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammation properties as well as digestion benefits. And it may help protect from liver damage! Remember that after Christmas and New Years 😉 For more reading – the University of Maryland has a nice article http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/turmeric-000277.htm
Personally I love making curry and this is just one more reason to add it to my diet (plus the ginger in curry is a strong anti-inflammatory). For some yummy curries tryindianfoodforever.com
Or try sprinkling turmeric over steamed veggies or baked chicken (it’s also really good with hard boiled eggs)
If turmeric just isn’t your thing I think it is worth stopping by the health food store and picking up some turmeric capsules.
If you have any questions or would like to see a post on a particular topic let me know!
DancersDish 