Instructional &
Informational Posts
Bev may be 57 (oops – don’t tell anyone) but you’ll never get her to admit it 'cause she’s a gritty and steadfast anti-aging warrior. Through The Age-Old War, she’ll introduce you to natural, yet powerful, foods or techniques that will keep that nasty nemesis at bay. Read on and join her anti-aging army.
In the war against aging, a soldier’s got to do what a soldier’s got to do.
With that thought in mind, I stab a curcurmin capsule with a pin. Out pours a stream of torrid yellow powder followed by an intense aroma of turmeric. Point proven: curcurmin is the active ingredient in turmeric.
There’s no doubt this is a potent spice. In fact it’s so powerful I can’t wash the yellow stain off my fingers.
All kidding aside, turmeric is a powerhouse defender against aging. It’s fun and easy to use but beware - it is messy and can stain your fingers and countertops, so take care when using.
Turmeric targets chronic and persistent inflammation in your body, the stimulus that is thought to contribute to aging. This is different from the type of swelling that occurs when you have a knee or muscle injury. Here, your body is protecting the bruised part, which is good. Not so for chronic inflammation.
Chronic or systemic inflammation is concealed within your body and is believed to cause or affect almost every age-related disease from rheumatoid arthritis to cancer to dementia. It can be revealed by a simple medical test called a C-reactive protein test which you can ask your doctor for, if you wish.
Why so much inflammation in the body? It’s simple.
Our modern world is awash with pollutants and contaminants. Synthetic compounds, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides and other chemicals have entered our water and food chain and can even be found in our body cells. Most of our foods are so far removed from their natural and organic state that our bodies can actually rebel against them. When this happens, our defense mechanism or autoimmune system literally runs amok trying to cope with the situation and systemic inflammation results. That’s when chronic and aging diseases slink in**.
Using turmeric in your everyday diet is a delicious and healthy way to keep this internal irritation in check and potentially clear your body of it. You can also use curcurmin capsules, which are widely available at all health food stores. But really, what’s the fun in that?
So, here’s the scoop. Control and eradicate systemic inflammation through a daily dose of curcurmin: up to 400 mcg is advised or as much turmeric as you care for each day. In addition, ditch the refined and processed foods, exercise, eat healthy fats, drink enough H20 and try, try, try to relax.
No white flags here in the war against aging. Only orange-stained capes.
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Here’s an easy recipe for summertime cooking with turmeric:
Grilled Eggplant with Turmeric
1. Slice one large eggplant into ¼ inch slices.
2. Make an X in the middle of each slice.
3. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of coconut oil with 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder.
4. Brush the mixture onto both sides of the eggplant slices.
5. Grill 3-4 minutes per side.
** Dr. Mark Hyman, medical editor of the Huffington Post, advisor to the Dr. Oz Show, and one who calls himself a “pioneer of functional medicine”, says that a study of generally "healthy" elderly people found that those with the highest levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 (two markers of systemic inflammation) were 260 percent more likely to die during the following 4 years. The increase in deaths was due to cardiovascular and other causes. That’s one definite good reason to keep inflammation under control.
Next up? Cloves.
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Bev Bell is chief cook and bottle washer and she wouldn't have it any other way! She loves exclamation marks and her dog and her children and her husband - not necessarily in that order. Oh - she's also a Reiki Master Teacher in her spare time. Visit Bev's site @ www.sagewriting.com.
