Natural healing is becoming a trend, and I applaud that.
When it comes to everyday health, to maintaining vitality, and to regaining an
intimate body-mind-spirit connection, nature knows where it’s at. Energy work,
yoga, herbs, essential oils, acupuncture . . . these are gifts of Nature that
benefit us all.
When an emergency hits, though, you want the medical community
and you want them fast! Broken bones, kidney stones, painful hips and knees –
all these and more call for the doctor.
Using both of these in concert is when you really
hit the health home run! When you get a diagnosis of diabetes, for example, you
may need to get on a course of insulin immediately. Then, when things are under
control, you can turn to nature and begin a course of diet and exercise that
may reduce your dependence on insulin. The same goes for so many maladies: See
the doctor, get diagnosed, follow his/her recommendations, and then seek a
natural alternative.
Let’s turn to natural supplements. I get a lot of questions
about whether certain supplements are safe, or necessary. I actually spend a
good amount of time researching any supplement that sounds helpful for me, and
I suggest you do the same. Just because one thing helped your best friend feel
more energetic doesn’t mean it will have the same effect for you.
But here’s something to keep in mind: Some herbs and foods
that have been found beneficial for certain conditions have been turned into
pills, and it behooves you to investigate whether it is better to take the pill
or eat the food.
If you hear that, say, turmeric helps relieve joint pain,
lowers inflammation, improves cognitive functioning, and even fights wrinkles,
well of course we all want us some turmeric! But how you add it to your diet is
important.
Here’s where I remind you I’m not a medical professional,
not a nutritionist, not an herbalist . . . What I am is someone who is in awe
of the power of nature and who is constantly reading and learning about natural
foods and supplements. This is my humble opinion, and I hope it is a starting
point for you to do your own research and come to your own opinions!
Let’s keep with the turmeric. It’s a root that looks like a
miniature gingerroot. It’s small and wrinkly and bright orange. (Check Whole
Foods if you want to see it in root form – but you’ll want the powdered form
for cooking!) It’s been used for centuries in the food cultures of Asia and
North Africa. It’s what gives curry its lovely color and adds to its
distinctive flavor. Ground turmeric is added to a milk concoction that is
widely praised for its anti-inflammatory properties and often enjoyed as a
nighttime beverage during cold and flu season to ward off those illnesses.
The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. You can find curcumin and turmeric capsules in the
vitamin/supplement aisles. Many people take these as a supplement to obtain the
many benefits of curcumin.
Here’s where my opinion comes in: Why take the supplement which
may contain other ingredients, come with a list of contraindications, and have the risk of overdosing, when it is so safe and simple to add the spice turmeric
to your daily diet?
If you search for dangers of turmeric/curcumin
supplementation online, you will read things like, don’t take if pregnant; when
taken in large doses can cause diarrhea; taken in high amounts may cause
stomach upset . . .
If you search for the number of people who had adverse
effects of turmeric when used as a cooking spice, you’ll come up empty. Unless they
don’t like curry dishes -- then the adverse effect would be an unhappy dinner
experience!
I haven’t seen any cases of turmeric overdose when the spice
was used as a flavor enhancer rather than a supplement. And the health benefits
of this spice were, after all, noticed and enjoyed by people using turmeric as
a spice, not as a supplement. Turmeric isn’t exactly delicious on its own, and
is actually used in pretty small amounts in recipes; 1 teaspoon for a recipe
that feeds 6 is common.
Here’s my take: Add turmeric to your food daily. Sprinkle it
on lightly and enjoy. I even have an easy, delicious way for you to do this:
Mix equal amounts of turmeric, cumin, and ground coriander in a saltshaker.
Shake onto salads, eggs, veggies, meat .
. . It won’t be easy to overdo, and your food will be delicious!
What do you think?
