Wellness 4 Life

Turmeric - the Superfood we All Should Know About

Every Saturday morning I drive over to our local farmers market. To say that something surprises me every time is an understatement. Last week, our farmers market was selling cannabis brownies, touting their benefits on big poster boards. That was eye popping for me. 

 

Fresh Turmeric Root at Our Local Farmers Market

 

 

Then today a pleasant surprise, as I was checking out the ginger. Fresh turmeric root was on display. 4.99/lb. WOW. I overhead two of the guys who run the farmers market saying " this is the first time we have carried this- I don't even know what it is". Neither of them knew what it was or what is was used for. Well I could have given them an earful, but it was Saturday morning and I need to get home to have my coffee and relax. So I bought 1/3rd of a pound and put two turmeric roots in our morning juice. 

 

People assume that turmeric a yellow powder that gives indian food its glow in the dark yellow color. Sure that is ONE use. But turmeric is much more powerful and a force to be reckoned with.

 

What are the Benefits of  this Superfood we call Turmeric?

 

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and a powerful antioxidant.It has potent anti-microbial properties. It has anti-cancer properties and wound healing properties. It protects skin health, and regulates immune responses.  It protects us neurologically and benefits brain health. It protects our heart. Turmeric works as a detoxifying agent and protects from heavy metal, carcinogen and drug induced toxicity. It also supports both male and female reproductive health. It is great for oral and dental hygiene. It has pain relieving effect. It benefits in metabolic diseases like diabetes, metabolic syndrome etc. Finally it preserves bone health and protects from arthritis and osteoporosis. 

 

Related articles

1st Starting With A Neck Pillow...Go Gradual

Do I Get An Epidural?

I Have Pain When I Breathe?...

Kelly Ripa's Chiropractor Recommend an Alkaline Diet

Why am I Tired All the Time?

The Health Benefits of Juniper Berries...

Juniper Berries Have AntiSeptic Properties

Here is a berry you may not have heard of. It's called Juniper Berry. Juniper berries have anti septic properties. They aid in removing waste, and acidic toxins in the body. They stimulate fighting action against bacterial and yeast infections. Juniper berries are also a natural diuretic that can help to eliminate excess water retention which can help with losing weight. Finally, they are also used to treat urinary traction, bladder, kidney and prostate infections naturally.


Additional Reading:

• For RA Patients, eat foods that lower inflammation and decrease pain in the body naturally
• Natural Pain Relief in the neck that does not include surgery
• What is melatonin and is it really an all natural sleeping pill?
• What to do for chronic neck pain.
• Home Made Coconut Milk is the Best Homemade Dairy Free Milk

 

Related articles

5 Organic Spices to Boost Your Immunity this Winter | PEAKLIFE

Eating the Right Foods to Reduce Pain and Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

A new report out last month outlined certain foods that may help decrease pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Ginger has phenolics  that have therapeutic properties to help RA patietns

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) causes inflammation in the joints of patients - it is chronic and autoimmune disorder that affects about 1% of the population. RA  patients often exhibit symptoms such as such as pain, joint stiffness, joint swelling, tenderness and associated disability with disease progression.

Kaempferol, an important phytochemical found in grapefruits, can bring down the level of inflammatory enzymes

 

According to a new report in the Frontiers of Nutrition, these foods scientifically appear to decrease inflammation and reduce pain:

• pomegranates
• dried plums
• whole grains
• ginger
• turmeric
• olive oil
• pineapple stem

Source: Frontiers in Nutrition, November 2017

Additional Reading:

• Cocoa compound can help to control blood sugar levels
• Breakfast is the most important meal, especially for kids
• Lemon Water First Thing in the morning can do wonders
• Thyme for  Tea... 
• Golden Milk - the real gold mine for your health, in your kitchen

Study shows that Cocoa Compound Can Control Blood Sugar Levels

A new study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that a Cocoa Compound may delay or even prevent diabetes. This new animal study suggests that the anti oxidants found in cocoa powder may help slow diabetes progression. The study showed that cocoa contains certain compounds that can aid the body release more insulin and respond to increased blood blood sugar more effectively.

In the study, researchers found that when rats consumed a  high content fat diet that included a cocoa flavanol called catechin, their bodies were better able to control their blood sugar levels. It's believed that the beta cells which produce insulin are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress and the consumption of catechin helps to protect such cells.

Blood sugar levels are better controlled with the consumption of catechin, a compound found in cocoa

A study co-author,  Dr. Andrew Neilson mentioned , “These results will help us get closer to using these compounds more effectively in foods or supplements to maintain normal blood glucose control and potentially even delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.”

Personally, I am a big fan of chocolate. Unfortunately, much of the chocolate consumed these days is heavily laden with sugar and artificial ingredients. Check your ingredient levels and the amounts of sugar when consuming chocolate. Remember in this study its the compound found in cocoa that helps to control blood sugar levels. I think it is important to choose to eat foods with cocoa carefully. 

Source: Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, August 2017

Additional Reading:

• What is your child eating every morning for breakfast? Yes it really does matter.
• Not Sleeping well can contribute to Diabetes Type II
• Homemade Coconut Milk is Worth the Effort
• Help for Falling Asleep - the 4-7-8- breath
• Thyme Tea for Health Benefits

Related articles

1st Starting With A Neck Pillow...Go Gradual

Do I Get An Epidural?

I Have Pain When I Breathe?...

Kelly Ripa's Chiropractor Recommend an Alkaline Diet

Why am I Tired All the Time?

The Most Important Meal of the Day, no matter what your age is.

My son started kindergarten this year. Shockingly his bus arrives at 7:10 am every morning to pick him up. That means that I really have to hustle to get things done in the morning. He has to wake up at 6, make his bed, brush his teeth, change into his school uniform... and the most important aspect of all: eat his breakfast. I know he could easily get a breakfast at school, like many of other kids at school, but frankly I don't trust the school. I would rather feed him a great breakfast myself to make sure he is starting the day right.

 

Breakfast on the Table... A vital start to the day even for kindergarteners'

A recent study shows that children who eat breakfast tend to be healthier and perform better in school than those who skip breakfast. There is a reason why breakfast has been for a long time considered to be the the most important meal of the day.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers these suggestions for making sure your child has a great breakfast:

• Give your child healthy choices that you know he or she likes
• A Great protein source is nut butters: peanut butter or almond butter
• If your child likes sugary cereals, mix the sugary offering with a more nutritious option - My son loves lucky charms. I give me him a few lucky charms and also add in plain cheerios. I also make sure to give him fresh fruit on the side
• If your child is especially active or is going through a growth spurt, they may need to eat more calories especially notably at breakfast
• Have stuff ready on the go: breakfast burritos, fresh fruit, trail mix
• Read nutritional labels. Watch for sugar levels especially and food additives and preservatives
• Go for unprocessed foods as much as possible. Avoid things like poptarts for breakfast. 

Sometimes I know its hard to come up with good breakfast for your kids. You just don't know what to cook. Well here are some ideas for a week:

• Monday: scrambled eggs with broccoli, avocado with lemon, home-fries, fresh pineapple
• Tuesday: Over easy egg, avocado with lemon, fresh strawberries, sausage links (see photo above)
• Wednesday: plain cheerios with fresh fruit
• Thursday: home made pancakes with fresh fruit (pancakes and waffles freeze well by the way)
• Friday: Oatmeal with fresh fruit, coconut and nuts

By the way, we need to finish breakfast in time so my son can go to the bathroom, get his socks on, watch Transformers Rescue Bots, and wait for Mom to get ready to walk to the bus stop. Mornings are busy busy- but worth it to get a good breakfast consumed every day.

Happy Halloween Everyone !

Source: Food and Drug Administration, September 2017

Additional Reading Resources:

• The Benefits of Lemon Water in the Morning
• So many reasons to Avoid Sugar All Together
• Healthy School Lunches Are not that Hard to Pack | What happens when you don't like your schools Lunch
• The Hunchback Posture and How to Avoid
• Forget Regular Milk Or Boxed nut milks from the market

Make Thyme for Tea

I’ve sipped lots of tea in my time. In fact, its one of my favorite past times:British tetley tea, chai tea, Darjeeling tea, raspberry tea, green tea, turmeric Tea just to name a few.

Well my newest is Thyme tea. Thyme tea is rich in volatile oils (Thymol), minerals, phenols, and flavonoids(apigenin, naringenin, and thymonin). In particular Thymol is a strong anti-oxidant. Find mall helps to increase omega-3 fatty acid’s in the brain. Studies have shown that time oil helps to protect age related changes in the brain cells of rats.

Benefits of drinking Thyme Tea:

• It Soothes Coughs. Studies have shown that it can treat bronchitis, and provide relief for coughs
• Promotes Good digestion, Relieves Gas and Bloating. Thyme has carminative effect - basically gas reducing properties.
• It provides essential minerals such as iron, vitamin K, Manganese, and Calcium

How to Make Thyme Tea at Home:

Thyme tea is very simple to make. Simple boil water. Pour the boiling water over the fresh thyme and let it steep for 15 minutes. I take it plain, but you can also add lemon and honey to this as well.

Additional Reading Resources:

• Supplements that Can Help you Sleep at Night
• The Golden Milk
• 10 Ways You Can Easily Improve your Posture
• Make Your own Coconut Milk at Home, forget the store stuff
• Natural Pain Relief for the Neck and Shoulders

Forget the Artificial Sweeteners... Just consume real Sugar

 

Stay Away From Artificial Sweeteners

Recently a a very good friend of mine and I had a discussion about Stevia... She mentioned to me that it was an "all natural sweetener, that it is 100 times sweeter than sugar and that she used Stevia Drops in her coffee" Well, I said to her, why would you want to consume a man made sugar and why would you want to eat something sweeter than sugar? It just doesn't make sense and it's not healthy for your body. 

Recent studies have shown that eating high amounts of low-calorie sweeteners can promote the formation of fat in the body. A portion of the population who is trying to lose weight use artificial sweeteners for this reason. Pretty ironic.

In the 1st part of the study, researchers observed that stem cells exposed to artificial sweeteners showed an increase in the expression of genes that indicate fat production and inflammation. In the 2nd part of the study, researchers found that adults who consumed low-calorie sweeteners experienced an increase in the transportation of glucose into cells as well as an overexpression of genes associated with fat production.

The researchers suspect their findings indicate that low-calorie sweeteners may dysregulate metabolism in a way that boosts the formation of fat. However, they caution that further studies are need before any concrete conclusions can be made about the effects of low-calorie sweeteners on metabolism.

For me personally, I have never used artificial sweeteners. There was a something extremely fake about them and I noticed that they left an after taste when I did try them. I still like to eat desserts made with sugar, honey and maple syrup. However I limit the sugar when I drink anything. In fact many years ago, I stopped adding any sugar to my coffee or tea.  If I have a coke in the rare instance, I drink real coke made with cane sugar (its made in Mexico by the way). I don't consume diet, fat free, sugar free, low calorie or no calorie foods. Next time you think about choosing diet over the real deal, check the ingredient list.  These are the fakest foods you can eat and are very unhealthy for you. Most importantly they taste bad or they leave an after taste. Why tamper with real FOOD..So next time you are out and about, stay away from the pink, yellow and blue packets.

Source: Endocrine Society, April 2017

Related articles

1st Starting With A Neck Pillow...Go Gradual

Do I Get An Epidural?

I Have Pain When I Breathe?...

Kelly Ripa's Chiropractor Recommend an Alkaline Diet

Why am I Tired All the Time?

The Golden Milk - Your Immune System's Friend

Here at the PainRelief4Life Blog, we are always ranting and raving about the benefits of turmeric root. I was recently transported back to my childhood the other day when I came across the recipe for golden milk (better known as turmeric or “haldi” milk). My husband and I actually swapped this “tea” as a replacement for our regular afternoon coffee ritual and it was a sure hit! The list of ingredients taste as enticing as they sound – turmeric powder, warm cinnamon, a smidgen of fresh ginger, honey, coconut oil, freshly ground black pepper, whole milk. You can also make this with coconut/almond milk as well. Blitz it all together with a high speed blender and then heat it on the stove top. The health benefits of this “tea” are amazing.

Turmuric is an anti-inflammatory spice that has "shown therapeutic potential against a number of human diseases," including cancer and Alzheimer's. Because turmuric decreases inflammation in the body, it helps with gas, bloating, and digestive discomfort. Studies have shown it helps people with their weight, depression and allows for better sleep and improved brain health. If you live in a colder region and are suffering from flu and colds, drink this golden turmeric golden milk. Bottom line, if you have something going on, try turmeric milk - it does the body good in so many ways.

Additional Resources:

• 10 Ways to Improve Your Posture
• The Turmeric Curcumin Supplement
• Study shows how Tart Cherry Juice Can Help You Sleep
• The Tale of Two Pillows

Related articles

1st Starting With A Neck Pillow...Go Gradual

Do I Get An Epidural?

Kelly Ripa's Chiropractor Recommend an Alkaline Diet

I Have Pain When I Breathe?...

A Tall Glass of Carrot Juice To Start the Day...

Recently my father in law got a 20 lb bag of organic carrots at our local grocery store. He gave us 10 lbs because we knows we like to juice each morning. He figured that we would would make proper use of these carrots. Yes, we juiced them. But we also made carrot subji, a classic punjabi dish where the carrots are cooked in spices and onion/garlic/ginger combo.

 

Normally when we juice, carrots is on the main ingredients along with spinach, apple, celery, beets, and any other vegetables we happen to have in our fridge. However to finish 10 lbs of carrots, we decided to just juice carrots and a little ginger.  15 large carrots + 1 inch of fresh ginger root yielded 2 tall glasses of juices. The taste was amazing. Very sweet and smooth. The best way to juice these carrots is with a juice extractor, not a vitamix. 

 

Also of note, these were organic carrots and I could taste a difference. There was a sweet earthy taste to the carrot. No taste of chemicals like regular carrots. 

 

Juicing carrots, especially organic ones, can provide a lot of nutrition. Remember your mom used to tell you that carrots are good for your eyes - well its perfectly true. Carrots are rich in Vitamin A and beta carotenes. Both are great for vision.

 

Beta Carotenes also help to keep cancer away. They maintain the epithelial tissues which surround internal organs. Epithelial tissues are often susceptible to cancer growths.

 

Carrot juice also contains calcium as well as other vitamins. It's also rich in  folic acid, Vitamin C, small amounts of B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, biotin and E. They have calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulphur, small amounts of copper, iron and zinc.

 

Well we used up 15 carrots for 2 tall glasses of juice. We will juice again tomorrow, but today I think that a carrot cake will be next on the list to make. 

 

Source: Discover the Benefits of Juicing Carrots

 

 

Additional Reading:

• How to Make Turmeric Tea
• Pain relief for a stiff neck
• Beet Juice: A Natural Way to Lower HBP
• Improving Neck Posture
• Make your health a priority in Your Life

 

Related articles

Pomegranate Juice - Who Knew?

Egg Yolks For Healh?

1st Starting With A Neck Pillow...Go Gradual

Do I Get An Epidural?

My Tooth Is Causing Me Neck Pain... Are there any natural remedies?

Do you have a tooth that is suddenly causing you pain? Maybe its been low on the pain scale and slowly getting worse. Yep, it happens... A toothache may be giving you a headache too.

What are some natural remedies you can do? You can also use clove oil or oil of oregano. Put a drop or two on your finger and put it on the tooth! The last time I had pain from this I used a whole clove like in the video. We just happened to have that in the kitchen and poof, my pain was gone! I used to live near a "Whole Foods" and they had all the tinctures one would need. But you can get either of these in the health food store or get whole cloves at the market.

Keep in mind, you should still make a trip to the dentist. Pain like this can be an underlining problem that something else is going on. You might need an x-ray and examination to get to the bottom on this pain.

Additional Reading:

• Respect your health - it will do you good now and in the future
• Get the best pillow for the best sleep
• Make health your #1 priority
• Traction Products that can help a pinched nerve

Related articles

I Have Pain When I Breathe?...

Kelly Ripa's Chiropractor Recommend an Alkaline Diet

Why am I Tired All the Time?