Turmeric has been getting a lot of buzz lately. Some experts are calling it “the new kale.” It’s emerging as an ingredient in many juice bars, popular restaurants, and in a lot of cool, healthy recipes!
What is Turmeric? Turmeric is a spice that grows wild in the forests of southern Asia and is used most often in Indian, Pakistani, and Thai dishes.
In addition to its unique flavor, turmeric is one of the most potent herbs in the world!
Why, you ask? One word: curcumin. Curcumin is a major component of turmeric and it has amazing health benefits because it contains powerful antioxidants and works as an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and antiviral agent.
Here are just a few of the many benefits of incorporating turmeric into your lifestyle:
- Decreased cancer risk
- Guards against Alzheimer’s disease
- Helps regulate blood pressure
- Reduces inflammation
- Aids in skin care problems such as acne, psoriasis, and sun damage
- Aids in improving chronic digestive health issues
- Helps keep skin youthful looking – it literally makes our skin glow!
- Aids in healing joint pain
- Helps lower blood sugar
- Helps our bodies fight stressors such as environmental toxins, lack of sleep, and inflammatory/high fat foods
So now that you know how awesome this magic spice is, luckily there are some easy ways to incorporate it into your diet.
For starters, you can grate it fresh (it's a root) or buy is dried in a spice jar. And then use it to spice up your food. You can add it to just about anything: vegetables, eggs, salad dressings, salads, meat dishes, soups… the opportunities are endless!
If cooking isn’t your thing – or maybe you don’t care for the taste of turmeric – no worries: consider taking it as a daily supplement. I like the taste, but I also take a supplement just to ensure I’m getting all mind-blowing health benefits of this super spice on a daily basis.
Last but not least, many juice bars incorporate turmeric into their juices – I know Juice Press makes a great one.
Bottoms up!