A friend gifted me with turmeric tea powder two years ago. He enthusiastically told me how powerful the spice is as an anti-inflammatory agent that in turn will prevent a lot of diseases. Since I love its cousin ginger, it was not difficult for me to incorporate a hot turmeric tea before bedtime in my daily routine.
While visiting the Good Shepherd Sisters in Baguio for their famed ube (purple yam) and strawberry jam, I also discovered several sellers of the turmeric tea powder blended with other herbs. Since then, I have been alternating about three brands of turmeric tea powder. From time to time, I also use fresh turmeric.
Since I like the taste, I have started using turmeric with my breakfast eggs. I really don’t cook, but I love waking up to prepare eggs with turmeric. Whether it’s just plain scrambled egg, or omelette, or fried rice, I sprinkle a generous amount of turmeric!
Saraswati Sukumar, a doctor from Johns Hopkins, one of the leading research universities in the world, said in her report that curcumin or the primary active ingredient in turmeric is the most potent anti-cancer nutrient.
Dr. Sukumar said in an interview, “We have close to 300 publications (that cite turmeric) for its anti-cancer effects. Many diseases, such as colon cancer and other types of cancer, are being traced to inflammation.”
“The health benefits are many. For example, for those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, who have painful swelling in the knees, turmeric is a great way to suppress the inflammation,” added Dr. Sukumar.
Other research studies show that curcumin also targets malignant cancer cells and alters their regulation of DNA to cause the cancer cells to die.
Dr. Sukumar believes that the best way to enjoy the health benefits of turmeric is to use it in cooking. Turmeric should be heated. Black pepper should be added for better absorption and a healthy fat should be consumed together with turmeric so that the curcumin will not be exposed to the harsh stomach acids. I use coconut oil, but you can also use olive oil.
“The problem with the pill is that it is very insoluble in water,” said Dr. Sukumar. “The better way to take it, I feel, is to use it in your cooking very extensively. If you have any sauté, just sprinkle it in. The moment you heat oil and add turmeric to it, it now becomes completely bio-available to you.”
I also learned that you can sprinkle turmeric on a pan with oil before putting in the onions and garlic. They said that would prevent the vegetables from burning.
So, how do I prepare my breakfast eggs? It could be as simple as whisking a couple of eggs with a quarter of a teaspoon of turmeric powder, then quickly frying it and adding pepper. Or I sauté onions, garlic, and tomatoes, sprinkling turmeric powder on the oil before placing the vegetables.
I then place whatever is available such as spinach, cheese, mushroom, red and green peppers. You can experiment by adding other spices such as cumin, coriander, cayenne. You can even add sesame seeds or chia seeds. I also sprinkle malunggay powder when I don’t have any greens available. At times, I add a little brown rice to the scrambled egg to make fried rice.
You can use turmeric in any stir-fry dish. You can also use it in steamed veggies. Just add a little olive oil and pepper. Mixed with other spices, it can also be used as a rub for meats. You can also use turmeric generously in curries.
There’s a wealth of recipes on the Internet using turmeric. When you can freshly grate turmeric, you will use one teaspoon as opposed to half if using powder.
Trying to lose weight? They said the combination of turmeric, cumin, ginger, cayenne, and black pepper is good so I mix them all with my scrambled eggs.
Others say it should be a combination of the super six spices — turmeric, cumin, ginger, coriander, cardamom, and mustard seed.
Turmeric is anti-inflammatory. Cumin helps fight belly fat. Ginger reduces appetite and cravings. Coriander helps increase metabolism. Cardamom helps lower blood glucose and fight bad cholesterol. Mustard Seed encourages the body to burn more fat.
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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.