Health Matters - The Spice of Life

Today my dear followers, I am going out on a tangent... none of my light hearted piffle I post daily.... this post is seriyaaaaz!! If there is one thing I believe with all my being ....

My health is my wealth.

When one is ill that aromatic tasty meal is tasteless, a beautiful woman passes unnoticed…. And even music becomes an irritant!! Money in the bank? What can you do with it when suffering ill-health?

So why are we so nonchalant with our health in our daily lives…. until something comes knocking on the door ??

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The old adage prevention is BETTER than cure holds true to this day

What follows is what I believe and I know there can be plenty debate around the subject... so I am just putting it out there and welcome comments and other people’s thoughts

I have always been against administering or taking medication unless really required. As for antibiotics...always a very last resort; for me and for my family. When one has, for example, a common cold there is no ‘medicine’ which cures the cold, but many that mask the symptoms for a while whilst the body fights the infection, but these medicines place a strain on kidneys, liver and potentially other organs.

Rather, there are natural ingredients in the kitchen and garden which can provide the same relief without poisoning the body. So I am going to share my daily cocktail which I take, and have been taking for years.

My morning cocktail after which I take two flaxseed capsules and a 300 mg Curcumin capsule

The key ingredients are turmeric, cayenne pepper and ceylon cinnamon (not Cassia as sold in the supermarkets). I add fresh crushed black pepper which assists in the bioavailability of the turmeric and mix it with full cream plain yoghurt to assist with cayenne pepper absorption.

My reasoning is that I would rather provide my body with tools before I have a problem (as in maintaining your car) AND it comes at a very low time and financial cost to me. I have family and friends who will attest to how this cocktail has eased pain they had been living with and made them more mobile.

Turmeric, a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant

Anti-Oxidant properties of Curcumin in Turmeric is worth reading but a bit of scientific lingo

Curcumin Applications A long but interesting read..

An extract from the study…

Tumor promotion,[20] angiogenesis,[21] and tumor growth.[22] In two studies of colon and prostate cancer, curcumin inhibited cell proliferation and tumor growth. The anticarcinogenic effects of turmeric and curcumin are due to direct antioxidant and free-radical scavenging effects and their ability to indirectly increase glutathione levels, thereby aiding in hepatic detoxification of mutagens and carcinogens and in inhibiting nitrosamine formation.[23,24]
Full Report

Another study from the same institute on the poor absorption, rapid metabolism rate and rapid systemic elimination of Curcumin (the active ingredient in Turmeric) explores the use of Piperine (active compound found in Black pepper) to increase the bioavailability of Curcumin.

>Despite the lower bioavailability, therapeutic efficacy of curcumin against various human diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, neurological diseases and Crohn's disease, has been documented.

Enhanced bioavailability of curcumin in the near future is likely to bring this promising natural product to the forefront of therapeutic agents for treatment of human disease.

It is difficult to find a good reason TO NOT make Curcumin part of your daily dietary regime.

Cayenne Pepper

and the essential ingredient Capsaicin is beneficial for vascular health, including potentially reducing Cholesterol levels.There have been numerous scientific studies and I quote from one here, with the link to the full report below.

Capsaicin-mediated activation of TRPV1-expressing neurons in the gastrointestinal tract promotes sympathetically mediated stimulation of brown fat, raising metabolic rate. The increased expression of UCP2 induced by TRPV1 activation exerts a protective antioxidant effect on the liver in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and on vascular endothelium in the context of hyperglycaemia
Full Report

Cinnamon

is well known for potential health benefits and it does at least taste good. Besides regulating blood sugar some of the other purported benefits are …

In addition to being an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular-disease-lowering compound, cinnamon has also been reported to have activities against neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. This review illustrates the pharmacological prospective of cinnamon and its use in daily life.
Full Report

One must be careful not to use Cassia Cinnamon (as sold in supermarkets) on a regular basis as it can cause liver damage when taken on a regular basis. Rather go to a health store and procure Ceylon Cinnamon.

For all of the above it is best to source organic, non irradiated spices. I use the following ratio on a daily basis

• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ceylon cinnamon (tip of teaspoon)
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

My friend takes this mixed in some ginger ale and it works for him but I find it far more palatable in plain yoghurt.

The spices and yogurt costs less than $3 per month… and takes less than five minutes a day to prepare and consume. If you have joint stiffness or aches and pains, try it for six weeks and see how you feel.

Thanks for reading …. Somehow I think I should stick to music posts {grin}