Food Focus: Turmeric & Ginger

Turmeric is also a member of the ginger plant family.

It's native to South Asia and the spice itself comes from the rhizome of the plant.

Turmeric has been used in India for 2500 years and is a major part of the Ayurvedic system of medicine.  It was first used as a dye and then later for its medicinal properties.

Some of the many health benefits of Turmeric & Ginger:

1. antiseptic properties
2. natural liver detoxifier
3. calms the digestive system
4. can help reduce wind and bloating
5. turmeric helps stimulate the gall bladder to release bile and improve the digestion of fats
6. curcumin, an active component in Tumeric, is thought to have anti-inflammatory and antitumour effects
7. a University of Miami School of Medicine study suggestes that curcumin casuses breast cancer cells to self-destruct!
8. turmeric may prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain
9. turmeric has long been used in chinese medicine as a treatment for depression
10. ginger is very warming for winter months, and helps improve circulation
11. ginger is highly valued for its cleansing properties and is claimed to help loosen mucus, (great for combatting colds)!

When fresh Turmeric is available, hunt around the shops and the rhizome itself (looks similar to ginger) can sometimes be found.

Enjoy Ginger and Turmeric freshly grated into your meals or in dressings!  The other way I love to enjoy these foods is steeped in some warm water with a squeeze of lemon as a delicious tea.  The recipe for this is here.

How do you enjoy these wonderful healing foods, ginger and turmeric?