Your Wellness Lifestyle Starts HereTurmeric is a plant that grows mainly in India, Asia and Central America, and is related to the ginger family. The ground root of the plant is used as a spice, and turmeric is an ingredient in curry powder. Its main ingredients, curcuminoids, are yellow and are often used to color foods and products like cosmetics.
Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric and is used widely in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for many health conditions, including breathing problems, skin diseases, wounds, gastrointestinal distress, liver disease, inflammation, and pain. Other bioactive components include demethoxycurcumin, bis-demethoxycurcumin, and turmeric essential oils. The typical turmeric product used for treatment is an extract that is standardized to between 80% and 95% curcuminoids, most of it is curcumin.
Curcumin is a safe and effective natural compound for treating pain related to common musculoskeletal disorders. Turmeric and curcumin do not modulate COX-1 activity, but instead modify the action of COX-2 enzymes, affect NF-κB signaling, and reduce production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin and phospholipase A2.
Many studies have documented the efficacy of curcumin for pain relief and lowering inflammation. For example:
A study including 107 patients with knee osteoarthritis randomized to take 800 mg ibuprofen or 2 g curcumin daily for 6 weeks showed that curcumin was as effective as ibuprofen for reducing pain.
Three months of treatment with curcumin resulted in improvement in pain and mobility, and reduction in treatment costs for patients with osteoarthritis.
A study in which patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomized to take 500 mg curcuminoids 3 times per day or matched placebo showed that those taking curcumin had significantly greater reductions in pain and improvements in physical function as compared to those taking placebo.
A double-blind crossover study in which rheumatoid arthritis patients were randomized to take 1.2 g of curcumin per day or phenylbutazone (NSAID) for 2 weeks showed that curcumin was just as effective as phenylbutazone for reducing joint swelling and morning stiffness and improving walking time. There were no adverse side effects reported.
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies concluded that 8-12 weeks of treatment with 1000 mg/day of curcumin can reduce pain and inflammation for patients with arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, with improvement similar to the results of treatment with ibuprofen and diclofenac sodium.
Curcuminoids are considered by the FDA as GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) and clinical trials confirm that it is safe, even at high doses of up to 12,000 mg.
The most common drug treatments for joint and musculoskeletal pain are analgesics and NSAIDS, but these drugs have serious gastrointestinal and cardiovascular side effects. Curcumin is a viable alternative that is at least as effective without these side effects.
It is important to remember that a limitation of both drugs and supplements is that they do not resolve the cause of pain. Thus, in most cases, they should be temporary measures to provide relief while physical therapy, exercise and other modalities are used to permanently resolve pain.
The objective of Nurture Your Health is to learn how to remain or become a healthy person, rather than to remain or become a sick patient. Most people do not pay attention to their health until they are sick. It is important to prioritize learning about health and investing time and resources in adopting the right diet, engaging in the right exercise, and paying attention to other factors that lead to optimal health. Make learning about health interesting and fun. Use this information to take control of your health and make better and informed decisions about what you eat, which lifestyle choices you make, and the medical care you receive.
This information is not a substitute for medical advice.
Liz Fattore
Nurture Your Health
Licensed Food Over Medicine Professional
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Appelboom, T, Maes N, Albert A. “A new curcuma extract (flexofytol) in osteoarthritis: results from a belgian real-life experience.” Open Rheumatol J 2014 Oct;8:77-81
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Daily JW, Yang M, Park S. “Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.” J Med Food 2016 Aug;19(8):717-729
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Just because you give up dairy, doesn't mean you give up your favorite dressing. This is easy to make and while the cashews make it creamy, they are optional if wanting a lower fat version. Recipe by Chef Del Sroufe
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for about 1/2 hour
3/4 cup firm silken tofu
2 tsp lemon juice
2 (or less) cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh minced dill (or 2 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh mince parsley
1 Tbsp fresh chives (or 1-1/2 tsp dried)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Quinoa & Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 can chickpeas (drain and reserve the liquid)
- 2 medium cucumbers, diced
- small container of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- 2-3 ribs celery, sliced
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Honey Lime Dressing
- 1 cup of the chickpea liquid (aka "aqua faba")
- 1/3 cup white or regular balsamic vinegar
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
Instructions
Cook the orzo and quinoa (separately) and let cool. You might want to drizzle a bit of olive oil on the orzo pasta while it is cooling so that it doesn't stick together. Slice all of the vegetables and add the orzo, quinoa, and chickpeas to a large bowl with the veggies. If you have a stick blender, blend together the dressing ingredients, or whisk until foamy. At this point you can add salt and pepper to taste and herbs of your choice. I like to add marjoram and thyme. Stir in the dressing and top with the fresh parsley!
Broccoli & Cabbage Slaw
As part of a healthy diet, cruciferous vegetables are anti-inflammatory and give you a good boost to your immune system. You can substitute Brussels sprouts for the broccoli, or add bok choy, radishes, cauliflower, or any of your favorite vegetables. Before adding the asparagus to this dish (try to get the fat stalks), I trimmed and peeled the lower part of the stalk.
Ingredients
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup raw walnuts or pecans (optional), chopped
- 1 small head broccoli, cut in bite size pieces
- 1/4 head of red cabbage, shredded
- 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1 bunch asparagus, sliced thin
- 1 apple, diced
- 3/4 cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 red onion
MAPLE MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE DRESSING (Courtesy of Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures)
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp water
- 2 tsp tahini
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp ground mustard powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dried minced onions
- 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt (or pink himalayan)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and set aside. Assemble your salad ingredients in a large bowl. For optional tastiness, you can dry roast the nuts over medium heat in a small pan, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Let them cool before chopping. Toss in with the veggies and drizzle as much of the dressing as you like.
Your Wellness Lifestyle Starts HereYou may have heard of the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. It states that for many events, roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of the causes.
The Pareto Principle can be applied to a variety of situations. Here are a few examples of how to apply this principle to help you form healthy habits.
The Pareto Principle can be applied to a variety of situations. Here are a few examples of how to apply this principle to help you form healthy habits.
- Relationships. Who are the few people that have the most positive impact on my life? Spend more time with them.
- Priorities. What are the few actions that have the most positive impact on my day? Prioritize them.
- Learning. What are the few information sources I learn from most? Focus on them.
- Stress. What are the few sources that cause most of the stress and friction in my life. Eliminate them.
Journal.: What are the current habits that are hindering your future progress?
Forming healthy lifestyle habits, including diet and exercise, requires deliberate effort on your part in crafting a health and wellness vision. In order to be successful, the habits must be accessible, sustainable, and defensible with science.
Wellness Forum Health has developed a process of educating others to make Informed decisions and I love helping others regain their health through better habits.
We should never need to explain our reasons for any of our choices, including our food choices. However, we should be able to - if asked - explain why we have decided to stop eating particular foods. Most important is the ability to do this, which represents an understanding of the reasons a choice has been made. Diet and lifestyle choices and more independent thinking about healthcare are more likely to "stick" if people know what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Liz Fattore
Nurture Your Health
Licensed Food Over Medicine Professional
