Okay, here’s another example of where I’m a natural skeptic. I’ve read the books that talk about not taking drugs to combat multiple sclerosis and living on a extreme diet. But that’s not for me. I’ll never be a vegan. I’ve seen true vegans. Maybe they feel great. But they just look hungry to me. And honestly, I like to eat. I like to eat meat. Do I need to eat less meat? You betcha. And I’m learning how to make it an indulgence and not a staple of my diet.

But, I am also open to changing my eating patterns to include foods which are new to me. Especially if (1) they taste good, or (2) REALLY make a difference for me. And turmeric meets that description. The first time I had Indian food was in about 2004. Not only had I never eaten Indian cuisine, I didn’t even KNOW anyone who’d eaten it. I was really turned off by the bright yellow or yellowish green color of Indian food. But, as I’ve matured, I’ve become interested in trying new foods. Well, new to me. I’m not afraid to go into a completely new restaurant (maybe a little afraid) and order something which is an utter mystery to me.

My love of turmeric has grown slowly. First with Indian foods. Then I started drinking prepared juices from a juice bar in my neighborhood. I saw they offered Turmeric shots and a juice drink with turmeric. Being naturally curious, I asked about it. They explained turmeric has natural pain relieving properties and reduces inflammation. A lot of good information is available about the benefits of turmeric. You can find a good video about Turmeric at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l392Zxyoto It’s a little long and the speaker is dry, but at about 3 minutes it gets better.

I was HOOKED on the first one. Since then, I’ve learned I can find raw turmeric at Central Market, Whole Foods, H Mart, Jusco (formerly Asian World Market) and on Amazon.com. It’s much better than powdered turmeric. I grate it and sprinkle on salads, include in juice recipes, and have started cooking with it.

We even give turmeric capsules to our aging golden retriever to help with joint pain. He doesn’t know what’s in his peanut butter sandwich. But he zooms around like much younger boy.

Here’s my morning starter. It really gets me going and has a notable effect on my pain levels.

Ingredients:

1 Honey Crisp Apple

1 Orange

1/4 Pineapple

2 inches of raw turmeric

Procedure – Juice in the following order:

1/2 apple

Orange

Pineapple

Turmeric

Rest of apple

WARNING: Turmeric stains things a bright yellow. Wear gloves if you’ve just had a nice pink/white manicure. Bleach will remove stains on counter, etc.

DRUG INTERACTION WARNING: Turmeric acts as a natural Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID). Speak with your physician before taking aspirin or ibuprofen when juicing turmeric. Also, watch for bruises, which can indicate you are taking too much.