Sunday, June 22, 2014

Turmeric: The Anti-Inflammatory and More

If you have ever had swollen eyes, you know how irritating it can be, not only because it is painful, but because the eyes are the first thing everyone sees when they look at you. A friend of mine had allergies last year and her eyes were slightly red and swollen.  I
had recently learned that turmeric was an anti-inflammatory.  So, being the good friend that I am, I handed her two of my organic snack bars that had turmeric as one of its ingredients to see if it actually worked. She ate the small bars (that were only about an inch-cubed each) and within minutes, I could literally see the swelling go down. Her eyes were back to normal.


A few months later, I woke up in the morning with swollen eyes myself, only the allergies were causing my eyes to be far worse than my friend's had been. After looking in the mirror, I had no intention of leaving the house looking the way I did, because there was little doubt that people would have thought I had been punched in the face.  I wasn't sure if my snack bars would have been strong enough for my needs. However, I had some turmeric in the house leftover from some Indian cooking I had been doing and I decided to go directly to the source.  By itself the taste was too much to bear. To counteract the bitterness, I added a teaspoon of organic honey to my 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of turmeric. This I could swallow.  I next consumed a full glass of water to not only help with the digestive process, but to clear out any toxins that were in my body. Once again, turmeric was a hero.  Within minutes, my eyes were back to normal.

Furthermore, when I decided to write my next blog on the healing affects of turmeric, I discovered that it was a wonderful remedy for bruises.  Three weeks earlier, I had bashed my upper thigh into a corner of a table.  Needless to say, that table won its argument with me and the bruise that remained was very likely the most intensely colored mark I have ever had on my body.  It was about two inches by four inches of solid blackness, as though that part of my leg had been erased from existence. There seemed to be absolutely no change in color for the entire three weeks. After doing my research, I pulled out my old friends, the turmeric and honey mix, and within only a few hours my bruise had dissipated by about fifty percent!  It's now day three and the healing continues, but I am certainly pleased by the result.

Its possible usages far outweigh having curative properties for anti-inflammation too. According to James A. Duke, Ph.D., turmeric has over two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds and as such it aids in the treatment of arthritis.  In his comprehensive study, he also concluded that it was beneficial in the treatment of both Alzheimer's Disease and several types of cancer.

The World's Healthiest Foods site goes further to say that turmeric has been used in both Indian and Chinese Medicine for five thousand years.   It has been commonly utilized for the items mentioned above, but also to heal bloody urine, cardiovascular protection, chest pain, colic, cystic fybrosis, flatulence, hemorrhaging, jaundice, menstrual difficulties and toothaches.  Moreover, turmeric is an excellent source of both manganese and iron and is also a good source for vitamin B6, fiber, copper and potassium.

Moreover, while I was on vacation, I had an asthmatic issue. Don't get me wrong, it was a chronic situation. I simply wasn't breathing as easily as I would have liked. I didn't have any of my teas that I usually use for this purpose, but I did have tumeric with me. It's an anti-inflammatory, so I thought it might help with my breathing situation. It did! Within minutes, I felt much better. 

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and has a deep yellow, orange and brownish color.  The plant grows in the forests of South and Southeast Asia and is often used in Indian foods, particularly in curry. Turmeric can be consumed as a root, powdered spice, a vitamin or in a tea form.  Please note that it is imperative to only utilize organic products for your healing, as the poisons in conventionally farmed produce would counteract any healing properties.

That being said, organic turmeric is one of Mother Nature's gift to us all.

Thank you for reading about my Organic Bliss!

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***Please keep in mind that all healing tools that I discuss on this blog are what worked for me.  Every 'body' is different and therefore each person must find the treatments that works best for them.  Also, I am not a medical doctor, so please consult your physician prior to trying any remedies offered on this site.***