TURMERIC - A spoonful a day keeps the doctor away.

I don't know what to eat. They change their minds all the time!!

My patients share their confusion with me often. What do I eat? No eggs, yes eggs, no butter, yes butter, yes margarine, no margarine. Yes Vit E, no vitamin E, yes Calcium, no Calcium, yes Beta- carotene, no Beta-carotene. Low carb, high carb, no carb. Confusion reigns in the world of nutrition as defined by science.

Humans have known what to eat and drink for millenia. The food habits of the vast majority of Indians who have been vegetarian for generations are a case in point. The veritable garden of Eden that India was provided a vast laboratory for long term observation and deduction.

The story ot turmeric is a case in point.

How did the deeply yellow ginger-like root turmeric became a ubiquitous ingredient of Indian dishes giving curry its color and stain? How did they know that turmeric was so good for you?

It was only a Vippasna meditation retreat in rural Rajasthan that reintroduced me to the magic of turmeric. At this retreat we took a vow of silence for 10 days. People of all color and national origins and ages were there. Many were folks from rural India. After 5 am meditation at breakfast I found that salt, sugar and turmeric in big bowls were available for us to use. Many would add a spoon of both sugar and turmeric to their glass of hot milk. The second day I followed suit. It felt right.

I had to wait till the end of the retreat to ask about this. Each and everyone of these rural folk, in reverential tones, talked about how good turmeric is for health and how for generations everyone in their towns and villages used it all the time for its healthful qualities, for "blood purification" and remarkably, also in many religious rituals ....And here I was an informed doctor, an "educated urban elite", an avid reader, and I knew little about turmeric. I had taken it for granted. I vowed to learn more.

When I returned to the States shortly after the devastating Gujarat earthquake I spent hours reading and researching Turmeric. Modern science keeps finding new and incredible positive effects - Alzheimer's, arthritis, Cholesterol, woumd healing, antisepsis, the good news did not seem to end!
My patient's who cannot drink milk say it tastes great in V8.
My kids laugh because whenever they get a cut or boil - this Board certified Infection specialist uses a turmeric in butter paste with added silver.

And my colleagues gave me a jar of turmeric for my birthday in the clinic since I told my patients' with wounds all the time. The recipe will come in a later post.

And I thought more about the holy spices and foods of India. HOLY. No wonder all of India believed in them. TV as a way to change the minds of people was still two millenia away. Marco Polo mentioned turmeric in his writings from 1280 after his trip to India.

MORE later about those holy spices and foods that science keeps rediscovering.

MORE later about eating as the people did before mind changing through ads (brain washing) made money for those who had something to sell.

More later for our wellness and that of our loved ones.

Some food for thought about turmeric......
A t-spoon a day keeps the doctor away.