Adding Turmeric
mylittlerainbow
Posts: 822 Member
I am trying so hard to work turmeric into my eating plan every day. I have added it to my Greek yogurt & fruit, added it to my oatmeal & kefir, added it to my crockpot veggies and to my salads - it can be tasted strongly everywhere I try to include it. I'm not sure I even WANT to add it to a smoothie! (To me, it tastes like very strong paprika - something I would want for color but don't enjoy the flavor, so paprika only gets sprinkled on from time to time.) What are suggestions for working turmeric into the diet so that it doesn't spoil the flavor of food you normally would enjoy?
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Did you know it comes in pill form?
http://www.costco.com/youtheory-Turmeric-Advanced-Formula,-180-Tablets.product.100140468.html
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Spring-Valley-Turmeric-Herbal-Supplement-Capsules-500mg-90-count/11047686
* Just in case you were not aware. Stick to reputable brands.
Other foods I like anti-inflamatories, fish oil, leafy greens, blueberries, green tea, garlic.0 -
Why are you so concerned with getting a turmeric serving every day? It's just a spice; it had no magical properties. Eat it in dishes where you enjoy the flavor.0
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@ tincanon - She may have a medical inflamatory condition.
Turmeric works for my plantar fascists (foot pain). When I add turmeric, I do not feel pain as bad.
For this effect, I have to add a 1/2 teaspoon, which can rob the taste of many foods.
The only thing I really like it on is baked sweet potatoes.0 -
1) add it early in the cooking process, cooking it longer gets rid of the bitterness.
2) Consider using it with cilantro, cumin, and/or some other curry spices (Garam Masala, black peppercorns, black mustard, etc). These spices compliment each other well, which is why they are used together so frequently in Indian cooking.
My partner is Nepalese, and about 75% of what we eat has these spices in it in some combo or another, so I'm pretty used to working with it. To the degree that all of my bamboo cookware is now permanently yellow...0 -
JanetYellen wrote: »
For this effect, I have to add a 1/2 teaspoon, which can rob the taste of many foods.
Try a combo of turmeric with other curry spaces. If you are using them correctly, spices should be enriching the taste of your food, not the reverse.
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Turmeric is best used as an additive to cooking. My wife is from the old British colonies in India, so turmeric is a staple in our diet. It's is used mostly as part of a marinade for meat and fish dishes and at the time of cooking (oven baking or shallow frying) of meat and fish/prawn dishes.
Can't imagine what it would taste like added plain to veg or greek yoghurt - sounds revolting!
For rice, add to a small amount of oil (a couple of tablespoons) to a saucepan, heat it up on a low to medium heat, add some (two - three teaspoons) of turmeric and a couple of sliced green chillies (de-seeded if you don't like heat), then when they've cooked for about two minutes, add in your (drained or better yet, leftover basmati rice) and fold the rice over (not stir; you don't want a porridge) for a few mins, so it picks up an orange colour and is warmed through. Turn off the heat and add a few dashes of lemon juice and a pinch or two of salt (to taste) and fold over again - the rice will change colour to yellow (bleached by the lemon juice). Remove from the heat and serve.You now have a nice lemon rice to go with a meat or fish dish or even with a salad. You'll need to experiment for taste, the ingredients amounts I've detailed depending on how much rice you want to make.
My advice is, if none of that sounds enticing and Indian cooking has no interest to you, then add the turmeric (a few teaspoons is enough) to any marinades you might normally make like Cajun, West-Indian jerky or even BBQ and get the benefits that way. If you batter or breadcrumb anything, add it to the flour. If you do like Indian food then there are lots of South Indian, Portuguese-Indian and Anglo-Indian dishes that use turmeric during cooking and/or marinading, so a good book on the subject should do you nicely.
Best of luck, let us know how you get on.0 -
gunrock1970 wrote: »Turmeric is best used as an additive to cooking. My wife is from the old British colonies in India, so turmeric is a staple in our diet. It's is used mostly as part of a marinade for meat and fish dishes and at the time of cooking (oven baking or shallow frying) of meat and fish/prawn dishes.
Can't imagine what it would taste like added plain to veg or greek yoghurt - sounds revolting!
For rice, add to a small amount of oil (a couple of tablespoons) to a saucepan, heat it up on a low to medium heat, add some (two - three teaspoons) of turmeric and a couple of sliced green chillies (de-seeded if you don't like heat), then when they've cooked for about two minutes, add in your (drained or better yet, leftover basmati rice) and fold the rice over (not stir; you don't want a porridge) for a few mins, so it picks up an orange colour and is warmed through. Turn off the heat and add a few dashes of lemon juice and a pinch or two of salt (to taste) and fold over again - the rice will change colour to yellow (bleached by the lemon juice). Remove from the heat and serve.There you have a nice lemon rice to go with a meat or fish dish or even with a salad.
My advice is, if none of that sounds enticing and Indian cooking has no interest to you, then add the turmeric (a few teaspoons is enough) to any marinades you might normally make like Cajun, West-Indian jerky or even BBQ and get the benefits that way. If you batter or breadcrumb anything, add it to the flour. If you do like Indian food then there are lots of South Indian, Portuguese-Indian and Anglo-Indian dishes that use turmeric during cooking and/or marinading, so a good book on the subject should do you nicely.
Best of luck, let us know how you get on.
That rice sounds amazing. It will happen this weekend, possibly as a lunch side.0 -
Cool. Go easy on the portions, rice is nearly all carbs and starch!0
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What's the big need to get it into your diet every day?
It mixes well with ginger- and other curry spices- and don't get me wrong- I'm all about adding spices to random things (I put chili powder in my apple sauce and sriracha/pepper flakes into my eggs) I take spicy seriously- but if it doesn't taste good- stop doing it.
There are no special additive properties to make it worth adding daily- it's like that whole cinnamon thing. Yeah its' good and tastes good and stuff and can be beneficial but it's not some special cure all.0 -
I also have it daily. Great stuff!0
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Some cultures drink it in warm milk or tea daily. I've bought the pill form before.0
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WalkingAlong wrote: »Some cultures drink it in warm milk or tea daily. I've bought the pill form before.
Yes, a chai variation. YUM.0 -
What's the big need to get it into your diet every day?
There are no special additive properties to make it worth adding daily- it's like that whole cinnamon thing. Yeah its' good and tastes good and stuff and can be beneficial but it's not some special cure all.
There is some limited evidence that it has cancer slowing or stopping properties:
cancerresearchuk.org
It also has supposed antimicrobial properties (which is one of the suggested reasons for it's use for marinades and cooking in places like India - where refrigeration may be scant):
cen.acs.org0 -
We make a really nice warm milk with turmeric when we are sick. Boil milk with turmeric, add cloves, Cinammon and cardamom, and a tablespoon of honey.
Yummy and full of good things.0 -
I think it's in mustard, too, if that helps you get more in your diet.0
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Wow, came back after only a brief time and found all of these answers! Thank you all! I do LOVE Indian cooking and have done a fair amount of it in recent years, but my cooking has been more limited since embarking on this diet because I'm counting the calories of everything I make/eat. The tip about using it IN the cooking process, not as an after-the-fact additive, was a great one. I do want to use the spice and not take it as a capsule because I just think food is a better way to try to get nutrients. And as to why I take it, it's an anti-inflammatory and is supposed to help with my hip & knee pain along with occasional shoulder/elbow pain. (I'm old, so I wake up every day wondering what will hurt today!) (Oh, and as for cinnamon, that's EASY to add - some goes in my steel-cut oatmeal every morning and more goes in my Greek yogurt and fruit later on in the day!)0
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Otherwise in curry. Only in curry. Or in a chicken tikka on the bbq.0
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Make "Golden Milk" before bed! It's delicious, and it helps you sleep
Here's how I do it (there are lots of variations out there!)
+ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (any milk is fine, I just like almond!)
+ 2 tsp turmeric
+ 1 tsp ginger
+ 1 tsp cinnamon
+ 4 cardamon pods, cracked
+ pinch of fresh black pepper
+ stevia / honey to taste
Warm everything together in a pan, whisking to incorporate all the spices (I use a milk frother for this!) Leave to cool a little, remove the cardamon pods and enjoy in your prettiest mug
I usually take mine with a magnesium supplement about an hour before I go to bed.0 -
I add cinnamon to my coffee and homemade almond butter. I love it, plus it's full of antioxidants.
I have an elderly aunt who has found huge relief from joint pain from turmeric pills.0 -
Make "Golden Milk" before bed! It's delicious, and it helps you sleep
Here's how I do it (there are lots of variations out there!)
+ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (any milk is fine, I just like almond!)
+ 2 tsp turmeric
+ 1 tsp ginger
+ 1 tsp cinnamon
+ 4 cardamon pods, cracked
+ pinch of fresh black pepper
+ stevia / honey to taste
Warm everything together in a pan, whisking to incorporate all the spices (I use a milk frother for this!) Leave to cool a little, remove the cardamon pods and enjoy in your prettiest mug
I usually take mine with a magnesium supplement about an hour before I go to bed.
I came in here to suggest tumeric milk also -- I've been having it in the mornings and I love it.
I make mine like this:
2 cups milk (I use oat milk)
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 dates
Blend until smooth, then heat (but I often drink it cold).0 -
Meh. The science isn't really there on turmeric. Don't get me wrong. It's delicious when used appropriately, but I wouldn't stress if you can't work it in every day.
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/turmeric-tasty-in-curry-questionable-as-medicine/0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Make "Golden Milk" before bed! It's delicious, and it helps you sleep
Here's how I do it (there are lots of variations out there!)
+ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (any milk is fine, I just like almond!)
+ 2 tsp turmeric
+ 1 tsp ginger
+ 1 tsp cinnamon
+ 4 cardamon pods, cracked
+ pinch of fresh black pepper
+ stevia / honey to taste
Warm everything together in a pan, whisking to incorporate all the spices (I use a milk frother for this!) Leave to cool a little, remove the cardamon pods and enjoy in your prettiest mug
I usually take mine with a magnesium supplement about an hour before I go to bed.
I came in here to suggest tumeric milk also -- I've been having it in the mornings and I love it.
I make mine like this:
2 cups milk (I use oat milk)
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 dates
Blend until smooth, then heat (but I often drink it cold).
Sounds similar to a chai tea (without the tea, obviously)? It does sound sort of tasty, I have to admit0 -
juggernaut1974 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Make "Golden Milk" before bed! It's delicious, and it helps you sleep
Here's how I do it (there are lots of variations out there!)
+ 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (any milk is fine, I just like almond!)
+ 2 tsp turmeric
+ 1 tsp ginger
+ 1 tsp cinnamon
+ 4 cardamon pods, cracked
+ pinch of fresh black pepper
+ stevia / honey to taste
Warm everything together in a pan, whisking to incorporate all the spices (I use a milk frother for this!) Leave to cool a little, remove the cardamon pods and enjoy in your prettiest mug
I usually take mine with a magnesium supplement about an hour before I go to bed.
I came in here to suggest tumeric milk also -- I've been having it in the mornings and I love it.
I make mine like this:
2 cups milk (I use oat milk)
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 dates
Blend until smooth, then heat (but I often drink it cold).
Sounds similar to a chai tea (without the tea, obviously)? It does sound sort of tasty, I have to admit
I love it. I have no idea if tumeric is particularly good for me or not (science isn't there yet), I just dig the taste of it.0 -
I make my chai boiling the whole spices - crushing them gently.0
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This is a great recipe with low calories, and I say that as one who doesn't particularly like cauliflower.
http://reluctantentertainer.com/2015/01/skinnytastes-turmeric-roasted-cauliflower/
But I'm not seeing the need to focus on turmeric intake.0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »Meh. The science isn't really there on turmeric. Don't get me wrong. It's delicious when used appropriately, but I wouldn't stress if you can't work it in every day.
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/turmeric-tasty-in-curry-questionable-as-medicine/
It's not a very good argument that there is nothing potentially beneficial there.
The pertinent preclinical studies, in animal models and in vitro, indicate that curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties; can induce apoptosis in cancer cells and may inhibit angiogenesis; has antithrombotic effects; can decrease the amyloid plaque associated with Alzheimer’s; has some activity against bacteria, Leishmania, HIV; etc. These effects sound promising, but animal studies and in vitro studies may not be applicable to humans.
Science can't explain the placebo effect, either, but it's there. Science changes constantly.0 -
This is a great recipe with low calories, and I say that as one who doesn't particularly like cauliflower.
http://reluctantentertainer.com/2015/01/skinnytastes-turmeric-roasted-cauliflower/
But I'm not seeing the need to focus on turmeric intake.
Pseudoscience. Pseudoscience is always the reason for doing stuff like this.
ETA: And fallacious Appeals to Nature. Can't forget those.
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WalkingAlong wrote: »tincanonastring wrote: »Meh. The science isn't really there on turmeric. Don't get me wrong. It's delicious when used appropriately, but I wouldn't stress if you can't work it in every day.
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/turmeric-tasty-in-curry-questionable-as-medicine/
It's not a very good argument that there is nothing potentially beneficial there.
The pertinent preclinical studies, in animal models and in vitro, indicate that curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties; can induce apoptosis in cancer cells and may inhibit angiogenesis; has antithrombotic effects; can decrease the amyloid plaque associated with Alzheimer’s; has some activity against bacteria, Leishmania, HIV; etc. These effects sound promising, but animal studies and in vitro studies may not be applicable to humans.
Science can't explain the placebo effect, either, but it's there. Science changes constantly.
Did you even read the part you quoted? Did you see the part where the author notes the adage that you can kill cancer cells in a petri dish with bleach? Are you ready to suck down a bottle of Clorox because of that potential? Just because these preclinical studies find potential does not mean it is applicable to people.
Curious why you would quote that part of the article instead of this bit:[re: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) on turmeric] Under the section What the Science Says, it reads:- There is little reliable evidence to support the use of turmeric for any health condition because few clinical trials have been conducted.
- Preliminary findings from animal and other laboratory studies suggest that a chemical found in turmeric—called curcumin—may have anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant properties, but these findings have not been confirmed in people.
- NCCAM-funded investigators have studied the active chemicals in turmeric and their effects—particularly anti-inflammatory effects—in human cells to better understand how turmeric might be used for health purposes. NCCAM is also funding basic research studies on the potential role of turmeric in preventing acute respiratory distress syndrome, liver cancer, and post-menopausal osteoporosis.
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I put tumeric in things I'm already going to season strongly, like curries, hamburger patties, meatballs, sauces, etc. I wouldn't put it in anything like plain yogurt because that's all you'd taste. If you put it in a smoothie just add a banana - bananas tend to neutralize and hide things that normally wouldn't taste good in a smoothie. Garlic is also anti-inflammatory and I also load up my curries and meats with that. I love garlic though so it works out!
You can also add it in with the water when you boil rice and it will turn your rice golden yellow without changing the flavor.0 -
For anti inflammatory/medical purposes I would strongly recommend buying it in pill form to get the dosage you're looking for, and get a good brand as well. I'm not sure you'd want to eat that much of it!0
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