Turmeric is the Golden Spice of Life

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There is no doubt we eat with our eyes. We look for the vibrant colors to add appeal to a meal, but did you realize that often those colors also come with added health benefits. Turmeric is the golden spice of life with it’s bright, orangish-yellow hue popping up in our favorite yogurts, hummus, or grain dishes. Just about everywhere, from blogs to restaurants to packaged foods, you can see turmeric taking stage as a powerhouse ingredient.

Why Turmeric?

Why turmeric is gaining popularity is actually easy to explain in one word, research. Around 2001 turmeric started to garner attention for its anti-arthritic properties. However, since then turmeric has been explored for a variety of healthy benefits, particularly its phytochemical, curcumin. The National Institutes of Health reports what we know now about turmeric are the following:

• Claims that curcuminoids found in turmeric help to reduce inflammation aren’t supported by strong studies.
• Preliminary studies found that curcuminoids may
  • Reduce the number of heart attacks bypass patients had after surgery
  • Control knee pain from osteoarthritis as well as ibuprofen did
  • Reduce the skin irritation that often occurs after radiation treatments for breast cancer.
• Other preliminary studies in people have looked at curcumin, a type of curcuminoid, for different cancers, colitis, diabetes, surgical pain, and as an ingredient in mouthwash for reducing plaque.
• The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has studied curcumin for Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and prostate and colon cancer.

Dishing Out the Nutrition

I recently had a chance to write a piece for Taste of Home Magazine on turmeric, pop on over and see what I had to share. Oh yes, I am definitely dishing out the nutrition along with unique ways to bring this spice to your plate more often!

Let’s Dip It

Okay, [for me] the easiest and most consistent way I can dip into the benefits of turmeric is through a dressing. Salads grace my plate at least 4 times a week and having this Golden Tahini Yogurt Dressing on hand makes it easy for me and the whole family to enjoy. This dressing boasts some major nutritional benefits.  First off, I use plain yogurt as the base–>probiotics are especially beneficial in the fall and winter when we are all prone to getting sick. Next, I had a nutty and creamy Mediterranean favorite with tahini (if you don’t know about tahini peak here for more info). And of course, the golden spice–>Turmeric!

Golden Tahini Yogurt Dressing

Makes ½ cup (feel free to double the recipe if desired)

Vegetarian-Friendly

• ⅓ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon Tahini
• 1 clove Garlic, chopped
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Here’s the salad I served it up with…

• Arugula
• Chickpeas (aka, garbanzo beans)
• Orange Bell Pepper
• Tomatoes
• Avocado
• Zucchini
• Feta

Add some grilled chicken or beef and you’re set as a main course salad!

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Recipe Round-Up: Of course I’m going to share with you some other enticing ways to boost the golden spice in your life, too. Check out the recipes some of my fellow dietitians have created (clicking their picture takes you to their blog post & all images were used with permissions from original bloggers):

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