Have you heard about Turmeric? If you haven’t heard from it I am sure you have tasted it. It is a spice used regularly in Indian food (is what gives curry its yellowish-orange color). Turmeric has been used for years in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine. It has high anti-inflammatory properties, and has been used to treat conditions, including flatulence, jaundice, menstrual difficulties, bloody urine, hemorrhage, toothache, bruises, chest pain, and colic. Studies have also found Turmeric can inhibit cancer cell growth and metastases.

New studies have also found that Curcumin a compound found in Turmeric, is effective in stopping the progression of Parkinson’s disease and can even inhibit the accumulation of beta amyloids in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

Adding turmeric to your diet is an easy way to stay healthy and protect your self from inflamation. You can add turmeric powder to your soups, stews and I always add some when I marinate meat. You can also buy turmeric capsules, and take them daily.

Sources here and here

One of my good friends lend me a Newsweek article about the Obesity epidemic in our Nation. I think I live in somewhat of a bubble when it comes to eating. Growing up my family was always on the healthier side, my mom has been eating veggies and salads as long as I can remember. We had a family farm that provided us with fresh produce, and dairy products. I was always an environmentalist at heart, so when I started learning more at school about the meat industry and everything that came with it, I stopped eating meat. And now that I have my own family I pay extra-attention to what I feed my girls, and go the extra mile to get the healthiest options available. So I think I have always been on the health wagon, not really paying much attention to what everyone else was eating. But after reading this article I was completely blown away by the truth of what the regular person eats on a regular day.

Here are some stats on that:

• The Coast Guard now assumes the average boat passenger weighs 185lbs, up from 160lbs in place since 1960.
• More than a quarter of all Americans age 17-24 are unqualified for military service because of their weight.
• The university of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital has replaced wall mounter toilets with floor models that can hold at least 250 lbs.
• About $5 billion more is spent every year in the jet fuel needed to flu Americans, compared with 1960 weights.

Scary, isn’t it. Change your diet, change your life.