King of spices Turmeric

 I had to start with Turmeric!The yellow spice which is getting so popular.

The active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin.

It is said that addition of black pepper to turmeric improves its efficacy multicoloured.

Turmeric is anti inflammatory.As we know every illness is inflammation in one form or the other.

Turmeric and more specifically curcumin has anti Cancer properties too.

Turmeric has been used mixed with milk or cream applied on the face for healthy skin.

Hot fomentation with turmeric powder over a boil or inflamed joint is a household remedy in certain Asian cultures.

Most recently,as the corona virus pandemic knows no bounds,we at home drink warm water to which

we add 1/2 to 1 tsf of freshly crushed ginger and 1/2 to 1 tsp of freshly grated turmeric root.A teaspoonful of honey can be added to the water if u find it bitter.

The question I get asked is which is better to take? Turmeric or curcumin.

My answer is any form of turmeric will do good to you but the extracted curcumin does great .

Just remember Turmeric is grown as a root,like  ginger and is now available in all grocery stores like Kroger ,HEB,whole foods.It is available in organic non Gmo,and regular forms.

Part 2 of restoring micro biome after antibiotics

Foods that help restore micro biome include,

Organic stewed apples,cooked until soft,shimmery.

The pectin released after cooking apples is a good food for bacteria in the gut.

Pectin can help heal damaged intestinal linings,seals off tears in leaky gut.

Collagen helps seal leaky gut.

Chicken bone broth also provides collagen ,like prebiotic.

Butyrate from Ghee is very good healer.

Bananas,sweet potatoes,tubers provide insoluble fiber.

Fermented unpasteurised vegetables like sauerkraut,kimchi,fermented beets are helpful.

Patients who have been on long term or multiple courses of antibiotics have lot of candida in gut.

Fungal infections are accompanied by low IgAproduction as candida consumes glycocalyx and

Secretory IgA as fuels.

Chronic urinary tract infections,thrush are red flags for low IgA.

Lactobacillus and bifidobacilli suffer in gut and can't multiply.

So in these cases you need a resistant yeast called Saccharomycesbboulardii,an antibiotic resistant and probiotic yeast isolated from Lychee fruit in china.

This S boulardii is a potent inducer of glycocalyx production and IgA secretion.

This S boulardii causes physical evacuation of candida.

It is specifically active against 7 out of 8 pathogenic yeast species except C tropicalis.

Think of antibiotics as hurricane and S boulardii as the contractor that comes in to repair damage.

S boulardii is very safe.

True contraindication is true IgE mediated reactions to yeasts.

Spices and curries

Spices have a definite role in improving health.

It is not just a flavor when you add spices to food.

I will give a rundown of different spices and their health benefits.

Creating a curry is usually a mix of different spices,mostly fresh ground then mixed with water,or lemon or lime juice,or coconut milk or yogurt or sour cream or tomato sauce or a mix of tomato paste and tomato sauce or with a sautéed mix of yellow onion,fresh garlic, ginger and green chilies.I still remember my mom grinding various spices and the fragrance of fresh ground spices still is in my memory.I remember my mom and my brother making a huge pot of mixed vegetables as an offering and remembering Mother Goddess.Now,this mixed vegetable was not just the mixed vegetable packets we see in the stores.It included all vegetables that were harvested for that season and included root vegetables like potato,sweet potato,Suran,Ratalu,peas,green beans,onion,garlic,eggplant,cauliflower,spinach and more .The spices are sautéed in oil or Ghee and then the vegetables that are cut in medium size pieces are added and pressure cooked.Did u know they also used dried pomegranate kernels that were dried and ground to a powder and Aamchur,which is powdered dried mango.

Oh! Do I remember the tender baby eggplants being cooked with all spices but no garlic or onion.It reminds me of visiting the Swaminarayan BAPS temple in Houston and Watching the holy saints follow the tradition of Lord Swaminarayan of cooking tender baby eggplants.I follow some well known Dietitions like Rebecca Katz ,chef AJ,or nutmeg notebook couple or the Minimalist Baker,our own physician colleague and Chef John La PumaMD.           .

These are just a few to name but everybody has added more to my desire to write and share it with my patients.