My Truth About Turmeric

Looking back at 2017, wow, most of it was a tough one. I had been living in a world of turmoil and hurt for what seemed like eternity. Truthfully, it had only been maybe eight months, but that was eight months too many for me.  Doctors were—um—well, we won’t get into that.  Physical Therapy was minimal. The dreadful constant inflammation and pain in my hip, back, neck and hands that was so severe, I couldn’t think straight, brought me down for the count.  I felt like I was in this horrible cloud that was sucking the life right out of me.  I was forgetting way too many things. I was depleted of energy.  I could hardly walk across my living-room floor let alone try to go anywhere else.  I seriously thought a life of mobility was soon going to be completely over.  I was sinking farther and farther down that dark hole of depression.

And then there was Turmeric.

After catching part of a talk show segment stating Turmeric/Curcumin was good for literally hundreds of ailments, I researched it, studied dozens and dozens of papers about it, and tried it.   It became an absolute miracle supplement for me.

Turmeric is a major anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and chronic disease fighter.   It neutralizes free radicals and stimulates the body to produce its own antioxidant enzymes.  Amazingly it can protect from and treat cancer and heart disease, arthritis, and has anti-aging properties.  It’s essential for brain health and memory retention, and is even said to reverse brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and depression.

Turmeric. The best kept secret in the world, right?  So I went “all in”.

After making Turmeric a regular part of my food program, I soon found myself not so far down the rabbit hole of pain. OF COURSE this wasn’t the only thing I was doing to try to heal myself, but it was a huge part of the routine.  It took about 30 days, then I noticed the cloud lifted and my memory improved…I mean dramatically.  Then as the days went on, the inflammation became more manageable, the pain decreased more and more.  I had more energy.  I started feeling motivated and capable of moving my body more.  My blood pressure holding steady at “perfect”.  It was practically a miracle.  Seriously.

And here I am today. Pain?  What pain?  I just completed Yoga Teacher Training.  I feel amazing.

Needless to say, Turmeric is now a part of my life forever. I grow it and harvest it whole, I buy both the powder and root at the store, and I often buy Turmeric Ginger tea at Whole Foods as a base for other “magical potions”.

What can a person put Turmeric in?

Well I think just about anything you want to! It’s pretty darn hard to “overdo it” with Turmeric.  You can use the powder spice or the root, and add to tea, roasted veggies, potatoes, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, soups, or anything you don’t mind turning “yellow”.  By molecular design, most of it passes through your system, especially in pill or tablet form.  I’m just not into taking pills. For me, I found the best way to help it absorb into my system is by including it in my food.  A lot of my food.  Does it taste weird?  Um, I’m not sure, I think I’m beyond noticing anything weird.  The benefits outweigh anything taste wise.  But when cooking with Turmeric, my dinner guests experience it too, and I’ve not gotten any complaints yet.

Here are some of the ways I use Turmeric that have made a phenomenal difference for me:

With ground Turmeric powder, I do this without fail:

• One teaspoon added when I make my pot of morning coffee*
• Sprinkled across my scrambled eggs and hash browns (once they’re done)
• A Tablespoon mixed into my batch of brown rice or Quinoa
• A Tablespoon mixed into my “bulk breakfast burrito” batter
• A Tablespoon sprinkled onto my pizza (on the bottom mixed with the sauce when possible)
• A couple Tablespoons mixed into a container of hummus
• A couple Tablespoons mixed into a container of salsa
• A couple Tablespoons in Spaghetti
• A couple Tablespoons in Mac n Cheese dishes
• A couple Tablespoons in Chili
• A couple Tablespoons in Beef Stew

*I LOVE to also add Cardamom, Cinnamon, or Cayenne Pepper to my coffee for a change of pace and even more health benefits and taste!

You get the idea here—if it’s a red, orange or dark sauce based meal, Turmeric is added—usually towards the end so it is not cooked too long.

With whole Turmeric root I do something a little different. I make a lot of chicken or Miso based soups and typically always do this:

• Grate a Tablespoon or two of fresh Turmeric AND Gingerroot into the soup
• Grate one teaspoon of fresh Turmeric AND Gingerroot into a cup of tea or warm coconut milk
• Grate one teaspoon of fresh Turmeric into Asian marinade recipes prior to stir-frying

Basically, whatever you feel comfortable about adding it to, you can. If you don’t like your food turning yellow-orange, then maybe hold off a bit—don’t throw some on your creamy white coleslaw.  But frankly, I’ve put it on that too, as well as steamed veggies, and salad.  And make sure you have plenty of Crest White Strips on hand!  The key is to listen to your body.  I love being pain free.  If I feel like I could use a little turmeric, I go for it.

But wait, there’s more!  The most awesome thing EVER has just happened through doTerra! 

I’ve spent the last few weeks trying out their newly launched CPTG (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade) Turmeric Oil! This is absolutely the most exciting development yet from the wonderful people of doTerra.  They now provide the most pure, potent Turmeric oil available, and without the YELLOW!  My routine is making a change!

There are three very important reasons why this is so exiting and “better” than my regular routine.

1. The molecular structure of Turmeric oil is super super tiny compared to that of the actual plant root powder or pills, so it is MUCH better able to be absorbed into the system and is super concentrated. Using less provides so much more!
2. One little 15ml bottle of Turmeric oil holds approximately 260 drops, and it can go with me everywhere! There’s nothing worse than having a little container of Turmeric or Cayenne Pepper powder (or both, in my case) accidently open up in your purse when you are out in public.  Yes, it really sucked, and the poor people around me thought so too.
3. IT’S NOT GOING TO STAIN EVERYTHING YELLOW!

I have migrated away from my routine coffee use of powder to doTerra Turmeric oil in the last few weeks and I still feel fabulous! It takes just one or two drops a day to rock my world.  And think of the money saved being able to back off on the Crest White Strips to brighten my Turmeric treated smile.   Now I just have to deal with the coffee. Hmmmm…. And probably red wine!

I am so extremely grateful for the changes I’ve experienced by incorporating Turmeric into my life! If you give it a try, I sincerely hope you find the same results are true for you too!  Please, if you have any potential medical conditions that could be negatively affected by Turmeric, approach usage with caution.  Informed self-care is important!  Always check with your Doctor first if you are unsure.  If you want to try Turmeric oil, please visit my website my.doterra.com/prbrady and order it there.  It will help us both!  Or reach out to me directly and I’ll be happy to assist you.

Thank you for reading my post. Have you had a similar experience?  I’d love to hear about it!  All comments are greatly appreciated.  I share information about all kinds of products, places, services and experiences I’ve found to be exceptionally great, or exceptionally not great under my “What’s New” blog category—along with many of my own handy little DIY ideas. If you like what you see, please let me know by “liking” my website. You can even join my tribe to automatically receive new postings ‘hot off the press’.  As always, please feel free to share my information with others who may find interest and value in PR Brady AdVentures!  Thanks again!