Reduce Pain and Inflammation

Conventional treatment of pain and inflammation usually includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, or  NSAIDS. Other than not solving the cause of the inflammation, long-term use of NSAIDS are known for causing gut pain, ulcers, heart attacks, liver damage, kidney failure, and even edema. NSAIDs are grossly over-used, especially because so many of them are available over the counter, like Aspirin or Ibuprofen - think Advil, Aleve, and Motrin.

What if I told you your local health food store probably has an ancient plant known to combat inflammation, pain, and disease for a few bucks? Well, it’s true— I’m referring to none other than the golden-hued powerhouse, TURMERIC!
 
Native to India and Southeast Asia, this golden spice has been used to give color and taste to food preparations since ancient times and has remained a mainstay herb in botanical medicine for thousands of years in the Ayurvedic tradition.
 
With a pungent, earthy-sweet taste and a stunning golden-orange hue, turmeric is most commonly found and used as a dried, powdered spice, but it can also be found in it’s fresh, root form. Raw turmeric is the root portion of the plant Curcuma longa. With papery skin and a knobby appearance, the unprocessed form of this root bears a strong resemblance to ginger root. That resemblance is not a coincidence though, as turmeric, ginger, and cardamom are plants all belonging to the Zingiberaceae family—also known as the ginger family.
 
Turmeric's effects on health are generally centered upon an orange-yellow colored, lipophilic polyphenol substance called curcumin, which is acquired from the rhizomes of the herb. Curcumin is known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer effects and, thanks to these effects, have an important role in prevention and treatment of various illnesses ranging notably from cancer to autoimmune, neurological, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. Traditionally, this spice has been used in Ayurveda and folk medicine, but modern science has provided the scientific basis for the use of turmeric against such disorders.
 
Today you can find turmeric supplements anywhere you go, but I strongly urge you to utilize the organic spice or root in your cooking instead, as these forms are the most bioavailable for our bodies. I love supporting local growers, so check out Raw Roots Turmeric. There are infinite ways to use this incredible golden spice, so play around with it and decide what you like best. As a general rule of thumb, 1 inch fresh turmeric = 1 tablespoon freshly grated turmeric = 1 teaspoon ground turmeric.
 
To get you started, here is a quick and delicious Golden Milk recipe to help you get your daily dose! Enjoy.
 
Golden Milk
 
Ingredients:

  • 1 cup coconut or nut milk (or your milk of choice)

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ½ tsp ground turmeric

  • ¼ tsp ground ginger

  • pinch of ground black pepper

  • 1 tsp raw honey (or your sweetener of choice), optional

Directions: 
Add all ingredients to small saucepan and whisk to combine. Warm over medium heat until warmed but not boiling, whisking frequently. 

If you enjoy warm drinks in the morning, you might also like these: Turmeric Coffee and Turmeric and Lemon Morning Elixir.  
 
Remember that turmeric can be staining to clothes and countertops, so handle the drink and its contents with care.
 
Inflammation is a natural process, and it is even good at times. It becomes worrisome when it is a chronic issue, which is very common these days. Some illnesses that are common with chronic inflammation include arthritis, COPD, IBS and IBD, and autoimmune diseases. This chronic inflammation doesn’t just happen, there are triggers! Most of these triggers are due to nutritional imbalances, heavy metals, parasites, and even food intolerances. You can read more about how I use hair tissue mineral analysis with clients to help understand how their nutritional imbalances are impacting chronic pain and inflammation HERE.  

If you are ready to start making decisions on your health based on REAL DATA about YOUR body, hair tissue mineral analysis is for you.  

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  So, if you’ve been playing the do-it-yourself nutrition guessing game for quite some time and don’t feel any better, isn’t it time to try something different?

Are you ready to approach your nutrition with the accuracy of your body’s chemistry instead?  Get started HERE.  
 

Healthy Blessings,
Karri, FNTP

P.S. Are you looking for more wellness resources? Get my Guide on 3 Essential Steps to Improve Your Health! Sign up HERE and you will also receive my newsletters to support you in your healthy lifestyle, delivered directly to your inbox.

Other reminders: 
The RESTART Program: fall class dates will be  announced soon!  More details on the RESTART Program HERE.    
 
If you need to supplements, here's the link to my dispensary: FULLSCRIPT.  While my dispensary catalog is open for you to search everything offered from Fullscript, if you go to Favorites from the menu, there are categories within Favorites.  Favorites are my preferred brands - the brands that meet my quality standards.  If you are looking for my preferred turmeric brands, you can find them under the Inflammation category under Favorites.  There is also an autoship option from the main menu, in case you have certain supplements that you would like delivered at a certain frequency.

Karri Ball