Keep Your Fire Burning Bright
’70% of your serotonin is made in your gut. What’s going on in your gut is going to effect your mood - anxiety, depression and focus.’ Dr. Frank Lipman
Something I’ve loved seeing recently is the latest trend in gut health. One of the reasons for this, is that it supports what I’ve always believed and something integral to Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine) which is that a healthy gut is key to having a healthy body and mind.
Gut health is something that was preached to us from birth! The concoctions we were given were impressively vile, it almost became a game for me to see if I could tolerate the latest sludge - brown powders mixed with water that tasted like bitter mud. All in the name of cleaning your gut.
While my sister would run for the hills to escape, I secretly liked it, it tastiest nasty but I knew even as a young kid that it was good for me. Why on earth would my mum give it to us otherwise! (just as an aside all these powders are now available in tablet form).
Ayurveda believes the key to health is keeping your Agni (your internal fire) burning bright. Agni is the ‘entity that is responsible for all digestive and metabolic processes in the human beings’. It is complex, but put simply if you have a healthy metabolic fire you’ll have good health.
So where does Turmeric fit in with gut health?
We all eat, drink and do things that aren’t good for us, even the most over zealous healthy peeps I know indulge in their guilty pleasures. Whether it’s a few glasses of wine, chocolate when your sweet tooth strikes, not getting enough sleep, being overstressed at work or some other more hardcore vice they all end up causing inflammation and ultimately reducing your Agni.
Turmeric’s key healing compound curcumin is one of natures most powerful anti-inflammatories
In one study, researchers gave 117 people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome either one gram of curcumin powder or a placebo pill daily for eight weeks. At the end of the study, the curcumin group had lower levels of inflammation. This is just one of many studies that reached these findings. For this reason, research suggests that turmeric may be helpful in treating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The two main types of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
So regular Turmeric intake assists your body in reducing inflammation, thus balancing your Agni and allowing your body to function at peak performance.
What if you're just feeling a little off in the tummy, will turmeric still help? The answer is yes.
Turmeric can help the body break down and digest food. It also plays an important role in absorbing fats and certain nutrients.
Even if you want to prep your body for a particularly stressful or busy time socially, you can start drinking turmeric drinks or using it in your food to combat any potential harm in the future.
Turmeric is an incredibly versatile spice. If you want to add this super spice to your diet, but don’t know how to enjoy it, then check out these ideas: