Cooking For Better Health – A Healing Paste

This is just my own experiment, so take it with a grain of salt. In this case, you add a few things other than salt.

Of all the attempts to reduce inflammation and autoimmune reactions, this cooking paste is loaded with immune boosting properties. When the immune system is hyperactive as it is with autoimmune disorders, it means it is out of balance for some unknown reasons.

Up until now, I have never used turmeric much in cooking. I am more familiar with ginger and know it also has many similar benefits as turmeric does. A few months ago I tried taking a teaspoon of grated ginger daily as an anti-inflammatory, but it caused a drop in blood pressure, so I abandoned taking fresh ginger without mixing it with something.

I would not claim to be anti-supplement or anti-traditional medicine. However, in hindsight I wish I had not taken supplements or OTC medications over the years, without giving it a second thought. We should give it more than a second thought. Anything taken habitually can throw our systems off balance. In many cases, medications will cause a rebound effect after a period of time, and do the opposite of what they are intended for.

In addition, many medications require multiple adjustments to the dosage, and can be very difficult to discontinue. There are countless unknown drug interactions, and drugs that interact with certain foods. I will readily admit – I am not onside with Big Pharma pushing more and more drugs on otherwise healthy people. Most of those drugs do not address the underlying cause. They mask the symptoms, which is the last thing we need when our bodies are trying to tell us something is wrong.

Each one of us has a unique reaction to various different medications and supplements. It depends on things like overall nutrition, organ function, weight, gut health, systemic circulation, chronic inflammation, neurochemistry, genetic markers, and so on. Therefore, we should pay careful attention to how our own bodies respond to what we put in it. That way we can remedy what is aggravating existing conditions.

When I look back at people I have known and worked with over the years, we all had some kind of physical weakness. For some it was a predisposition to chronic bladder infections, respiratory infections, or an acidic stomach. For others it was chronic back, hip or knee pain. Different people react to stress in a unique way. The stress of life and all it entails, causes weaknesses within our systems that we have to learn to manage or remedy somehow. If not, they will likely get worse as time goes by.

I think it is best to get nutrients out of a whole food, mostly plant based diet. Just as in learning about the benefits of essential oils, there is also much to be learned when it comes to nutrient dense foods, and various medicinal teas, herbs, and spices.

Since turmeric is so bright and stain inducing, I wear gloves and prepare a small batch to cook with at a time. The paste includes equal amounts of fresh grated ginger and turmeric. Pepper has to be added to increase the bioavailability of the turmeric. The mix also includes crushed garlic, fresh snipped herbs, and a small amount of olive oil and lemon juice.

This paste can be spread over chicken, added to rice dishes, soups and whatever else you decide to try it on. That way the nutrients are cooked with the food, and we get the trace elements and micro nutrients without damaging the balance in our systems, or adding supplements that the kidneys and liver must detoxify.

Of the myriad of remedies I have tried thus far, the best results have come from drinking lemon water each day, and from adding large doses of herbs and spices in food preparation. I noticed a reduction in the inflammation in my eye within a couple of days of using fresh turmeric.

I guess the goal in this crazy corrupt world – is to try our level best to stay healthy and happy. It’s a counter measure. What can possibly be wrong with that?

As far as making a point about how individual taste is part of the nutritional journey, there are many examples. One of the more prevalent bits of health advice recommends taking an ounce of apple cider vinegar mixed with water each day. I tried it but could not stomach it, or stand the smell of it. I also don’t like the concept of drinking vinegar. So my gut instinct told me to avoid drinking vinegar. Yet many people swear by it. Is it any wonder we have to do our own research combined with a little of our own trial and error?

Human beings have much in common, and yet we have many differences in the minute details and functionality in everyday life. Now more than ever, we have to sort through the bombardment of advertising geared to make us reach for those quick fixes and cures.

Our health is not meant to be governed by someone else’s profit motive. But if we do not take charge of our own health, we can fall for just about anything in this day and age of targeted propaganda and advertising.