turmerific!

so over the course of the past few months i have developed an ever-increasing fondness for turmeric. it's just so good. and so good for you. and last night the tiger and i were out to dinner with friends at an ethiopian restaurant in oakland at which i broke my ethiopian food virginity. i'm not sure how i got this far in life without ever having had an ethiopian meal, but somehow i did, and, like with most other life experiences or "firsts", the longer you wait to do it, the more anxiety builds up. so this was a big deal for me. would i like it? would i even know what to do when the big family style platter was set down in front of us all with a few baskets of that crazy bread? would i make a mess? would i embarrass myself? would it be painful? so i took a big breath, threw caution to the wind, took the plunge, and let a red lentil dish called mesir wat take my innocence and ignorance away. red lentils in a berbere sauce. mmm mmm mmm. it doesn't get much better than that. and, so, just like that, my turmeric adoration was whipped back up into high gear. and so this is a post about a spice. a spice that makes anything it touches better and that might be one of the best things on the planet for us. it has insane health benefits. the active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. it has long been known for its anti-inflammatory benefits, but has more recently been shown to help heal or prevent many health conditions from cancer to alzheimer's disease. it is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent. it has shown itself to be useful in preventing and stopping growth of existing cancers such as prostate, breast, melanoma, and childhood leukemia. it is a natural liver detoxifier (turmeric and beets will undo any and all of your sins. okay, maybe not all of them.) it reduces the growth of plaque build up in the brain which may slow or prevent the spread of alzheimer's disease. in chinese medicine, turmeric is used to treat depression. it is a natural painkiller, it aids in fat metabolism in the body, and its anti-inflammatory properties make it a natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. so, hurry up and get your hands on some turmeric. it's a little yellow wonder powder.