On Herbs - Turmeric

Turmeric is a shrub related to ginger and used primarily in Indian cuisine.  It is bright yellow, offering natural coloring for mustard and cheeses.  Until recently, Ingrid and I had three or four year old Turmeric in our cupboard from our few dalliances into Indian cooking.  Turmeric is widely by alternative medical practitioners and has peaked interest by the western medical community in recent years.  Most of the fuss has revolved around on particular component of turmeric, curcumin, which is a known antioxidant with very promising research to support its use for a variety of ailments including cancer and neurological disease.  Turmeric is a Group A herb for certain uses including an upset stomach and loss of appetite and a Group B herb for a wide variety of other.  For more on group classifications see the On Herbs post by clicking here. 

The Science

The science is in - Turmeric has been documented as helpful with digestive conditions such as upset stomach and loss of appetite according to Germany's Commission E (Germany's equivalent to the US Food & Drug Administration).

Additional Potential Uses

Turmeric is widely used in Indian and Chinese medicine for millenia for a variety of ailments; and there is a lot of buzz about Turmeric (actually curcumin, the active ingredient in Turmeric) these days in the western medical sphere as a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with promise for use in preventing and/or treating cancer, neurological disease, bacteria and viral infections, heart disease, chronic and autoimmune ailments and, quite honestly a host of other ailments including but not limited to diarrhea, fever, bronchitis, colds, parasitic worms, leprosy, bladder and kidney inflammations, bruises, leech bites, festering eye infections, mouth inflammations, skin conditions, and infected wounds, chronic coughs, and colds. Many studies in animals a the laboratory have identified these potential uses - and trials on humans are currently under way (as of 2014).  It will be a few years until the results of these studies are known and published, but I think it likely that the health benefits of Turmeric will be validated for a number of these uses.

My Personal Experience

I started to dabble in turmeric tea a short time ago during a bout of nausea.  I drank turmeric tea once or twice a day for a week and the nausea completely subsided.  In every instance since where I feel nauseated, bloated, or otherwise off a few doses of turmeric tea help.  I am ready to move on to daily turmeric pills to see if I can't reap long-term preventative benefits. 

Preparations

Turmeric Capsules
Turmeric Tea

Click here for the alternative road recipe page, which will include recipes for all preparations listed.

Additional Resources

The University of Maryland discusses the science and current studies on turmeric.  Click here to read what the University of Maryland has to say on the subject.

The American Cancer Society discusses the science and current studies on turmeric.  Click here to read what the American Cancer Society has to say on the subject.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a Natural Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that talks about the science on Turmeric.  Click here to read what the NIH NCCAM has to say on the subject.

Oxygen Therapy - Trials & Tribulations (Part III)

I had been generally warned about the potential dangers of oxygen toxicity from a friend - so before I started, I researched the dangers.  The best resource I found is from the National Institutes of Health, which has an article discussing the dangers of oxgen therapy for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).  To read the full article, click this link.  The two main concerns with oxygen therapy appeared to be (1) Carbon Dioxide Retention and (2) Oxidative Stress.  Carbon dioxide retention leads to a condition called respiratory acidosis, in which the body cannot eliminate all the CO2 generated during respiration and which causes the body's acidity increases.  Oxidative stress occurs when too much oxygen is present in the blood, which allows for the formation of free radicals that can damage cells.  Of course, I had no idea how much oxygen was too much or would create these conditions, so I determined to start off with short intervals and work up from low levels of oxygen.

The determined starting point - meditative breathing with oxygen for 30 minutes per day, once per week, for a minimum of a few weeks before changing the regimen.  My first 30 minute trial was unspectacular but with spectacularly promising results.  After the session, I immediately felt less fatigued, a slight improvement.  The noticeable improvement came that night with restful sleep and dreams - something I had experienced in years. The next morning came and I felt somewhat rested - an unusual occurrence.

With such noticeable improvements after only one session, all of my plans to ease into oxygen therapy went out the window.  If I felt this much better with one dose of oxygen, I could only imagine how much better I would feel on even more oxygen.  The next night, I indulged again - this time for a full hour.  Instead of feeling elated, I felt slightly jittery, dizzy, anxious, and nauseated.  After some thought and riding high on my improvement from the first night, I decided it would be difficult to know if my new symptoms were definitively caused by the oxygen without another data point (its the engineer in me) and so I indulged in oxygen therapy for a third straight night.  Bad idea.  The symptoms the night before intensified and worsened, making for a very uncomfortable night.  Carbon dioxide retention?  Oxidative stress?  Who knows.  I had learned my lesson.  I took a full week off of oxygen therapy to allow my body to normalize before starting again, this time a bit more intelligently...

Click the links below to read other posts in the Oxygen Therapy Series:

Oxygen Therapy - A Plausible Theory (Part I)
Oxygen Therapy - Finding an Oxygen Source (Part II)
Oxygen Therapy - Trials and Tribulations (Part III)
Oxygen Therapy - Massaging the Truth (Part IV)
Oxygen Therapy - Cardio for a Day (Part V)
Oxygen Therapy - Strength Training (Part VI)

Is Fatigue A Figment of Your Imagination?

Yesterday on my way to work I listened to an interview about a new book on sports science on NPR.  The guest was Mark McClusky, an editor with WIRED.com, who discussed his new book Faster, Higher, Stronger - a book on sports science.  The interview discussed Mark's research into a number of methods that elite athletes use to attain better performance - many of which I have or intend to explore - so I decided to get a copy.  My copy arrived today and I dove into a chapter in the middle called "What Getting Tired Means".

The chapter highlights the theories of sports scientist Tim Noakes, who contends that fatigue is not a physiological state caused by the increase in lactate (or acidification) of muscles but rather a mental state, "a combination of the brain reading various physiological, subconscious and conscious signals and using these to pace the muscles in order to ensure that the body does not burn out before the finish line is reached."

Faster, Higher, Stronger implies that Mr. Noakes' view remains controversial in the sports science field and, in my opinion, with good reason (although I do think there are some interesting ideas and takeaways).  For one, muscle fatigue is not limited to elite athletes or endurance sports.  Muscle fatigue and fatigue in general has an entirely different context in the world of chronic illness.  Just the other night, while blow drying daughter's hair, turning the two pound hair dryer quickly back and forth so as not to leave the heat concentrated in any one place for too long, my forearm muscles began to tire.  They got heavy, much the same as used to occur when I was able to exercise at a high level, and ultimately struggled to hold up the two pound hair dryer.  I think it unlikely that muscle fatigue in this case was my brain trying to pace the use of my forearm to dry my daughter's hair.

That said, the correlation between the mind and exercise performance appears real from what I have read.  The brain is the control center of the body, regulating your body's systems (e.g. circulatory, nervous).  Each of those systems includes various organs and other tissues that have different functions, require different resources (e.g. oxygen, minerals, vitamins), and produce different waste products.   The brain cannot override the number resources required or eliminate the waste products; however, it can push through the normal safety limits for short periods of time. 

It is possible that Mr. Noakes' view is more nuanced that implied in Faster, Higher, Stronger by Mr. McClusky - that he is attributing the very small increase in exercise performance of "gold medal" athletes that allows them to temporarily push through the body's safety switches (by trickery or mental fortitude) - but the notion that fatigue is somehow an emotional or mental state does not seem plausible in the context of illness induced fatigue.

The Goods (Recipe) - Fried Mushrooms

They key to a good fried mushroom is cooking over high heat  and with a modest amount of mushrooms so that they fry instead of steam.  I usually make these mushrooms as part of another dish but can't help sneaking a few as a snack.

1 c. Mushrooms, sliced
2 Tblsp. Avocado Oil (or another oil with a high smoke point)
Salt





(1) Heat a pan on high or medium high heat.  Add oil.  Once oil is hot, add sliced mushrooms.  Make sure the mushrooms are in a single later on the pan's bottom and allow to cook until golden brown.  Then turn over and cook until the other side is golden brown.  Add a dash of salt and serve.

Algae Virus May Be Changing the Way You Think

Ran across this article during my morning reading.  I haven't started writing about the causes of chronic illness, yet, but viruses are certainly on the list - especially those that aren't currently recognized as impacting humans.  So this article was of particular interest.  Check it out at the Business Insider by clicking the following link...

Algae Virus May Be Changing the Way You Think

The Goods (Recipe) - Basic Panelle (Chickpea Polenta) w/ Chimichurri Sauce

Basic Panelle with Chimichurri Sauce

Yotam Ottolenghi's new book, Plenty More, features unique vegetable focused dishes (though not usually allergen-free).  While flipping through the book this weekend, I noticed a few interesting dishes that featured polenta - a cornmeal based dish (i.e. not on my diet).  After a quick internet search I found a traditionally Sicilian dish called Panelle, which made in the exact same fashion as polenta but with chickpea flour.  After some experimentation, I am quite the fan.  The Panelle itself is relatively neutral in taste, but the crispy exterior and creamy interior combined with a sauce of your choice makes this dish an absolute star.

 2 c. Chickpea Flour
4 c. Chicken Stock (or water)
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Chimichurri Sauce (optional)

(1) Combine stock, salt, and extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan.  Whisk to combine.

(2) Place sauce pan over medium to medium low heat.  Gradually whisk in chickpea flour.  Continually whisk until mixture thickens to the point where it just about comes away from the side of the pan, 20 - 30 minutes.  Note: if you don't cook (and continually stir) for this long, the finished product will be much more difficult to fry.

Cooled Panelle

(3)  Turn off heat.  Pour thickened mixture into an oiled 9" x 13" pan and allow to cool for anywhere between 1 hour and 3 days in the refrigerator.

 (4) Once cooled heat some more olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  slice the Panelle into squares and fry on both sides until golden brown.

The Goods (Recipe) - Savory Strawberry & Apricot Salad with Chicken

When strawberries are at their peak of perfection in the summer (or longer here in California), this salad is one of my go-to lunches.  The sweetness of the strawberries and apricots works in beautiful harmony with the salty acidity of the dressing.

4 Dried Apricots, Diced
1/2 Large Cucumber, Diced (and peeled and/or de-seeded)
1 c. Chopped Spring Mix (or Lettuce)
1/2 c. Chicken, Diced (from a roasted chicken)
1 Carrot, Sliced
3 Tbls. Roasted Sunflower Seeds
1/2 c. Diced Strawberries
1/2 Medium Avocado, Diced

3 Tbls. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sprinkle of Salt

(1) Clean and cut all ingredients  If using raw sunflower seeds, dry toast them in a pan the same as when making sunflower seed butter (click here for that recipe).  Add to a bowl.  Mix and enjoy!