Health Watch: Focus on Tumeric
Ahh Retirement! The golden years, the time to do what your job may have kept you from enjoying, as you were commuting to a 9-5 and working on someone else’s schedule. But this all changes in retirement, you are your own boss and you decide what is on each day’s agenda! But one thing that may deter this sense of ownership of the day: health concerns. For many soon to be retirees, their health is a major concern. In a recent industry survey of 1,000 non-retired and retired Americans, 69% said they were concerned, with 41% saying they were “very” concerned. For many Baby Boomers, they see the finish line to their hard worked years in their career, but may not be able to enjoy the celebration due to doctor’s visits, limited mobility or frequent trips to the pharmacy to help treat ailments.
So how can you be proactive and make sure that you have the best chance of enjoying your well-deserved golden years? Taking care of yourself leading up to the golden years is the number one way, which includes eating a healthy, balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise. And what you eat is also important. A recent article on the website “Forever Young” cited the health effects of the herb Tumeric. If you have eaten Indian food, then you may very well have tasted it. It is known for its orange color and powerful taste. Its health benefits include its work as an anti-inflammatory and its high dosage of anti-oxidants. It also helps fights free radicals, rejuvenates cells, cleanses the liver, protects the heart and helps boost moods and brain support. In regards to mood and brain support, Tumeric has proven to shift levels of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. If that’s not enough, this herb also helps to support better memory, focus and cognition due to the ten neuro-protective actions that it contains. For the body, Tumeric works as an anti-fungal, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial and helps to combat infections and boost the immune system. There are other benefits when cooking with Tumeric as well. For example, when Tumeric is cooked with cauliflower, it helps to prevent Prostate Cancer and combining it with other foods helps to prevent breast cancer, melanoma, has shown to prevent and slow the onset of Alzheimer, detoxifies the liver and because it has anti-inflammatory agents, it is useful for those suffering from arthritis.
We as a society tend to look for a quick fix, anything in a pill form that can work as a wonder drug to help cure ailments we are suffering from (those that sometimes occur because we’re not taking in healthy foods, but rather chemically engineered foods). Tumeric, and many other healthy herbs, spices and foods in general, can help to prevent many ailments and illnesses which begin to rear their ugly head during our golden years or help us to treat them and make life more enjoyable. After all, the retirement years ARE called the golden years for a reason. Shouldn’t you be able to fully enjoy them?
