October 2022 Special Needs Living Akron/Canton

Professional Perspective:

Turmeric, Ginger & Digestive Health The Foods You Put In Your Body Matters.

Written by Daniel Anschutz, aka “Chef Daniel”

Chef Daniel Anschutz

I believe that food is medicine. What you put in your body affects what kind of performance you get. I didn’t always feel this way and simply looked at food to be something you engaged with three or more times a day.

Coming from a long background of food service, I used to consume NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen), was a heavy smoker, took PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors — they reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces, aka heartburn pills) daily and weighed way more than I should. I have taken measures to reduce my weight, stopped smoking, changed my diet, and eliminated PPIs and NSAIDs on a daily basis, as all of these have been shown to have negative long-term effects on your health.

The long-term effects of smoking, being excessively overweight and daily use of PPIs and NSAIDs have been linked to many digestive issues, ulcers and other GI (gastrointestinal) issues. Today, I would like to talk about if you experience long-term digestive health issues. Digestive health is a concern of many individuals and a growing concern of many from adolescence and onward. You may have seen a recent article in The New York Times or other national publications about Chron’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other digestive disorders being on the rise. Even if you haven’t, digestive health is something that affects everyone every day.

Many digestive issues can be lessened or alleviated with a change in diet to help with inflammation. Over the years, both gluten and dairy have been linked to inflammation issues. If you are having inflammation in your joints, Arthritis or general GI issues, limiting or completely eliminating these from your diet has been shown to greatly reduce your inflammation and discomfort. These are all items that are eliminated or greatly reduced in diets such as Paleo, Auto-Immune Paleo, and Whole 30.

A diet is a great way to kickstart your system into a new way of eating, but diets are meant to be for a short time and for a quick change. If you are looking to make major changes, you need to find a lifestyle change — something that you can stick with long term to continue to see positive impact on your daily living. Please consult with your physician before making any drastic changes to your current routines of diet, exercise or anything else that could affect your general health and well-being.

In addition to making sweeping dietary changes, you can introduce turmeric and ginger to your diet. Turmeric and ginger are wonderful root vegetables and have been used in medicine and food for flavor, color and have been found to help reduce inflammation. In a recent article from the Cleveland Clinic, turmeric specifically has been found to reduce inflammation, improve memory, lessen pain, fight free radicals, lower the risk of heart disease, helps fight depression and helps prevent cancerous cells.

Adding turmeric, if you aren’t familiar with it, can be a daunting task, but the health benefits can greatly help you in so many ways. For fall, I’ve included a recipe: wonderful Creamy Turmeric Pumpkin Bisque. This recipe is gluten free and dairy free in addition to using turmeric. I hope you enjoy this fall favorite of mine.

PUMPKIN TURMERIC BISQUE Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Ingredients:

• Spanish Onion: 1ea, Small Diced

• Pie Pumpkin: 2ea

• Turmeric: 1 ½ TBSP

• Garlic: 3 Cloves, Minced

• Vegetable Stock: 2 Cups

• Nutmeg: 1 tsp

• Rubbed Sage: 1 tsp

Directions: 1. Scoop out the pumpkin seeds, wash and dry. Cut the pumpkin into 2in cubes, toss with oil, salt and pepper. Roast the pumpkin at 400 F for around 20min or until golden brown. Roast the seeds tossed with oil, salt and pepper on a separate try for around 15mins.

2. After roasting you can remove the skin of the pumpkin if you wish. The skin is completely edible, but most folks do not like the fibrous nature and sometimes grainy texture they can produce.

3. In a sauce pot, cook the onion until golden, add the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Stir in the turmeric, nutmeg, sage and pumpkin. Stir in the vegetable stock, and use salt and pepper to taste.

4. Using an Immersion blender, or a standard blender, puree the mixture until smooth.

5. Serve with the toasted pumpkin seeds on top.