This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
It’s no secret that I am a fan of sirtuin-rich foods (which include turmeric). What are they? Well, they are foods that are bursting with health promoting phytonutrients. I honestly don’t know the science behind these ‘skinny gene activating’ foods, but I am maintaining a healthy weight at the moment – something I have always had trouble doing in the past.
Is it a wonder drug?
Turmeric, aka the golden spice of India, seems to have some really amazing properties. Ounce for ounce, herbs and spices have more antioxidants than any other food group. They can help prevent the triggering of mutations in our DNA that can lead to various diseases, including cancer. Scientists are very interested in the potential health benefits of curcumin, the pigment in turmeric that gives it such a bright yellow colour. It has already been shown to help speed recovery after surgery and effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis. It may also help inflammatory conditions such as lupus and bowel disease.
Moving on. I try to incorporate as many sirt foods into our family’s diet as possible, to supplement the fish and chicken (and odd bit of red meat) we eat. It’s easy to do because so many of them are favourite ingredients anyway – especially the red wine, 85% dark chocolate, parsley, chilli and citrus fruits. But one of the top ten sirtuin-rich foods, turmeric, has not been so easy to include. I simply don’t want every meal to taste of curry or to stain my kitchen orange! So when I was offered the opportunity to try a short course of turmeric extract tablets, I jumped at the chance. Especially as this particular supplement from Future You is scientifically formulated to deliver 30x more of the good stuff (curcumin) to the body because of its ‘bioavailability’.
So, here I am sitting with my much loved morning Oatly Barista latte and my usual bodily aches and pains. Without boring you (I hope) they are:
Sore thumb joint (a bit of early arthritis)
Tweaky right hip (haven’t been doing as much yoga, so it’s not good at the moment)
Stiff right shoulder
Aching, clicking knees, especially the left one.
Each tablet is 500mg and I can take one or two a day. I have opted for two per day. I’m not expecting miracles but am fascinated to see if any of my aches and pains decrease after my test run of 30 days. I’m not planning to change my weekly exercise regime – yoga twice, about 20 miles of slow cycling, and a short dog walk every day.
THE RESULTS – click here to view
Previous Sirt related posts, including some excellent recipes, can be viewed by clicking here