Ok, just for fun I want to tell you all about a couple of new finds I have made. One is a can of Black Soy beans that I found in the store today. It is 11 grams protein for 1/2 cup and (this is for Cranberrycat) I am thinking it could make a great chili with the beans as the Protein blocks. I will let you know. The second find: turmeric has anti inflammatory properties, Dr. Sears talks about it specifically in AIZ. However, other than curry, how do you get it into a western diet? Well, I was poking around in the Indian grocery store yesterday and found pickled turmeric (just salt and vinegar). Took a chance on it and it is wonderful, not like anything I have every tasted before. I have been putting it on salads and I am sure will come up with other things.

Interesting! Please let me know how the chili comes out!

Anna, thanks for the tips! I've neven heard of pickled turmeric. I'll have to find some. If you'd like to see an unconventional use for turmeric, take a look at the smoothie in my recipe thread (you don't really taste the turmeric, I include it for the anti-inflammatory benefits).

I toss turmeric into a veggie dish that I make. It is based off of a recipe found in the Anti-Inflammation Zone. It includes asparagus, onion, and mushrooms, and I generally make it up as a side dish to go with my meat protein. I toss in some curry and turmeric. Tasty!

Yum! I can get fresh turmeric at a local store so I throw that into everything. I did read an article somewhere that says you need to eat turmeric with black pepper to get its benefit. Hmmm!

Wow, Anna, pickled turmeric sounds interesting. I happen to love turmeric. I didn't know about eating turmeric with black pepper. Just so happens, just about everything I make has black pepper in it because I like it so much, so I'm pretty sure I'm getting the benefits of it. I wonder what black pepper has that brings out the benefit of turmeric. Hmmm... may need to see what I can find on the web.

Found the reference. It is in a book called Anti-Cancer by David Serban-Schreiber, MD. A great book BTW. Pepper helps turmeric cross the intestinal barrier. It multiplies its absorption by 2000!

I did a little research on the web regarding turmeric being best if taken with black pepper. All the supporting info I could find is if you take a turmeric supplement, then black pepper slows down the absorption rate so that it stays in your system longer. I wonder if it is the same if you use turmeric as a spice in food. However, turmeric and black pepper together is supposed to be good for colds.

Anna, sorry ... I didn't see your post until I did my post. Do you know if he talks about turmeric in supplement form or as a spice in food?

Guess I answered my own question ... I went to his web site. Here is what it says:

"Some research shows that turmeric is most effective in humans when it's mixed with black pepper and dissolved in oil (olive or canola, preferably). In store-bought curry mixes, turmeric represents only 20% of the total, so it's better to obtain ground turmeric directly from a spice shop.

How to Use It: Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder with a teaspoon of olive oil and a generous pinch of ground black pepper and add to vegetables, soups, and salad dressings. Use a tablespoon if you already have cancer."

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Anna!

I love turmeric! I always shake it on eggwhites when scrambling to give color...

You are welcome, Karen, and thanks for the more specific info. It seems easy enough to add the oil and pepper and worth it if is so much more effective! Great idea, janet, about turmeric on eggwhites for color.

Yum, this is all sounding really delicious!

just marking this thread so that I can find it easily.

Interesting, That explains why a lot of better quality supplements include Bioprene ( a major pepper component) in their supplements.
They always tout their Bioprene added supplements as having better absorption.
For example before the Ubiquinol version of COQ10, better supplements had Bioprene in the Ubiquinone version of COQ10.

I really like the idea of pickled turmeric. Here's an interesting anti-inflammatory recipe that came up:
http://enjoyindianfood.blogspot.com...ickle.html