Turmeric is a beloved spice around the globe that contains a wide array of health benefits— from its antioxidant contents to its ability to soothe and prevent inflammation. As for weight loss, turmeric also has the power to greatly aid your digestive system by assisting the metabolic rate that helps burn calories.
With that said, we checked in with Liana Werner-Gray, certified nutritionist at Complete Wellness NYC, natural food chef and author of The Earth Diet to not only learn more about this food, but to also gain a healthy soup recipe that can be a great dinner to dry this week and help you stay on track with your health and weight loss goals!
Immune-Boosting Turmeric Soup
A powerful way to reduce inflammation in your body almost immediately is to eat turmeric, Werner-Gray says, whether in a curry dish, or take a supplement of curcumin, which is a compound in turmeric. “Turmeric has been perhaps the most studied spice of all time because of its therapeutic effects as an anti-inflammatory agent against neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, autoimmune, and neoplastic diseases,” she explains.
Turmeric has neuroprotective effects because it’s able to “reduce inflammatory markers, like cytokines,” which have been known to cause anxiety. She adds that it also increases blood antioxidant levels, which tend to be low in individuals with anxiety. “Having quick and easy health hacks, such as sprinkling turmeric on your breakfast eggs or taking a daily supplement, can dramatically reduce inflammation in your body and help boost immunity,” she says. Another great way to obtain the health benefits of turmeric (and still stay on track for weight loss), is to make a soup like the one included below, which makes 2 servings.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion
8 fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or 1 teaspoon dried coriander
3 fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Pinch or 2 of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 medium juice tomatoes
2 cups filtered water
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Chop the onion and add it to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Gather up all your herbs and spices.
2. When the onion is soft, add the herbs, spices, and garlic and mix well.
3. Squeeze the tomatoes into the pot. Chop up the tomato skins and add them to the pot as well.
4. Add the water and let the soup cook for 7 minutes.
5. Season with more sea salt and pepper, if desired. Top with broccoli sprouts and additional fresh herbs like basil, parsley, and cilantro, if desired
