Simple Apple & Banana Turmeric Porridge

Name: Liver Protecting & Anti-Inflammatory Beetroot Borscht
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 garlic cloves chopped finely; 1 medium white or red onion; 6 beetroots, diced cooked (I use the pre-cooked ones from the supermarket); 1 small piece of celeriac diced; 2 celery stalks chopped; 4 large potatoes diced; 700 gr red cabbage sliced into fine strips; 1 tsp black caraway ground in pestle and mortar; 4 carrots sliced; 2 bayleaves; 2 tbsp parsley chopped; 4 tbsp tomato paste; 1,25 liter vegetable broth without added fats or additives, and no added yeast or MSG or natural flavourings; salt to taste; pepper to taste; juice of ½ a lemon

Leave a comment December 8, 2021 jayjagger

Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast

This simple apple and banana porridge infused with turmeric provides a super healthy and anti-inflammatory breakfast to kick-start your day.

Why Turmeric?

TURMERIC is a POWERHOUSE, a plant with amazing healing and anti-inflammatory properties, and is one of the most powerful herbs on the planet today to help us humans shield from inflammation, prevent disease, and to keep our bodies strong and healthy. For a full article on what turmeric is and what it does, read on here. Turmeric is also well digested and tolerated by all three doshas. It can sometimes aggravate a very high Pitta, but you would have to take very high dosages for this to happen and a teaspoon like suggested in this recipe should be more than fine.

Why Porridge ?

Porridge is a very nourishing staple breakfast for people with sensitive bellies

A warm porridge in the morning can be a very healing and warming food, especially for people with food sensitivities. Porridge has become a staple in my breakfast repertoire and since consuming it regularly in the mornings, with a teaspoon of added linseeds, it has really improved my digestive issues. It sets me up nicely for the day, especially in autumn and winter times: it gives you this super-nice; cosy and warm feeling in your belly. Especially for Vata types what’s not to like! This porridge is also flavoured with yummy cinnamon. Cinnamon is well torleated by all three doashas, stabilizes blood sugar, reduces blood pressure and its prebiotic properties may improve gut health. For more info on Cinnamon’s benefits click here.

Always opt for Gluten-Free Porridge

I recommend always opting for gluten-free porridge oats. Oats can be cross-contaminated with gluten from the sites that they’re being processed at and only oats that especially state that they are gluten-free can claim to be free of this cross-contamination. I myself do not consume any gluten at all, as I believe gluten is a very triggering substance for most human beings today. I also have very sensitive digestion and food allergies and after swapping my standard porridge oats for gluten-free porridge oats, I realised that I could suddenly handle oats well, whereas this wasn’t the case before.

However in the rare case that you do not tolerate oats well, even when they’re gluten-free, try and opt for millet instead. You can simply cook the recipe below and use millet instead of oats. Or if you don’t tolerate millet either, chose a breakfast grain that you know you do tolerate well, as long as you make sure that it’s gluten free. For more info on gluten and other triggering foods read on here.

Feeling Vata: You can play around with other fruits for this porridge if you like, Vata does well on most sweet fruits. If you want to add dried fruits ensure you soak these overnight. For very ‘dry’ Vatas it can be a good idea to add a little linseed oil on top of your porridge when serving (not during cooking).

Feeling Pitta: Ensure the bananas are very ripe and sweet, if not you can replace the banana with sweet pears instead. Generally avoid any sour fruits. If worried about your Pitta being too high opt for half a teaspoon of turmeric or leave out completly.

Feeling Kapha: Oats are usually too heavy and can make a Kapha feel sluggish and tired. Replace the oats in this recipe with millet, buckwheat flakes or quinoa (amaranth can also be ok in moderation). You can replace the banana with pears.

Healing Recipe

Simple Apple & Banana Turmeric Porridge

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Simple Apple & Banana Turmeric Porridge

A warm porridge in the morning can be a very healing and warming food, especially for people with food sensitivities. Porridge has become a staple in my breakfast repertoire and since consuming it regularly in the mornings, with a teaspoon of added linseeds, it has really improved my digestive issues. It sets me up nicely for the day, especially in autumn and winter times: it gives you this super-nice; cosy and warm feeling in your belly. Especially for Vata types what's not to like! This porridge is also flavoured with yummy cinnamon. Cinnamon is well torleated by all three doashas, stabilizes blood sugar, reduces blood pressure and its prebiotic properties may improve gut health

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Course Breakfast

Servings 1

Ingredients

1 medium banana chopped
1 medium apple diced
5 tbsp porridge oats gluten-free and soaked overnight
1 tsp brown or golden linseeds (skip if doing a cleanse) soaked overnight
1 tsp turmeric powder, ground
1/2 tsp cinnamom optional

Instructions

Add the porridge oats and the linseeds (if using) to a heavy bottom sauce-pan and cover in water (just enough water to have everything just about covered)
Start cooking on medium heat, stirring frequently.
Add the chopped apple and banana.
Add the turmeric and the cinnamon (if using).
Add a pinch of salt and keep cooking for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring frequently, and until the apples are well cooked through.
Cook until you have reached a nice, creamy consistency. Add a bit more water at the time if the mix starts getting to dry and sticks to the bottom.
Take off the heat and serve.

Notes

You can sprinkle with some cinnamon and add maple or date syrup when serving to sweeten it up a bit. If not on a cleanse you can also sprinkle with nuts or seeds or try roasted coconut chips.

Keyword apple, banana, porridge, turmeric

Contact Me

mail@sarahjayhealing.com

Vegan Borscht: Anti-Inflammatory & Liver Protecting

Leave a comment December 6, 2021 jayjagger

Vegan Borscht

This modern, vegan version of a traditional classic borscht is super flavourful, warming and brimming with anti-inflammatory properties.

What is Borscht?

Borscht! Borscht! Borscht! What’s not to like about this so very flavourful, earthy and deeply fullfilling spectactle of a soup? Traditionally made with beetroot, potatoes and some form of beef stock, borscht is a classic kitchen recipe associated with the cuisine of eastern and central Europe (especially Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine). Here we will cook a delicious vegan version of this all-time hearty favourite.

What is beetroot food for?

Beetroot is good for the liver:

They contain antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin B-6, and iron. These compounds help protect the liver from inflammation and oxidative stress while enhancing its ability to remove toxins from the body. Beets’ juice has traditionally been used as a remedy to activate liver enzymes and to increase bile, which helps the liver’s detox function. They are also high in compounds that have been shown to reduce inflammation, protect against oxidative stress and reduce the risk of liver damage.

Beets can reduce inflammation:

Their juice contains anti-inflammatory compounds called betalains. Many studies have shown that betalains help modulate inflammatory reactions, especially in inflammatory diseases. Beetroots therefor make a great choice for people with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia.

Beetroots can help reduce blood pressure:

Beets naturally contain large quantities of nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide. This compound dilates the blood vessels, which improves blood flow and lowers overall blood pressure.

Beets can help prevent anemia:

Beetroots are also rich in iron, an essential component of red blood cells. Without iron, red blood cells cannot transport oxygen around the body. People who have low iron levels can sometimes develop a condition called iron deficiency anemia. Adding sources of iron to the diet can reduce the risk of this condition.

Feeling Vata: This soup is great for you. Packed full of root vegetables to ground lofty Vata especially during winter times or whenever you feel a little out of sorts. Cabbage can be ok for Vata if cooked and not eaten too often, however if you know that cabbage gets you really gassy, then you can leave out the cabbage and cook the soup without it.

Feeling Pitta: Beetroots pacify pitta so this is a very good soup for you. If you’re feeling very Pitta leave out the garlic. Ensure you use the white and not the red onion as red onions can aggravate pitta.

Feeling Kapha: As this soup is full of root vegetables which can aggravate an already heavy Kapha, this is not the best soup for you to enjoy when your Kapha is high. A healing mung bean soup is much more pacifying for your dosha and easier for you to digest, leaving you feeling less heavy. However if you do want to enjoy a bit of beetroot goodness, than use much less of the beetroots and carrots and use more of the cabbage (can also be substituted with white cabbage). Use very little or no salt but you can add more black pepper and more of the lemon juice.

Healing Recipe

Liver Protecting & Anti-Inflammatory Beetroot Borscht

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Liver Protecting & Anti-Inflammatory Beetroot Borscht

Borscht! Borscht! Borscht! What’s not to like about this so very flavourful, earthy and deeply fullfilling spectactle of a soup? Traditionally made with beetroot, potatoes and some form of beef stock, borscht is a classic kitchen recipe associated with the cuisine of eastern and central Europe, especially Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine. Here we will cook a delicious vegan version of this all-time hearty favourite, that’s also very good for your health!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves chopped finely
1 medium white or red onion
6 beetroots, diced cooked (I use the pre-cooked ones from the supermarket)
1 small piece of celeriac diced
2 celery stalks chopped
4 large potatoes diced
700 gr red cabbage sliced into fine strips
1 tsp black caraway ground in pestle and mortar
4 carrots sliced
2 bayleaves
2 tbsp parsley chopped
4 tbsp tomato paste
1,25 liter vegetable broth without added fats or additives, and no added yeast or MSG or natural flavourings
salt to taste
pepper to taste
juice of ½ a lemon

Instructions

Fry the onion and the garlic in the oil on low to medium heat for a few minutes until softened.
Add the diced potatoes and fry lightly along with the onion and garlic mix for a few minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the celery stalks, the beetroot and the celeriac. I always add the juice from the pack of the cooked beetroot (if using raw beetroot cook these first for 30 – 40 min and then add to this mix). Keep cooking on medium heat and stir frequently for around five minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
Add the cabbage and the black caraway.
Add the remaining vegetables, bay leaves, the tomato paste and salt and pepper.
Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through. Stir several times. Season to taste with salt (but try and go easy with it as this is a healing soup. Try and avoid the salt altogether if you can).
After 20 mins have passed, try the soup to see if all the vegetables are cooked through and tender. If so, take the soup off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Now you are ready to serve and eat your soup! Voila!

Contact Me

mail@sarahjayhealing.com

Turmeric – A Golden Ray Of Sunshine Goodness

Leave a comment September 21, 2020 jayjagger

‘Turmeric’, ‘Curcuma’, ‘Kurkuma’, ‘the golden spice’, ‘the yellow gold’ and ‘golden goddess’ to name but few. This super spice has many names, and just as many, if not more, excuberant healing powers.

Mainly used in Indian cuisine, hailed for its flavour in traditional currys, soups and stews, and due to its amazing deep yellow tone for its great colouring abilities (careful of those food stains); turmeric is but not just a simple spice. Turmeric is a POWERHOUSE, a power-plant with amazing healing and anti-inflammatory abilities, and is one of the most powerful herbs on the planet today to help us humans shield from inflammation, prevent disease, and to keep our bodies strong and healthy.

Curcuma Longa’ which is the Latin name for turmeric, comes from the Arabic name for the plant, ‘Kurkum’ and is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberacea), which includes ginger and galangal.

Turmeric is actually a beautiful tall growing green and flowering plant. The part that is used in cooking as a spice and for supplementation in natural medicine are the fingerlike stalks (Rhizome) that grow beneath
the earth’s surface. Looking similar to the ginger root, when you cut open a turmeric root, you’ll see its blooming yellow, almost orange colour coming out.

If you haven’t cooked with turmeric yet, you might have come across turmeric through the ‘Turmeric (‘Curcuma’) Latte’ trend that has kind of exploded over the past 2 years. Also referred to as ‘Golden Milk‘, plant or animal milk is heatet and then mixed with turmeric powder, honey and other spices such as cardamom and black pepper. Apart from its nourishing and calming taste, a ‘Turmeric Latte’ doesn’t only just taste good, it has many healing benefits for you and your body.

Turmeric has been used as a plant medicine and a healing herb in traditional philosophies such as Ayuveda for over more than 3000 years. Ancient scripts that were written thousand of years ago already talk about the healing power of the golden goddess:

‘Jvaraghna’: relieves fever.
‘Viṣaghna’: destroys toxins and poisons.
‘Kusthagna’: eliminates skin diseases
‘Kaṇḍughna’: anti-itching
‘Vedanāsthāpana’: soothes pain
‘Raktasodhana’: blood purifying
‘Prameha’: helps with diabetes
‘Sirovirecana’: eliminates congestion in the head area
and many, many more…

Today modern science has proven turmeric effective through countless studies,
and can confirm what ancient traditions already knew to be the truth for centuries:

Turmeric has proven very effective in treating some of the most intense illnesses that we experience in the world today such as: Cancer, Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Atherosclerosis, Indigestion, Inflammation, Acne, Urinary Tract Infections, Kidney Infections, Gallstones, Anemia, Hemorrhoids, Liver Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Hepatitis-C, Genital Herpes) , Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Edema, Bronchitis, Common Cold, Headaches, parasites, diarrhea, poor circulation, lower back and abdominal pain. It can also be used as wound healer, and it helps balance the female reproductive system. In men it purifies and improves the health of semen.

The reason for turmeric being able to treat so many different diseases lies in its incredible anti-inflammatory capacity:
Anti-inflammatory means in a very literal sense, for example, to reduce swelling. Say you have been in an accident and sprained your ankle. Chances are high that you’ll experience a swelling of some sort, maybe some redness, tender pain on touching and a warm sensation in the area of the injury. This is simply a natural reaction of your body to induce healing: a natural state of inflammation to induce a healing response. Inflammation can also occur on the insides of our bodies, where we can’t see it, and more often than not, don’t even feel it.

Imagine little tiny construction sites that you’re body is working on constantly at all times to keep you healthy. This is totally normal and happens all the time without us noticing. Inflammation is really a natural process in which enzymes, prostaglandines and other inflammatory proteins (Cox-2, NF-kB, Lox-5, to name but a few) up and down regulate inflammation as part of the inflammatory response pathway. Modern day living however, mainly trough oxidative stress, can cause the inflammation response to ‘get out of control’:

When inflammation becomes a problem:
Our bodies are bombarded constantly with environmental poisons, toxic foods, stress and so forth: too many coffees, pesticides, rushing to work, an argument with the boss, drinking alcohol at night. Holding tension day in and day out, without giving our body the rest it deserves. And suddenly we find ourselves in a downward spiral of uncontrollable digestive issues, auto-immune-diseases or cancer. Scientists now believe that chronic, low-level inflammation plays a major role in almost every chronic, western disease. We have come under so much stress that the standard inflammation pathway can literally not regulate itself anymore efficiently.

Turmeric is hailed as one of the best natural anti-inflammatories in the world today:
Countless studies have shown that turmeric helps to immensily improve the inflammation responses in our bodies, helping us heal quicker from illness and improving the time-span from when inflammation first occurs to its natural conclusion. Thus swellings reduce faster, wounds heal quicker and infections can ease off sooner.

The active compounds in turmeric, one of them being called curcumin, are strongly anti-inflammatory.
In fact, they’re so powerful that it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs, without the side effects. It blocks NF-kB, a molecule that travels into the nuclei of your cells and turns on genes related to inflammation. NF-kB is believed to play a major role in many chronic diseases.

Furthermore, turmeric and its active compounds dramatically increase the anti-oxidant capacity of the cells in our bodies:
Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure. It has also been shown to increase the production of Nrf2, a multi-organ protector that helps our bodies fight ROS (reactive oxygen species). Thus curcumin boosts the activity of your body’s own antioxidant enzymes.

In summary, turmeric and its compounds such as curcumin, have powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant capacities. With oxidative stress and chronic inflammation being the major causes for modern day health problems, turmeric can be instrumental in helping to fight aging and in preventing degenerative disease.

Read Next:
Turmeric’s therapeutic effects:
standard spice vs. turmeric supplementation

Recipes Featuring Turmeric:

References:

Curcumin upregulates the Nrf2 system by repressing inflammatory signaling-mediated Keap1 expression in insulin-resistant conditions.

Role of Nrf2 in Oxidative Stress and Toxicity

Curcumin Activates the Nrf2 Pathway and Induces Cellular Protection Against Oxidative Injury.

Anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, a major constituent of Curcuma longa: a review of preclinical and clinical research

Liver Cleansing Cabbage & Celery Soup

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Yield: 1 Large Pot of Soup

Liver Cleansing Cabbage & Celery Soup

Liver cleansing, gut healing, immune boosting and anti-bacterial! What's not to like! Get stuck into this marvellous yummy soup. Eat it anytime of the year when you feel you want to eat something nourishing that also gives your body that extra 'oompf' to cleanse and heal.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
half a teaspoon of turmeric
1 tsp aniseeds
3 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp sesame oil (leave out if doing a cleanse, or onl consumer in evening)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
half head of one medium sized cabbage, thinly sliced
1/3 of a fresh fennel bulb, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 litre of vegetable stock (ensure you're stock powder doesn't contain any extra added fats such as rapeseed, palm oil or sunflower, or flavourings or things like maltodextrin - stay away!)
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp cocos aminos

Instructions

Grind the fennel seeds and aniseeds with a pestle and mortar.
Heat the sesame oil in a large stock pot (of on cleanse leave out the oil, or onl use if this is your evening meal. Simply add a bit of water to the bottom of the pan instead.)
Add the fresh ginger, garlic and turmeric. Mix well with the oil (or water if on a cleanse) and heat on low for 3-4 minutes.
Add the fennel and aniseeds, mix well with the ginger and garlic mix, and keep heating on low until the seeds become fragant (about 4 - 5 minutes).
Add the cabbage, celery, fresh fennel and salt and mix in well with the spice and garlic mixture. Saute for 5 minutes, until veggies start to soften, stirring often.
Add broth, cocos aminos and chicken to the pot and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until veggies are cooked to your liking (I simmer usually for 20-30 min).
Give it a taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve! Voila!

Gut Healing Turmeric & Mushroom Curry Soup

Leave a comment April 27, 2020 jayjagger

Get stuck into a bowl of bubbling, warming, yellow-goodness
and enjoy the healing powers of turmeric, ginger and shitake mushrooms.

This healthy but yet tasty yummy broth will help your body fight bacteria and inflammation, boost your immune system,
and to keep those pesky bugs at bay (always good in a corona crisis!).

Weekly Recipe

Gut Healing Turmeric and Mushroom Curry Soup

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Yield: One Large Pot of Broth

Gut Healing Turmeric & Mushroom Curry Soup

Inflammation calming, immune-boosting, gut healing yellow turmeric curry soup.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 tsp sesame oil (leave out if on a cleanse, or if this is your evening meal, leave in).
half a shallot, chopped finely
1 tsp anisseed
1 tablespoon thai yellow curry paste (try and find a curry paste without added fats, maltodextrin, natural or unnatural flavourings, etc.)
1 thumb size knob of fresh turmeric, sliced finely. If you haven't got fresh, use 2 tsp ground turmeric
1 thumb-size knob fresh ginger, minced
1 garlic clove
1 tsp fennel seeds, grind small in a pestle and mortar
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 bok choi, chopped
1 zuchini, chopped
200g shitake mushrooms, fresh or dried (important if dried: soak at least for 5 hours beforehand. If you can't get hold of shitake, brown button mushrooms work as a replacement)
toasted sesame seeds to garnish
1.5 liter vegetable stock
6 tbsp cocos aminos or lupin sauce, or both, depends how strong you like your flavouring.
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lime (if you haven't got limes lemon juice works ok as well)
handful of fresh coriander, chopped
gluten free brown rice noodles, cooked to your liking
toasted sesame seeds or toasted nuts of your choice to garnish (leave out nuts and seeds if on a cleanse)
spinach or other leaves to garnish

Instructions

Grab a large stock pot, and add about 3 tablespoons of water to the bottom.
Add the sesame oil and place cooker on a low heat (skip this step if on a cleanse).
Add the chopped shallot, minced ginger and chopped garlic. Mix well with the oil and the water. Add the yellow curry paste. Keep heat on a low setting and cook for 5-10 minutes, until onion is translucent and onion and garlic flavourful.
Add the anisseeds, turmeric, thyme and fennel and mix in well. Up cooker to a medium heat and cook for another 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Add the sliced celery and zuchini, stirr in well with the onion spice mixture and cook on medium heat for a few minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms and cocos aminos. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the sliced bok choi, the lime juice and half of the coriander and cook for another 5 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Depending on what you used (cocos aminos, lupin sauce, or both), taste the broth and add more of what you feel is needed. I usually can't get enough of the cocos amino taste so I always add a bit more of that at the end.
Serve the soup over gluten free brown rice noodles (or any other asian style noodles of your chosing), sprinkle with the rest of the coriander and top with sesame seeds, nuts or chilli flakes.
Enjoy!

Cleansing and Calming Cardamom

Leave a comment April 18, 2020 jayjagger

Have you ever tried this wonderful green powder, referred to in Ayurveda as ‘the queen of spices‘?
Well if you already have, thumbs up, and if you haven’t read on about the amazing health benefits of cardamom, and hopefully it’ll inspire you to buy some next time you walk past your spice isle.

I dare you adding a teaspoon of yummy cardamom into your morning coffee (I recommend adding a bit of cinnamom too)!
Or try it on sweet stewed fruit (apples, pears, bananas), in baking (cardamom cookie recipe here), or in savoury dishes such as curries.

There are actually two types of cardamom: the one most commonly known and used here in the West are the green pods, but there’s also black cardamom.

Green and black cardamom are actually from the same plant family. Green cardamom is harvested before it reaches maturity and the pods are often used whole. Black cardamom is dried for longer and the seeds are extracted.

Green cardamom is more often used to flavour sweet dishes and black cardamom is used for a more pungent flavour in savoury dishes.

Although used in the West, cardamom is mainly used in India & Middle Eastern cusines in desserts, tea and coffee for its sweet flavour. People from India often chew on the pods after a meal for its breath freshening properties!

Healing Benefits of Cardamom

Cardamom can clear toxin built up (called Ama in Ayurveda) from the body:
Toxins can block internal circulation and reduce energy levels, which can cause illness and disease. Cardamom’s warming and detoxifying effects aid in reducing the accumulation of these toxins, and guide them gently out of the body. This is called a diuretic effect (helps the body elimate waste through the kidneys).
Cardamom has a very high antioxidant capacity:
studies have shown that cardamom protects cells from free radical damage that can cause inflammation & premature aging.
Supports respiratory health:
Cardamom can soothe coughs and colds by lubricating the respiratory pathways (drink that warming chai tea when you have a cold!)
Aids digestion. Reduces indigestion, gas and bloating:
Many studies have shown its great benefits in reducing stomach ulcers by stimulating the secretion of digestive enzymes. Great to drink in a tea (or chew on the seeds) after a meal. It makes heavy and acidic foods much easier to digest. In middle eastern societies coffee is often brewed with some cardamom to offset the negative effects of the acidic coffee (and increases flavours).Try it out! Cardamom also supports healthy cholesterol & tryglyceride levels as well as helping the body to burn fat more effectively.
Antibacterial & antimicrobial:
The essential oils found in cardamom have shown to support good oral health. They fight bad breath and aid in healing mouth ulcers. Furthermore studies have shown that cardamom extracts are very effective against bacterial infections such as strepptococus mutans and candida albicans (a common yeast infection that can cause numerous digestive issues and leaky gut).
Supports kidney & bladder health:
Due to its diuretic effect, cardamom supports cleansing toxins from the urinary tract, kidneys and bladder.
Supports healthy blood glucose levels:
Cardamom is a rich source of manganese, which can play a role in managing blood sugar levels.
Gives a good night sleep:
having trouble sleeping? Try adding half a teaspoon of cardamom to a mug of warm plant milk and maybe some honey before bed-time. Warm milk with cardamom has been shown to support a more restful night sleep.
Cancer fighting compounds:
Many studies have shown that cardamom can increase the activity of enzymes that help to fight certain cancers. Furthermore, it has been found that the body’s natural ability to attack tumours was increased. An interesting study: Researchers exposed 2 groups of mice to a compound that causes skin cancer and fed one group a diet that also consisted of 500mg cardamom per day. 29% of the cardamom group and a whopping 90% of the control group (no cardamom) developed skin cancer!
Anti-inflammatory:
High in antioxidants, cardamom protects cells from damage & stops inflammation from occuring.
Anti-anxiety:
the calming effects of cardamom still haven’t been officially studied, but many ancient traditions such as Ayurvda swear that cardamom has very calmig effects on the nervous system and can therefor be a great healing addition for someone who suffers from depression.

Cooking with cardamom:
Ground cardamom is probably the most used and sugested in recipes: add powdered cardamom directly to recipes that call for cardamom. However, to really get the most cardamom flavour, your best off using cardamom pods.

Simply get some cardamom pods (as in the picture above), and simply open the pods with a small sharp knife and remove the small black seeds.

You can then grind the seeds in a pestle and mortar for best results, or you can use a motorized spice grinder (a coffee grinder works really well).

Hot tipp: toast the green cardamom pods over a dry killet for a few minutes to bring out the flavour, then remove the seeds after.

If adding cardamom seeds to your coffee or other hot drinks, simply grind three to four cardamom seeds and add to a drink of your choice. Alternatively, simply use ground cardamom, between 1/4 tsp and up to a full teaspoon (adjust to your taste!)

Notes:

In Ayurveda, herbs and spices are classified by their qualities, tastes and actions that they have on the body and the mind.

Dosha:

Tri-doshic. Balances Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Although cardamom is considered tri-doshic (balancing for all 3 doshas) , those with a Pitta imbalance should use it slightly more sparingly as it can also be heating in quality
(i.e. warms up the body which can be too much for a very strong Pitta person).

Taste:

Pungent.

Quality:

Mobile, light, clear, dry, warming.