By You might think I’m mad, but I swear by the power of pepper
I’m not going to take full credit for this discovery, as my naturopath made the recommendation. For a very long time, I suffered from stomach cramps, bloating, water retention and, of course, constipation. I thought I had Crohn’s disease or some other debilitating digestion manifestation. Through lots of twists and turns trying to work out the cause of my suffering, I met a colonic irrigation specialist, who is a naturopath and nutritionist all in one.
She immediately told me to go on a strict Ayurvedic diet. To take the first step forward, I was to eliminate all cold foods and focus on warming my body through drinking hot or room temperature liquids & using the magic ingredient — Pepper! The role of this fat burning ingredient — cayenne pepper or pepper itself, is its ability to increase internal heat in the body (through Ayurvedic principles from India).
I always thought of pepper as the byproduct of salt — it always took second priority in my cooking. Now it’s become my number one ingredient.
But pepper has more medicinal qualities than we give it credit for. Pepper has been known to treat respiratory diseases as well as conditions related to the intestinal flora. In addition, pepper features cleansing and antioxidant properties and enhances bio-availability. As a result, it helps the body absorb and circulate needed nutrients. Pepper can also help promote free-flowing oxygen to the brain, supporting digestion, circulation and stimulating the appetite. The journal of current cardiology reviews mentions that pepper has an impressive antioxidant and antibacterial effect that may help with digestion and weight loss because it stimulates the breakdown of fat cells. Now, this is all amazing, but honestly, the best benefit was the profound effect it had on helping my digestion and giving me some regularity with good old number two. But, of course, this is not the only ingredient that helped me; hot water on an empty stomach was a marvellous addition to this whole picture. The superpower benefit was the weight loss that came with this. As a result of adding pepper to all of my foods and drinking hot water with lemon and ginger, I can say I finally found the secret sauce for gut healing, eliminating bloating and experiencing some quality life.
Here is how I add cayenne pepper to my meals:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup oats soaked with almond milk, cinnamon, protein powder, cardamon, cayenne, pepper, turmeric topped with keto granola & honey. Then after 30 minutes: Frozen Berry, ginger, chlorophyll, cayenne pepper, frozen banana, protein powder, spinach water — blended in my vita-mix. It’s my antioxidant crushing post breakfast, digestion boosting smoothie. Lunch: Lunch always consists of a hefty serving of veggies marinated in numeric, garlic, red onions, pumpkin, cauliflower, fennel or whatever other veggies I have are in season. I then might add some protein — either organic eggs, chicken or some form of seafood. I don’t eat red meat or pork. I don’t usually have raw veggies because they tend to cause many digestive problems for me. Instead, I like to mix them with warm foods. Dinner: I skip dinner and fast my way to the morning. That’s another part of my lifestyle plan that helps with digestion, muscle building and weight maintenance. You, too, can add pepper into all of your meals — and yes, that includes breakfast! I found it strange at first, but now I count it as a critical ingredient to all of my foods.
Here are some more ideas for you:
- Scrambled eggs
- Cappuccino or latte (don’t knock it until you try it)
- Green smoothies to cut out the cold
- Veggies and meats when you marinate them
- Soups, rice and mashed potato
- Smashed avocado on sourdough
- Ice cream — it’s not so cold for your stomach!
Some of these may sound a little way off, but you will be surprised at how nice they do taste, especially adding pepper to your ice cream. I want to say that copious amounts of pepper won’t solve weight loss challenges. That also has a lot to do with your diet, exercise and lifestyle. I eat well, fast every single day, weight train and power walk. I’m very active, and I choose to be that way. The more energy I expend, the more point I create. I found that pepper was a byproduct of all my work trying to heal my digestion. It’s by no means the bandaid solution — but as I always say, it’s the little things you do consistently that make a difference to your goals long term. It’s been about four months now, and it can only get better moving towards the future. Tell me about your experience with pepper or if you would like to try using it in all of your foods. I would recommend buying an organic alternative that’s free of pesticides and additives. This is good if you can’t find an alternative in your own grocery store here.
One of the brands I purchase from regularly — Image use courtesy from Google (Amazon)