Christmas is the time to get all the spices out and use it. The spices not only help to rekindle the memories associated with the season, but it also helps to rejuvenate you.
Our forefathers were not wrong. They knew that these warm spices would protect the body against the cold of the harsh winter.
It is not just winter alone. Anyone who is familiar with Ayurveda would also have heard of the Tridoshas - vata, pitta and kapha.
Everybody has these three and even a slight imbalance would cause illness.
For example, take me for instance. I am a vata personality. It can be easily recognized. Anything that induces cold is really bad for me. If I eat eggplant, I end up with muscle pulls in my legs and I won't be able to sleep and it would last for days. Same for some fruits and fennel seeds and the like.
So, a combination of the spices can help mitigate the tridoshas. If I include ginger in a curry and add turmeric, it would help me get over the vata dosha.
The above was an example to show how it is and is not all-inclusive. Some of my cousins are the kapha personality and if they so much as go near butter or ghee, they become obese and also are susceptible to phlegm.
When the 
Now for the content of the post, I am to write for this and it is about turmeric and cinnamon and cardamom.
(Turmeric spread out to dry)
Organic turmeric is best when used for cooking and skincare purposes. Store-bought turmeric could have been mixed with color and we can never be sure. If you cannot grow it, try to buy dried turmeric whole and powder it.
Below are pictures where I used the powdered turmeric in curries.
The above is curry of the little gourd which I sliced and cooked with salt, turmeric, and water after seasoning mustard seeds in coconut oil. When the vegetable is cooked and the water is completely absorbed, stir fry it and serve in a bowl.
I am not putting up the recipe because it is not a recipe post and I just wanted to show that turmeric is used in preparing curries.
Why is turmeric used?
It is an anti-inflammatory and antibiotic that is used by people all over the world. I am not a medic or a nutritionist. So, I cannot cite references nor am I an authority but I do know that it is very effective against many fatal diseases.
As for cardamom, I use it in preparing sweets; to add flavor and taste to sweets made by adding jaggery. I also add it to chai tea because it is really very refreshing.
I sometimes add powdered cinnamon to chai because it helps lower blood sugar. I am not sure if there are others who do it too. Please do second it if you do it because it would certainly help me.
Anyways, turmeric is really good for the skin also. Taking an oil bath by mixing the oil with turmeric is good for the skin and will help remove unwanted hair and wrinkles and dry skin conditions.
images - sayee
I hope the reader will consider writing an entry post for this challenge.
