This Spiced Sweet Potato Soup is on regular rotation in my house this winter. Its velvety, rich flavor comes from the combination of sweet potatoes, peanut butter and coconut milk. Lately, I’ve noticed a little less “spring” in my ability to shift between sitting and standing. My knees creak a bit more when I go up the stairs. Perhaps, this is also called “aging?”

Health Span Versus Life Span

Chronologically, I know I’m going to age. But, biologically…I’m not going down with a fight. My everyday choices dictate my “healthspan.” (the period of one’s life where we’re healthy) And, I care more about healthspan than lifespan. We all know that diet, exercise and sleep play a role, but, are you regularly eating your anti-inflammatory spices? If not, you’ll want to try my anti-inflammatory Spiced Sweet Potato Soup. One, it tastes a heck of a lot better than Ibuprofen, and two, to comes with fewer side effects.

Anti-Inflammatory Diets

Lately, I’ve been noticing some aches and pains. While I’d like to blame it on my training, if I’m being honest with myself, it’s probably related to aging. And by aging, I mean inflammation. Anti-inflammatory diets are quite the buzz. And, for good reason. Most diseases such as heart disease, alzheimer’s and arthritis are in response to inflammation. Beyond delicious flavor, this soup is armed with anti-inflammatory spices including: curry, ginger, turmeric and cumin powder.

Anti-Inflammatory Spices

How do these spices help with inflammation and arthritis? Anti-inflammatory foods reduce pro-inflammatory proteins called cytokines. When our body produces an over-abundance of these proteins, it can lead to chronic inflammation leading to joint pain, swelling and tenderness. Spices such as curry, ginger, turmeric, and cumin may reduce cytokines due to their antioxidant capacity.

Turmeric:

Turmeric is one of the more well-studied spices for its anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s one of the spices found in curry and contains an arthritis-fighting compound called curcumin. Turmeric’s absorption is enhanced when combined with other spices such as black pepper.

Ginger:

Polyphenols found in prevent the formation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. You can use fresh or dried ginger in this recipe.

So, ladle up our Spiced Sweet Potato Soup and slow down biological aging even if chronological aging won’t stop.