coconut milk

Does anyone know if coconut milk soothes gastric problems. I have Crohns Disease (or that is what the doctor calls it). I had an episode last week and it cleared up when I had a coconut curry. I have noticed that since I havent been eating that many curries my stomach has played up. Could this be a coincidence or something I have to include in my diet

I would listen to my body. If curries it craves, curries it gets. Mind you, I make them without coconut milk as I tend to put on weight just by looking at the stuff. I also find it too rich. I do like the taste of it, though.

So, I can't help you with the coconut milk question. Sorry. Do all your curries contain it? If so, a combination of spices and coconut might be just what your body needs. Disclaimer: I am not qualified to comment on anything related to health, etc. This is just my personal opinion and experience.

We usually have curry once a week, if not more often. Beef, chicken, vegetables, eggs, chickpeas, etc. Either with basmati rice or naan.

Tonight's curry is an old favourite. Potato, egg, peas (no peas here, but might just chop in some spinach or something totally different from the garden). Probably with some basmati rice and raita.

Helen, in Ayurveda the coconut is revered as one of the 'divine' fruits. Using coconut in a curry is great because it acts as a 'carrier' for the spices. It is recommended for the relief of Crohn's Disease so your instinct is correct. Coconut sooths, and is considered 'cooling and heavy' so not compatible with Kapha dosha types (which I don;t think you are) as it can raise cholesterol so use the milk, not the cream, if you are using canned coconut. Otherwise make your own by grating fresh coconut and soaking it then draining off the milk. The purists in Vedic traditional medicine say it should not be cooked, but I think when its combined with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, cumin, coriander, and turmeric, coconut heals the digestive system and promotes better metabolism. You'll notice the spices I've mentioned are all in the 'pungent' range, Crohn's disease is inflammation and you need cooling and 'soft' spices. Apropos of the other thread on turmeric, the more of this you can put into your curries the better from a soothing point of view. Experiment with your spice combinations and by all means use coconut, but in moderate amounts and if you can get fresh ones, use the liquid as a drink. Bananas are also good for you! I see a tropical thing with an umbrella in it!

Thanks Mad Gnome and Blossom.

Blossom I'm not too sure which Ayurvedic type I am. I need to look into this further. Thanks again for the Ayurvedic information.

Does powdered tumeric have the same calming effect as the fresh root? I sometimes cant get the tumeric root.

Helen

I use powdered - get it from the Spice Shop. I'll look for some links to questionnaires to determine your dosha - I have one somewhere that I had to devise for my course. Getr back to you. It works!

Blossom wrote:so use the milk, not the cream, if you are using canned coconut.

What is the difference between coconut milk and coconut cream? They seem to me much the same to me.

The milk is thinner, less fat. The cream is yummy mind you!