Over the past year, my passion for cooking and preparing (and eating) healthy food has literally exploded. And with that explosion, I've also become a bit of a connoisseur of seasonings - especially the ones that make my already healthy dishes not just taste great, but even healthier!
Some seasonings are just for flavor, but most of them have some added healing or health related benefit. Today I'm going to talk about my four favorites - and they're favorites, not just because they taste amazing, but also because of what they do for my body.
First on the list, today, is actually my latest "daily addiction" -
Ginger. I've been using ginger in my refrigerator oats, but since I only eat carbs like that once in a great while, I started looking for another way to incorporate it into my daily regimen. At first it was an experiment, but it's become an addiction - I LOVE GINGER in my Cafe Latte
Shakeology! It adds a little zing, and a lot of benefits.
So what's so good for you about ginger? What's not!!
- Ginger reduces pain and inflammation, making it valuable in managing arthritis, headaches, and menstrual cramps. (yup, I'm sold already!)
But - in case you need more than just that...
- It has a warming effect and stimulates circulation.It inhibits rhinovirus, which can cause the common cold.
- It inhibits such bacteria as Salmonella, which cause diarrhea, and protozoa, such as Trichomonas.
- In the intestinal tract, it reduces gas and painful spasms.
- It may prevent stomach ulcers caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
- Ginger may drastically lower blood sugars and improve heart disease risk factors.
- Ginger may lower cholesterol levels
- Ginger contains a substance that may help prevent cancer.
- Ginger may improve brain function and protect against Alzheimer's disease.
Obviously, fresh grated ginger is going to be more effective than ground ginger in a jar, but - - even that can help to some degree.
Number two on my list today, is actually my number one favorite health seasoning. I am madly in love with
Turmeric (which happens to be a member of the ginger family). Yup, another weird looking root. So besides turning things yellow, why Turmeric? It started with the anti-inflammatory benefits. I have arthritis in my feet and I have been looking for ways to make walking less uncomfortable, without taking all sorts of drugs, or having surgery. So along with eliminating certain foods from my diet (want to know what?
email me!), I also started adding turmeric - especially to foods like sweet potatoes, chicken, and eggs.
- Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
- Turmeric dramatically increases the antioxidant capacity of the body.
- Curcumin, that main active ingredient we talked about above, boosts brain function and lowers the risk of brain diseases.
- Curcumin leads to various improvements that should lower your risk of heart disease
- Turmeric can help prevent (and perhaps even treat) cancer!
- Curcumin may be useful in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease.
- Arthritis patients respond very well to curcumin supplementation
- Studies show that curcumin has incredible benefits against depression
It's pretty difficult to get enough curcumin out of just the turmeric you're seasoning your food with, so I take a capsule every day to make sure I'm receiving all the healthy benefits it provides. If you're looking for a great source for healthy supplements, and other natural products, at a discount,
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Third on the list, Cayenne Pepper, contains capsaicin, the substance that gives cayenne its spicy taste, but it's also the active ingredient in many over the counter treatments for arthritis and muscle pain.
You can use ground cayenne pepper mixed with olive oil, topically (unbroken skin ONLY), at the site of painful joints, several times a day to, over time, alleviate the pain. At first it will cause a mild burning sensation, but after a week or so, you will become desensitized to that, while the pain relieving benefits will continue on.
As a seasoning on your food (ingested), cayenne pepper has other great benefits as well.
- Boosts metabolism and reduces appetite!!!!!! (shout out to all the dieters). Just a half teaspoon along with a meal can help suppress appetite and burn calories. Besides, it tastes great on so many things.
- Capsaicin is a powerful decongestant. It stimulates the release of mucus from respiratory passages and opens up your airways - so it's a great way to unclog a stuffy nose.
- Cayenne pepper can reduce blood sugar levels. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people with diabetes who ate a meal containing liberal amounts of chile pepper required less insulin to reduce their blood sugar afterward, suggesting the spice could have anti-diabetes benefits.
- Cayenne pepper boosts circulation and lowers blood pressure. Because cayenne improves blood flow, it is also helpful in conjunction with other medications or supplements if you have circulation issues. Research in the U.S. National Library of Medicine also shows that capsaicin helps lower blood pressure.
Black pepper - last on my list today - is probably the most common, and most versatile of my favorite seasonings with healthy benefits. So what can it do for you?
- Black pepper increases nutrient absorption. The piperine in black pepper enhances the bioavailability of various nutrients - and specifically, increases the bioavailability of curcumin (see turmeric, above) twenetyfold!
- Black pepper improves digestion. It stimulates the taste buds and increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which aids digestion.
- Black pepper can help you lose weight. The outer layer of the peppercorns contain phytonutrients that encourage the breakdown of fat cells, and suppress fat accumulation in the body. And since it improves digestion, it can help you burn calories. Black pepper is also a diuretic, so it can help flush toxins and excess water from the body.
- Black pepper relieves stomach gas and also helps prevent gas formation.
- Black pepper can help clear congestion as it helps loosen phlegm. It also has antimicrobial properties.
- The piperine in Black pepper can help treat arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. It also improves circulation which can help with reducing joint pain as well.
- Black pepper can fight cancer and prevent other diseases, through its antioxidant qualities - specifically colon and breast cancer. It also protects against high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Piperine in black pepper, increases seratonin production, which helps regulate the mood and can act as an antidepressant. It also increases beta-endorphins in the brain, and promotes mental clarity.
So, there you have it - my four favorite spices and the reasons why I love them. It's kind of like Frank's Red Hot Sauce - I put that sh!t on everything!
