Let’s Talk Spices
Did you know that most cultures that are linked to strong and long-lasting health have used spices and herbs thoroughly for centuries? If you are trying to boost your wellness with a healthier diet, getting in the habit of using spices relatively may be the secret to increasing additional benefits to your meals. There are many spices we use in our households day to day to prepare meals, these include popular spices like Steak & chops, Chicken spice, Cumin, Braai spice and Turmeric. Spices play a significant role in the way we cook and consume food around the world. Every spice has its own flavoring and essence, while others are known to have several health benefits and notable nutritional values which provide some major health benefits. To keep your body in the best shape possible, include in your diet some of these spices that will improve your health.
Here’s a list of 10 different spices, which you should start adding to your meals for healthy living:
- Black Pepper: A pinch of black pepper when added to any recipe enhances the flavor manifold. Black pepper, also known as the king of spices, promotes weight loss, helps relieve cold and cough, improves digestion, boosts metabolism and treats many skin problems.
- Curry Powder: Curry mix is loaded with health benefits because it’s made up of many healthy spices. Some of the most common ingredients in curry include turmeric, fenugreek, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger. Research credits curry powder with anti-inflammatory benefits and anti-cancer properties. You don’t have to use curry powder just to make a curry; you can experiment with it and use it in a number of different dishes. Try sprinkling it on a side of vegetables for an instant flavor upgrade and nutrition boost.
- Chili Pepper: Chili peppers are healthy for you and provide you with various health benefits, apart from a spicy kick to your food. When added to your diet, these can be a good source of vitamin C, aids weight loss, lowers blood pressure and relieves congestion.
- Cumin: This spice has the ability to aid digestion, improve immunity and treat skin disorders, insomnia, respiratory disorders, asthma, bronchitis and anemia.
- Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper has a cleansing effect on the body, helping to get rid of bacteria and fungi. Its ability to stimulate a pain response in a different area of the body, thus diverting the brain’s attention to the new site, helps with migraine pain. It’s also a great digestive aid, stimulating the digestive tract and increasing enzyme production and the flow of gastric juices. This aids the body’s ability to metabolize food and expel toxins.
- Cinnamon: There’s nothing else that tastes quite like cinnamon; it’s woody, warm, a little bit sweet and spicy. Cinnamon is a perfect addition to your morning coffee, baked goods, porridges or sauces. Mostly used in baking and desserts, cinnamon has a number of great health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It may lower blood sugar in several ways, including slowing the breakdown of carbs in the digestive tract and improving insulin sensitivity. It’s a warming spice that boosts your metabolism and leaves you warmed up for hours.
- Clove: These are powerhouse antioxidants with rich sources of minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and vitamins and minerals. Clove oil is one of the richest sources of antioxidants. In aromatherapy, it is used as an antiseptic and pain reliever especially for toothaches and stomach pain. It is often mixed with other oils to treat various disorders.
- Coriander: Also known as cilantro or dhaniya, Coriander comes is not only beneficial when consumed fresh, adding coriander seeds to your daily food can also be very healthy. Coriander seeds have antioxidant properties and dietary fiber that advance the healthy working of the liver and facilitate bowel movements. If you ever experience some indigestion, try and add coriander seeds in your diet. You will definitely notice a difference.
- Ginger: Ginger is known to have originated in China and has a place in many Chinese traditional therapies. It has been used to help digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the flu and common cold. Ginger is an important ingredient in the traditional kadha recipe too.
- Turmeric: Turmeric is known as one of the most powerful and healthiest spices on Earth. The most potent component is its oil, which contains the yellow or orange pigment called curcumin. Numerous studies show that curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects are comparable to over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs. Turmeric is an effective treatment for inflammatory bowel syndrome and acts as a powerful antioxidant.
Last but not least, get your home a 7PC Spice Rack set to keep all your spices in one location while cooking, this makes it so much easier than looking around for the ingredient that you need but can’t find or remember where you put it. With a rack, you can put the spices that are used most often in the front of the rack and the least used spices at the back of the rack. Feel free to build your rack with your own spices so you don’t have spices in the rack that you will never ever use. A well-arranged spice rack in the kitchen will reduce clutter and make cooking easy and more enjoyable for you.
Check out these spices available at Crazy Plastics:
