Secret to Health & Longevity!
Adding herbs and spices to your meals isn’t just a tasty treat, advises author and nutrition consultant Edie Horstman. Writing on the wellness website Camille Styles, Horstman touts the health benefits of adding the good stuff to meals instead of just subtracting the not-so-good stuff. What’s her idea of the good stuff? Herbs from leafy plants and spices from roots, bark, or other parts of growing things, which have been used for centuries to heal the body from within.
Our forebears didn’t know for sure which herbs or spices helped the body, and they couldn’t have known the science of how. But today, research proves herbs and spices can balance our blood sugar, assist with weight loss, improve heart health, and support the immune system.
Here are some examples:
- Cinnamon and turmeric, eaten with satiating foods, act to moderate blood sugar
- Cayenne pepper, cumin, and ginger can add thermogenic, fat-burning power to your healthy weight loss efforts
- Black pepper, garlic powder, curry, and coriander can be used to flavour your food instead of salt, and will help keep your blood pressure down
- Potent and antioxidant-containing herbs and spices, including turmeric, ginger, sage, peppermint, and clove, fight inflammation and bolster your immune system
Are you wondering how to get started on spicing up your life? Horstman suggests these substitutions. Instead of sugar in your oatmeal, try cinnamon and nutmeg. Skip the soy sauce in your stir-fry and use equal parts of ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes – and maybe some coconut aminos! And when it’s Taco Tuesday, don’t reach for a packet of taco seasoning from the store – make your own with chilli powder, cumin, and paprika. And if a sensitive tummy makes it challenging to spice up your food, taking cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, peppermint, and other herbs in supplement form is equally beneficial!
