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Monday, March 17, 2014

Pass the Spice - 4 Spices to Start Using Now

So many think healthy cooking must taste gross. Are you kidding me?

I actually prefer organic, healthy food to conventional food. In fact, I am sure many of you can relate when I say I'd rather eat my own food than the stuff restaurants serve. Do you know why?

One word - spice.

There is a reason they talk about "spicing" up your life. Spices make eating glorious! They add pizazz. They make your taste buds dance.

If you want to start adding some more pizazz to your cooking, but don't know which spices to start with, let me help. I will share my favorite four with you today.

  • Turmeric - Numerous studies have confirmed that turmeric root has powerful anticancer properties, including the ability to inhibit blood vessel formation in tumors. Because of its awesome yellow/orange color, also known as the curcumin, it is a very powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. In fact, it appears to be as effective an anti-inflammatory as many over-the-counter drugs. I use turmeric almost daily in our scrambled eggs, soups, and meat dishes like Sneaky Sliders. It has a very subtle flavor, but be prepared - your food does take on a yellow color. Yellow is so cheerful!
 


  • Cinnamon - This is one of my sweet tooth's best friends. It has been shown to help regulate and stabilize blood sugar. I use this in all my sweet treats that I make, especially my no-bake, chocolate cookies that I eat practically every day. Cinnamon also has natural anti-inflammatory properties, is high in fiber, calcium, iron, and manganese, and can relieve pain associated with PMS in women and balance hormones. Bring on the cinnamon!
  •  Cayenne Pepper - Cayenne pepper is high in Vitamins A, C, B complex, calcium and potassium. Long-term use of Cayenne pepper helps your body to fight and prevent infections. Cayenne pepper reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by thinning the blood and improving blood circulation. It is also effective for lowering high blood pressure. Cayenne pepper contains Beta-carotene, antioxidant properties that help fight against damage caused by free radicals. Beta-carotene also can help to reduce symptoms of asthma. It is genius to use during flu season or when you catch a cold. I put a couple shakes in my tea with honey and cinnamon. I also regularly use it on our whole family's eggs (yes, my children eat it too) every morning, in soups, in meat dishes, and everywhere else I can sneak it in. It just adds a little spice.
  • Outer Spice Original -Outer Spice recently sent me one of their spice mixes to review, and I have become a huge fan! Their Original seasoning is full of flavor from delicious spices and herbs. It starts out with a little pink sea salt and adds in flavorful garlic, black pepper, onion, allspice, nutmeg, thyme, scallions, red pepper, onion powder, peppers, cinnamon, dill, and caraway. I love blends like these, because they are so versatile. I sprinkle this on everything from salmon to eggs to soup to salads. With all those healthy herbs and spices, you are getting a wonderful health boost too!
 Whether you are new to using spices in your cooking or a long-time fan, try these spices and recipes! Enjoy the taste and the amazing health benefits!

*Cara was provided Outer Spice for review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% hers.*

3 comments:

  1. I like experimenting with different spices. I have new new spices to try, I like to make crackers and roll spices onto them, along with seeds, etc. My favorite spice of the moment is cumin, but with spring coming, the quest to try new things is taking over!

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    1. I love that you make your own crackers! Awesome!

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  2. My goal that I'm still working on is to try to eat healthier foods instead of processed foods. I agree with you that when eating healthy organic foods the key is to use spices. It does take some trial and error using spices to get the right taste - sometimes I've had it where the spices were overbearing - others to bland. Thanks for your post.

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. Your thoughts and tips are what make this blog shine!