Using Herbs and Spices For Fine And Dandy Health
Increasing your intake of nutrients might also improve the flavor of your meals. Most people are afraid to add herbs and spices to their food, for fear they will ruin the flavor. In reality, spicing up the meals with Herbs and Spices takes plain fruits and vegetables to a higher level and creates a healthier you. When you add herbs to your meals, you increase not just the flavor but also help your family live a healthier life.
For an example let’s take a simple dish of sliced tomatoes. By adding a pinch of sea salt a little fresh ground black pepper and then drizzling it all with olive oil creates a dish that’s simple to make yet loaded with nutrients and health. Try adding Italian parsley and garlic to those sliced tomatoes before you drizzle the olive oil and your health benefits go through the roof.
Garlic is the immune system defender, helping to fight off disease. Garlic has been used for centuries to fight off a cold and there is scientific evidence to back up the folk lore. While investigating the properties of garlic, researchers found it has antiviral, antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Scientists also studied garlic in the fight against cancer. The garlic has phytonutrients that help block the formation of cancer cells.
Raising the HDL, the good cholesterol is one of garlic’s strong points while it also lowers the LDL, the bad guy. The subjects of a study showed a 9 percent drop in cholesterol levels when they ate two cloves of garlic a day. Garlic thins the blood helping control hypertension. Garlic really spices up your life. One of the studies on garlic found that it is important in the production of nitric oxide synthase, necessary for obtaining an erection.
When you add the Italian parsley, you help neutralize the smell of garlic on your breath and pack the tomatoes with a lot more nutritional punch. Parsley contains vitamin A, K, C, folic acid, potassium and adds a little more fiber to your diet. It contains powerful antioxidants to fight off free radicals that cause everything from cancer to aging. Don’t tell Popeye but he could of used parsley instead of spinach. It has not just additional iron but also magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and trace amounts of zinc, manganese and copper.
Does the addition of herbs and spices fulfill your dietary needs? Absolutely not. Herbs and Spices added to your meal doesn’t raise the caloric intake it just add nutrient and a whole lot of flavor. Using Herbs and Spices in meal preparation every day can make a big difference in your health.
A breakfast idea that increases your health while spicing up the start of your day is the addition of cinnamon to the breakfast fare. Adding cinnamon to your coffee filter with the coffee is a great way to start the day. For those with a bit of a sweet tooth, add a little bit of sugar. Cinnamon or Ginger on your cereal will brighten eyes. It’s especially good on oatmeal.
Cinnamon adds iron, calcium and manganese to your diet. If your a diabetic like me, it helps regulate blood sugar. It lowers cholesterol, attack yeast infections, help with certain forms of cancer, is an anti coagulant, is a natural preservative, improves memory and helps to block the growth of E. coli in unpasteurized juice. Researchers at Copenhagen University gave patients a teaspoon of cinnamon with a tablespoon of honey every morning for a month. In the first week, the patients showed significant signs of relief from the pain of arthritis. Walking without pain was possible for most after one month. This combination makes a great topping for toast.
Giving up good tasting food in not a prerequisite for healthy eating. Quite the opposite is true, adding Herbs and Spices to your food adds excitement and health. Look for ways to increase the nutritional content while also making the food rival with the dishes found in gourmet restaurants. Your family will love you for it and they will never suspect they’re eating healthier.