HEALTH FOOD TIPS

Posts Tagged ‘Fit’

Using spices in your cooking adds flavor as well as adding nutrients. Fear of the unknown is the usual reason most people are afraid to add spices to their creations. 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. Take the dish a step further and sprinkle in a few additional herbs for added health. Sprinkle some Italian parsley and garlic over the tomato before you drizzle it with olive oil and you’ll not only have a delicious side dish, you’ll have one that packs an extra nutritional punch.

The garlic is excellent for the immune system as it helps the body fight off disease. Folk medicine has always recommended a clove of garlic to fight off a cold and there is scientific proof it has validity. Scientific data has proven that Garlic 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 could be called the spice of life. One of the studies on garlic found that it is important in the production of nitric oxide synthase, necessary for obtaining an erection.

Adding the Italian parsley helps reduce the effects of garlic on your breath but, more importantly it adds tremendous nutritional value. Parsley contains vitamin A, K, C, folic acid, potassium and adds a little more fiber to your diet. It fights free radicals that cause the aging problem as well as cancer by being loaded with antioxidants. Don’t tell Popeye but he could of used parsley instead of spinach. Besides the iron parsley is loaded with magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and trace amounts of zinc, manganese and copper.

Does the addition of herbs and spices fulfill your dietary needs? Absolutely not. The addition of spices and herbs to flavor your food simply increases the nutritional intake and flavor without raising the amount of calorie intake. Just a little change can make a big difference in your health when you do it at every meal.

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. Sprinkle cinnamon or Ginger on your cereal. Oatmeal will start dancing when you add the cinnamon or ginger.

Cinnamon adds iron, calcium and manganese to your diet. It also helps regulate blood sugar in diabetics. 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. In a study by the university of Copenhagen, patients were given a teaspoon of cinnamon with the same amount of honey every day for a month. In the first week, the patients showed significant signs of relief from the pain of arthritis. After the first month of the study, most could walk without pain. Try adding the cinnamon and honey topping to your toast every morning.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up good tasting food. On the contrary, adding additional Herbs and Spices to your food makes them even healthier. 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. By : Terry Schierer