Spice up your health with some spices

Many people love spicy foods.  Did you know that adding some spices to your foods is actually good for your health?  Not only do spices have almost no calories, they add lots of health benefits.  A class activity I did with students was to modify a lasagna recipe to make it healthier.  One group of students took out all the spices thinking this somehow made the lasagna healthier.  A good learning opportunity as we then discussed how you want to ADD SPICES to your day for good health.  

Why are spices healthy?

Think antioxidants, those healthy chemicals in plant foods.  There are over 100 different spices and these not only are a source of antioxidants but a concentrated source of antioxidants.  Different spices provide a varying array of antioxidants.  Health benefits of spices can include being anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, helping to lower glucose and cholesterol levels, and even boost your mood and brain function.

Johns Hopkins has a good article, 5 Spices with Healthy Benefits. 

• Cinnamon:  Have high blood sugar?  Then cinnamon is a spice you want to add to your day.  Adding some cinnamon to your morning oatmeal can add sweetness without adding sugar.  Did you know a teaspoon of ground cinnamon has only 6.42 calories?  “Studies indicate it can lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.”  Cinnamon is also good for your heart by helping to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. 
•  Suggestions:  I add some cinnamon to my morning oatmeal.  You can also add cinnamon to yogurt, fruit or use it in cooking.  You may want to check the source of cinnamon as the FDA is investigating lead in cinnamon from Ecuador.  We buy a large jar of cinnamon and then transfer some to a smaller, glass cinnamon jar.  (See:  How much plastic are you eating? ) 

• Turmeric:  A very popular spice right now as many are adding turmeric to their day for its anti-inflammatory benefits.  Turmeric contains “curcumin” and it is this chemical that may reduce inflammation.  “Because of its anti-inflammatory qualities, curcumin is also effective at reducing pain and swelling in people with arthritis.  And animal studies indicate that curcumin could have powerful anti-cancer properties.” 
• Ginger:  A spice that some use for an upset stomach, diarrhea, or nausea.  Motion sickness?  Some studies have found that ginger can help with motion sickness. 
• Suggestions:  Some people add ginger to stir-fry dishes.  My sister sent me some ginger tea that I enjoy.  If you make your own salad dressing, add some ginger.
• Garlic:  A spice that is good for your heart.  Adding some garlic to your day make keep your blood vessels more flexible and may help lower cholesterol and triglycerides.  (When we were getting a new roof on our home, we talked to the manager in front of our house. As we were talking, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an entire garlic bulb.  He peeled it and ate it as a snack.  Very healthy but that is a lot of garlic to eat at once.) 
• Suggestions:  Easy to add some garlic when cooking.  Add to soups, salad dressings, vegetables.  (My daughter was very surprised when she found a garlic press in the kitchen of an Airbnb she was staying in over Thanksgiving.  Now that is not only a prepared cook but also someone who probably knows how healthy garlic is.)
• Cayenne:  Many people love this chili pepper spice often used in Mexican, Creole, and Cajun type dishes.  The antioxidant in cayenne is capsaicin. This substance can reduce pain signals to your brain so you don’t feel as much discomfort.  People use this to help reduce arthritis pain and diabetes-related nerve damage.  A relative applies a cream with capsaicin to their joints to reduce pain and it can be used on muscles.  

Conclusion:   The article notes spices can be used fresh or dried and both provide those healthy antioxidants.  Although frying and grilling can reduce some effectiveness of the antioxidants, microwaving, simmering, or cooking foods actually increases antioxidant levels of these spices.  Some people take supplements of these spices such as turmeric but these aren’t fully regulated for quality or contents.  Adding spices to foods is one way to get the benefits of these healthy spices. I add cinnamon to my oatmeal before I cook it in the microwave.  Thus, I am actually boosting the effectiveness of the antioxidants in the cinnamon.  My husband always added cinnamon to his oatmeal after he cooked it.  Now, he says he will start to add cinnamon and then cook his oatmeal in the microwave to get the enhanced antioxidant benefit. 

Sources:  antioxidants, 5 Spices with Healthy Benefits, teaspoon, FDA , How much plastic are you eating? , inflammation , capsaicin , Hopkins Medicine   Images:  Spice up your health, Spice up life , What is turmeric?  , Ginger tea 

Stewed Chicken recipe (adapted from Hopkins Medicine)

•        1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (EVVO) 
•        1 pound chicken breasts
•        Salt and pepper
•   3 cups chopped vegetables such as spinach, carrots, onions.  You can use fresh or frozen.
•   1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes
•   ½ teaspoon cinnamon
•   ½ teaspoon cayenne  
•  ½ teaspoon turmeric
•   1 teaspoon cumin
•   Fresh or dried parsley for garnish

 Directions:

1.       Heat olive oil (EVVO) in large saute’ pan.  Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add to the pan.  Brown on both sides.
2. Add the vegetables to the pan and sauté until soft about 5-10 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, and cumin.  Simmer until chicken is cooked through (to 165 degrees F) and vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
4. Top with parsley for garnish.
5. Serve with brown rice or whole grain couscous.