It’s true that the holidays have earned a bad reputation for unhealthy eating. However, used appropriately, the seasonings and spices you turn to for flavoring your dishes have some incredible health benefits. Here are a few of my favorites:
Holiday Seasonings + Spices +Health Benefits
Cinnamon. The smell of it instantly conjures up images of the holidays with snowy hills and cozy times by the fireplace. It’ s warm and spicy and is terrific in your cookies and other holiday treats. In ancient times, it was used to help with indigestion, and it’ s been shown to have incredible anti-inflammatory effects.
Rosemary. The heavenly scent and sublime flavor of rosemary is a lovely addition to any dish. Rosemary is excellent for helping quell indigestion, as well. It also has antioxidants, which helps chase away those meddlesome free radicals.
Peppermint. Ah, is there anything more refreshing than peppermint in your hot cocoa? It too is rich in antioxidants, making it another winning herb to keep on hand.
Ginger. In Asian cultures, ginger was used in the creation of just about every single dish. It can cleanse the body, relieve nausea and boost the appetite. During the holidays, powdered ginger is used in soups, cookies, cakes, and salad dressings too.
Nutmeg. Warming and soothing, just like cinnamon, nutmeg is added to tons of savory dishes as well as your beloved pumpkin pie. It has a calming property to it which might explain why we feel so relaxed after eating foods that are seasoned with nutmeg.
Cloves. Earthy, warm, and sweet, cloves impart an interesting flavor to everything from savory dishes to sweets. They have lots of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
When you use seasonings and spices you are not limited to just fresh or even dried. Essential Oils when using 100% pure are just as good as your old standard spices. I know when you think of seasonings and oils you don’t think of grabbing your bottle of oils you usually diffuse or even use when you have a cold. but they are potent and because they are harvested directly from the plant they have more concentrated benefits. If you’d like more about essential oils click the link Essential Oils.
Here are my favorite brands of spices:
Simply Organic Ginger Root Ground Certified Organic
Simply Organic Cinnamon Ground Certified Organic
Simply Organic Nutmeg Ground CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Simply Organic Cloves Ground Certified Organic
Simply Organic Rosemary Leaf Whole Certified Organic
Are you getting ready to cook and bake for the holidays? Which of these spices is your favorite to use?
[contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]
