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| Friday, August 15, 2008 |
| Spice It Up! |
My favorite topics, anti-inflammation, colors and spices, seem to always travel together, protecting us from invaders of all sorts. I‘ve talked about herbs and spices in the past (click here and here) and it seems that every week new studies emerge about their health benefits.
Are you using them liberally yet? I mean on everything…on salads, in sandwiches, soups and definitely in omelets. Especially after reading Lauren’s blog about eating eggs for breakfast to promote weight loss! You can make wonderful omelets loaded with herbs and spices. Add dried chives, basil, Italian herb mix, parsley or oregano and don’t forget about adding spices too. Try cumin, turmeric, paprika, cayenne or curry powder.
Oatmeal also tastes pretty good with ginger, allspice and the most recent stars: clove and cinnamon. You could also take a shortcut and use pumpkin pie spice mix which contains most of the spices listed above.
It appears that clove and cinnamon contain the most polyphenols by dry weight when compared to most common herbs and spices. Polyphenols are chemical compounds found in plants that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics and consequently health benefits, especially when it comes to chronic diseases and aging. Of the 24 herbs and spices tested, “oregano, marjoram, and sage had the highest polyphenol levels, followed by thyme, Italian seasoning, tarragon, mint, and rosemary. Black pepper had the lowest polyphenol content of any of the tested herbs and spices.”
Isn’t this interesting? Basically, you have an anti-aging medicine cabinet in your spice rack (and don’t forget your produce basket either). Check out this list of polyphenol containing foods and try to get a variety at all times.
We always come back to the basics here at Sensei. Eat a variety of colors and add great flavor with herbs and spices to get the most nutrition out of every bite. Play with your food, try different seasonings and get healthier at the same time. Don’t forget to “think outside the spice box”.
- Josée
Related Articles:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=91645
http://www.nutritionhorizon.com/home/viewdetails.rails?Id=17836&Type=News
Labels: Josee, Spices, Weight Loss
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posted by The Sensei Team @ Friday, August 15, 2008   |
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