Eating and enjoying delicious food is what life is all about. And the more you make foods both delicious and healthy, the better the chance you have of a diet that is good for you and keeps you well. One easy way to make food taste great without adding lots of fat or lots of salt, is to use a variety of herbs and spices. They have all been around for centuries and while many cultures have recognized their contribution to our health, the research around this is more recent to us.
Herbs and spices are any part of the plant that is used for its aromatic properties. The difference between herbs and spices is where they come from. Herbs are the leaf of the plant (e.g. basil) and spices are the buds (e.g. cloves), bark (e.g. cinnamon), roots (e.g. ginger) and seeds (e.g. coriander seeds). And, as with all plants, most contain natural antioxidants that are linked with disease prevention. In fact, it's these antioxidant properties that make herbs and spices more than just interesting flavors in your food.
Several years ago, researchers published a paper in the American Journal of Clinical where they measured the antioxidant content of about 1000 common foods. They then produced a top fifty list of those foods with the highest antioxidant concentration and twelve of the fifty were herbs and spices.
Now, a recent study from Penn State suggests that eating a diet rich in antioxidant-rich spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, rosemary, garlic and oregano can help to counteract the effects of eating a higher fat meal. Eating a high fat meal can result in an increase in triglycerides, a blood fat that is associated with an increase in heart disease risk. It also can affect insulin levels. The researchers fed a small group of overweight, but healthy men two different meals. One meal was a curry chicken with 2 Tbsp. (30ml) of added culinary spices, including rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, garlic powder and paprika. The other was the same meal without the spices. They measured their blood after each meal and found that the meal with the added spices produced a rise in antioxidant activity, a lowered insulin response and lowered triglyceride response. Herbs and spices ability to reduce oxidative stress could help reduce risk of chronic disease.
So, a simple but delicious way to add extra heath to your meals is to start to include some new spices and herbs to your food. You can buy them fresh or dried and these days, many people are growing them in their gardens or on their balconies. Dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh herbs, so you use smaller amounts of them in your recipes. Dried herbs are usually added at the start of cooking so they will reconstitute and the fresh, which are more delicate, are added at the end.
Here are ten ways to include more in your diet:
- Add dill to your pasta salad.
- Sprinkle cinnamon on hot cereal.
- Make your own pesto with lots of fresh basil.
- Add cilantro to your salsa.
- Season chicken or fish with rosemary.
- Don't just garnish with parsley, add it to potato salad or tabouleh.
- When seasoning cooked vegetables, try chopped garlic along with other herbs and spices.
- Eat pickled ginger with your sushi.
- Add fresh mint to a fruit salad.
- Make a hearty, flavorful curry dinner.
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