Spicing Up Your Life Can Help Your Overall Health

I’m not going to lie, it is not always easy to eat clean and lean.  Diet foods can get pretty boring at times and this can often lead to a need to cheat and eat unhealthy foods.  However, spices can add some much needed flavor to bland foods as well as some health benefits. It’s a win win.  I would like to share my top 5 favorite spices and explain just how these spices can help your physique and overall health.   Here’s to spicing up your life!

1) Cinnamon – This spice is not only tasty when added to oatmeal and protein shakes, but also has many health benefits.  Cinnamon has the ability to help your body maintain healthy blood sugar levels, which is a necessity for a lean physique.  Furthermore, cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants and just 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon can help lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

2) Cayenne Pepper – This spice acts as a natural thermogenic in your body and is a great natural fat burner.  Cayenne Pepper also improves blood circulation by thinning the blood as well as removing harmful toxins from the blood. Furthermore, cayenne pepper can prevent hypertension by making blood pressure levels normal in your body.  I like to sprinkle cayenne pepper on my chicken with a little bit of hot sauce.

3) Garlic – Well this spice taste good on just about everything! I use it on all of my meat and veggies.  Garlic can be used to treat high cholesterol, diabetes, respiratory problems, poor digestion, and low energy.  Studies suggest that eating garlic regularly helps lower blood pressure, controls blood sugar, and can boost your immune system.  This is by far my favorite and most used spice!

4) Black Pepper -  The outer layer of black peppercorn assist in the breakdown of fat cells.  Hence, peppery foods are a great way to shed some weight!  Furthermore, black pepper is loading with tons of antioxidants which can prevent or repair damage caused by free radicals.  As a result, black pepper helps to prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver problems.  I like to sprinkle some black pepper on my eggwhites in the morning.

5) Turmeric – Contains curcumin, which can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.  For an Indian flavor, I like to add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric to water when cooking 1 cup of brown rice. It adds a nice change of flavor to my already bland rice!

Try these spices out to help you stay on track with your diet and give your Taste buds something to look forward to!
Sent from my iPhone

Categories:Blog, ETB Team, Featured Stories, Healthy Foods, Slider Feature, Steve Kuchinsky, Uncategorized, Weight Loss