Here are five ingredients that not only add flavor to your favorite dishes but can help in your battle against the bulge.
1. Cinnamon
A 2003 study published in Diabetes Care showed that as little as one teaspoon of cinnamon per day can boost the body’s weight-loss ability by reducing blood sugar and promoting healthier processing of carbohydrates. It also lowers LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by seven to 27% and total cholesterol by 12 to 26%. Plus, cinnamon has been shown to prevent the metabolic syndrome commonly seen in pre-diabetics. But before you go on piling the spice by spoonful, note that cinnamon contains a chemical called coumarin, which can lead to liver damage if consumed in very large amount
2. Cayenne
The main ingredient in spicy cayenne—capsaicin, which is also found in other hot peppers—has long been studied for its fat-burning abilities and thermogenic properties (the stimulating of the central nervous system to produce heat in the body, leading to an increase in calorie burning). In fact, Nicholas Perricone, M.D., cites several of these studies in his wildly popular The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet and concludes that capsaicin acts as an appetite suppressant. Many think that cayenne pepper promotes weight loss because it’s simply difficult to overindulge in spicy food. However, later studies performed by the Journal of Obesity also found that the spice increases fat oxidation, “ramps up energy expenditure, and stimulates activity by the sympathetic nervous system”—all which help the body to shed excess weight. Not a fan of fiery cuisine? Not to worry! Research has found that cayenne’s ability to reduce appetite is equally effective whether ingested as food or in capsule form.
3. Black Pepper
Among the dozens of health benefits of this common household ingredient is its ability to improve digestion and promote the absorption of nutrients in tissues all over the body. Plus, its main component—piperine (which gives pepper its pungent taste)—boosts fat metabolism by as much as 8% for several hours after ingesting it. If you want your pepper to pack the most punch, use freshly ground pepper, which has the most concentrated amounts of piperine.
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4. Mustard Seed
Like the other hot ingredients on this list, spicy mustard helps boost metabolism and allows you to burn fat more quickly, thanks in part to its thermogenic properties. Scientists at England’s Oxford Polytechnic Institute recently found that eating just one teaspoon of hot mustard can “boost metabolism 20 to 25% for several hours after eating, resulting in an additional burn of about 45 calories if a 700-calorie meal is consumed.”
5. Ginger
Long used for its medicinal properties, ginger is also an effective diuretic (a substance that increases the elimination of urine). It improves gastric mobility (i.e. it pushes food and waste through the digestive system) and hinders the absorption of cholesterol. Although according to the Mayo Clinic, more study is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that this versatile spice helps to increase metabolism.
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:ohmy: Seasonings, spices, and herbs are used to boost the flavor in foods. Typically seasonings are a mixture of spices and herbs which are used to go with a certain type of food or kind of dish you would like to cook at your home. Most of these can be bought from the stores or you can purchase seasonings spices in bulk to make your own mixes.
Where to Store Seasonings Spices
Spices and herbs can last for a long time if stored in proper conditions. It should be stored in places that are dark, dry and in normal temperature. If it is stored in any place that is too warm, most likely the strength from the seasonings spices and herbs will be lost causing your food not to have the taste you expected. Spices normally last for two to three years if they are ground and three to four years if they consist of seeds. Blends can have up to two years and leaves for about three years if stored in proper conditions.
Do Not Store In Freezers
I highly recommend you not to store seasonings spices and herbs in the freezers. Even though some of you think that freezing will increase the storage life, you should take into consideration that a lot of the ingredients in blends are dry and leafy and will weaken in taste and color also because of container condensation.
Check to Make Sure the Seasonings Spices Are Fresh
To be certain that your seasonings spices and herbs are still fresh, you should check the taste, smell and appearance. These are good signs of knowing the freshness and you can utilize them when buying spices from the supermarkets. If the scent is not strong even after crushing the leaves and seeds in your hand, then you should certainly know that this is not fresh seasonings spices and herbs.
Keep Bottles Closed
To preserve the seasonings spices and herbs, you should always replace the lid or cap of the jar or bottle right after you have opened it.
Use Dry Spoons
You should always use dry spoons whenever you are measuring the amount of seasonings spices and herbs while you are cooking to avoid the steam whiles holding the bottle over the boiling pot. The Steam will definitely reduce the flavor.
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