Spices are a staple that I constantly have in my kitchen.  They can take a boring dish and turn it into a gourmet meal.  Spices are technically a dried form of seeds, fruits, bark, roots and vegetables.  They come from ALL over the world.  They contain SO MANY healthy phytonutrient compounds, including antioxidants.  These prep-free ingredients provide a powerful PUNCH to any meal.

I love to grow my own spices and herbs, but there are also many others that I purchase and have on hand.  I am very excited about the Spice Industry going more organic.  When shopping for spices, try to find a top quality product.  You don’t want to purchase and cook with a poor quality spice that’s been sitting on the shelf and possibly exposed to water or contamination.  When properly prepared and stored, spices can last a LONG time!

Cayenne Pepper:  This HOT spice is a circulatory stimulant.  It also helps to eliminate toxins from the body.   High in capsaicin, cayenne pepper also helps to provide relief from joint pain.  This powerful antioxidant also helps to clear sinuses, increase metabolism (fat burning), promotes hearty-health and helps to fight allergies and colds.  Cayenne pepper is commonly combined with hot water and lemon for a detoxifying morning drink.  Cayenne Pepper can also be added to many meat and veggie dishes.

Cinnamon:  This powerful and sweet spice has been shown to lower blood sugar and blood triglyceride levels, reduce inflammation, alleviate nausea and aid in fat burning.  Cinnamon is often used in baking recipes, but there are so many other ways to use it.  I love to sprinkle cinnamon on my sweet potato fries before roasting.  I top my morning oats with berries, chia seeds and cinnamon for a delicious and nutritious meal.  I’ve even used it in chili recipes.  Cinnamon pairs well with several hot dishes by adding a sweeter side.  I encourage you to try cinnamon in your dishes.

Garlic:  Fresh is always the best option, but powdered and minced garlic provides a delicious flavor too.  Fresh garlic has been shown to provide anti-cancer benefits.  By assisting your immune system, garlic helps to fight against the common cold and other illnesses.  Garlic also reduces blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, helps prevent dementia, improves athletic performance, detoxifies heavy metals and strengthens bones.  I love to cook with Garlic!  It can be added to SO many dishes.  After chopping or dicing, allow the garlic to sit for 15 minutes.  This allows the active form of the protective phytochemicals to develop.

Ginger:  Commonly found in fresh and ground, Ginger provides great benefits to your health.   The root is packed full of vitamins, minerals and compounds that help your body grow and repair.  In addition to reducing the feeling of nausea, it’s also shown to help pregnant women with the effects of morning sickness.  Ginger helps to aid against muscle pain, ease osteoarthritis, fight infections, protect against Alzheimer’s disease, aids the fight against Cancer, reduces menstrual cramps, reduces ingestion pain and relieves pain and swelling associated with arthritis.  Ginger can be added to dishes that include vegetables and fruits.  I love to incorporate fresh ginger when I make a healthy juice drink.

Oregano:  An herb of the mint family, Oregano has been used for medicinal and culinary purposes for thousands of years.   It has the highest antioxidant activity of 27 fresh culinary herbs (USDA).  This powerful herb has many antibacterial and anti-fungal benefits.  It’s also high in vitamins and nutrients.  Cellular deterioration and the aging process has been shown to slow with this powerful herb.  Commonly used in medicinal forms, Organo can help improve health and fight illness.  This herb is commonly used in Italian and Greek dishes.  I love to add it to soups, stews and crock pot meals.

Rosemary:  Containing a high concentration of the antioxidant carnosol, Rosemary has been shown to stop gene mutations that could lead to cancer and also benefit treatment for cancer patients.  Many soaps and skin care products contain Rosemary because it helps to reduce puffiness, stimulates cell regeneration, increases firmness and fight against aging.  Other benefits include an improvement in memory, mood elevation, pain relief, anti-inflammation, hair growth, digestive health and liver detoxification.  Rosemary is commonly found in soups, stews and meat dishes.  I love to add Rosemary to my steak marinade before grilling.

Tumeric:  Often found in kitchens around the world, Tumeric is more commonly used in the US for medicinal purposes.  Associated with its anti-inflammatory properties, research has now shown that tumeric can help treat different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s.  Joint improvement, weight loss, improved liver health and improved eye health are some of the additional benefits.

The active component in tumeric is curcumin.  Research has found that consuming black pepper with curcumin increases its bioavailability.  This is an important note when trying to achieve maximum results from the plant.  For medicinal purposes, people will chew the plant while consuming pepper right after.  You can also make soups, meat dishes and sauces with this ground up ingredient.