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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] 20 Anti-Aging Herbs and Spices to Add to Your Diet Now
  • Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:01:35 -0700


20 Anti-Aging Herbs and Spices to Add to Your Diet Now
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/114694/20_anti-aging_herbs_and_spices
_to_add_to_your_diet_now/
By Dr. Eric Braverman, Huffington Post. Posted December 24, 2008.

The typical American diet -- high in simple carbs and low in herbs and
spices -- is aging us.

Among other things, the holidays are a time of national dysnutrition: the
disease of excess. Dysnutrition happens even in the most developed
countries when food is plentiful but the overall diet is based on eating
all the wrong balance of foods. Sound familiar? The typical American diet
that is high in simple carbohydrates -- white flour, white salt, and
processed food -- is aging us. We are getting all the bulk without the
nutrients, plus adding to our propensity for developing real food cravings.
So whether you are a vegetarian or an omnivore, you can start to reverse
aging by simply choosing to eat the right foods to keep you full of vim,
vigor, and vitality, especially over the holidays.

The easiest way to make sure you are getting more nutrients into every
meal, even when you are grazing at the office cocktail party or the
neighborhood potluck dinner is by choosing foods that are loaded with
spices. Every time you flavor your meals with herbs or spices you are
literally "upgrading" your food without adding a single calorie. You are
taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary by
adding color, flavor, vitamins, and often medicinal properties. Here's why:

* Spices and herbs maximize nutrient density. Herbs and spices contain
antioxidants, minerals and multivitamins. At the cocktail party, choose the
Thai chicken satay stick over the tried and true fried chicken strip.

* Spices and herbs create a more thermogenic diet. Because spices are
nutrient dense, they are thermogenic, which means they naturally increase
your metabolism. As your metabolism revs higher you will burn more of the
food you have already eaten as fuel, and store less as body fat. At the
dinner party, finish off the meal with coffee or tea sprinkled with
cinnamon, which contains dozens of nutrients.

* Some spices and herbs increase your overall feeling of fullness and
satiety, so you'll eat less. One study conducted at Maanstricht University
in the Netherlands showed that when one consumes an appetizer with half a
teaspoon of red pepper flakes before each meal, it decreased their calorie
intake by 10-16%. If you're planning a holiday menu, think of starting with
a tomato soup sprinkled with red pepper.

* You can eliminate salt. When you flavor your foods with spices instead of
salt you'll immediately see health and physical benefits. Excessive salt
intake keeps water inside your body. Once you kick the habit you will no
long have excessive bloating and water retention. You'll also lose the salt
and salty snack craving. That's because using salt begets using more salt:
after a while it's impossible to use just a pinch, because you've trained
your brain to require a salty taste for everything you eat. Over time,
using spices will also lessen your cravings for simple, nutrient poor
carbohydrate snacks because you will not be yearning for a savory, salty
taste. Stay clear of the chips and dips and you're doing your brain and
your body big favor.

* Spices and herbs have real medicinal properties. Study after study shows
the benefits of distinct herbs and spices. One study at Malmà University
Hospital in Sweden showed that up to two hours after eating, people who ate
cinnamon-spiced rice pudding measured significantly lower blood-glucose
levels than those who had eaten the unspiced version. Other studies suggest
that cinnamon may improve blood-glucose levels by increasing a person's
insulin sensitivity. One 2003 trial of 60 people with type 2 diabetes
reported that consuming as little as two teaspoons of cinnamon daily for
six weeks reduced blood-glucose levels significantly. It also improved
blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, perhaps because insulin plays a
key role in regulating fats in the body. So if you start adding spices to
your diet now, you might be able to see real health benefits in the early
months of the New Year.

Every little bit counts, so spice it up! Change your eating habits now,
especially if your next meal is a pile of franks 'n blanks or cheeseburger
sliders. Choose flavor over blandness every time, and try to incorporate
these specific herbs and spices into your diet if you have the following
health concerns:

* rosemary and basil for their anti-inflammatory power

* cumin and sage for their dementia-fighting power

* cayenne and cinnamon for their obesity-fighting power

* coriander and cinnamon for their sugar regulating powers

* lemon grass, nutmeg, bay leaves and saffron for their calming effects on
your mood

* turmeric for its cancer fighting power

* oregano for its fungus-beating power

* garlic, mustard seed and chicory for their heart-pumping power

* basil and thyme for their skin-saving power

* turmeric, basil, cinnamon, thyme, saffron, and ginger for their
immune-boosting power

* coriander, rosemary, cayenne, allspice and black pepper for their
depression-busting power




  • [Livingontheland] 20 Anti-Aging Herbs and Spices to Add to Your Diet Now, Tradingpost, 12/25/2008

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