Spice it Up!

Spice does not have to mean heat as from a jalapeno.  Spice can take the form of an added flavor but not only that there are health benefits to adding spices to your food.  I look for ways to spruce up what might be a bland dish and one of my favorite spices is cinnamon.  Other spices I use regularly are coriander and cumin.  The reason is that I believe they bring out flavors of Mexican dishes and living in Texas we know a thing or two about Tex-Mex cooking.

As I embarked on my healthy lifestyle though I wanted my food to have purpose.  Just like those training sessions that we all hate (Zone 2 running anyone?) there is a purpose to it and for me ingredients that go into my pots and pans have to have purpose.  Spices have many health benefits and I am going to focus on the 3 Cs of my spice cabinet:  cinnamon, coriander and cumin.  That is not to say that you should ignore spices like tumeric (great for reducing inflammation) or cloves (richest anti-oxidant food) or ginger (heart burn relief) because you should be cooking with all three.  I am pointing this toward cinnamon, coriander and cumin because those are the ones I use the most and are readily available at any grocery store.

Cinnamon:

• Helps regulate blood sugar which aids in weight loss, and makes it a great choice for those suffering from diabetes or are hypoglycemic.
• Reduces LDL (or bad) cholesterol levels and reducing LDL may help in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Contains fiber, calcium, iron and manganese – in small amounts but it is there.  Fiber aids in controlling weight.  Calcium is important to processing Vitamin D.  Iron (carries oxygen from your lungs to your organs) and Manganese (helps facilitate metabolic processes in the body.)

 Carrot Cake Oatmeal That Is Sprinkled With Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves and All Spice

Coriander:

• Lowers blood sugar and reduces oxidative stress.
• Aid in digestion and helps settle the stomach to relieve intestinal gas.
• Lowers LDL (bad) and raises HDL (good) cholesterol
• A good source of fiber, iron and magnesium

You may not know but coriander produces cilantro.  Cilantro is typically known as a garnish that most people remove from their food before digging in.  Next time keep the cilantro on the food and dig in.  Let me know the difference in flavor your food takes on.  I use cilantro on a daily basis, whether it is inside an omelette or as part of a salad.  Cilantro has a great taste and should not be pushed to the side of your plate.

Egg And Avocado Salad In Homemade Corn Tortillas Topped With Cilantro And Seasoned With Coriander And Cumin.

 Cumin:

• Rich in Iron and believed to help the secretion of enzymes from the pancreas that can help absorb nutrients into the body.
• It is believed to increase heat in the body thus making one’s metabolism more efficient.
• A source of the essential mineral magnesium, which the body does not produce naturally.  Magnesium promotes heart health, controlling blood pressure and aiding in the absorption of calcium.

Millet Stir Fry Sprinkled With Cumin And Sesame Seeds

The next time you are out to dinner or just at home whipping up something for your family think about spicing up the dish with these three wonderful tasting spices.  If you don’t have them then be sure to pick them up the next time you are at the grocery store and you will not be disappointed in the flavor, nor will your body be disappointed in the benefits you are providing.

 What Spices Do You Use?

Jason Bahamundi is a 2x Ironman who writes about the sport of triathlon with a slant toward nutrition on the blog Cook Train Eat Race.  You can also find his musings on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Tags: Cook Train Eat Race, Jason Bahamundi

Category: Nutrition