7 Reasons You Should Add Spice to Your Diet With Reckless Abandon

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While you probably already incorporate seasonings into your dishes, you might not know about all of the amazing health benefits of herbs and spices. So, go ahead and give them a heavy shake in your next dish, your body will thank you!

Metabolism Boosting

Pack on the flavour and kick your metabolism into high gear with foods and spices like cayenne, ginger, turmeric, cumin or cinnamon. If you’re not a big fan of spice, start easy with ginger and cumin, before you work your way up to cayenne and turmeric. Shake up your plain rice with some cumin, or add an extra shake of turmeric into your favourite Golden Milk Latte recipe.

Fight Inflammation

Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric are what you’ll want to add in if you experience inflammation. Throw some ginger into your next smoothie for a kick, or add a little cardamom into everything from tea to soup (like our Creamy Red Lentil recipe).

Soothe An Upset Stomach

Is your stomach bothering you? It’s true what they say, ginger really can help ease an upset stomach, whether you’re getting it through some good old ginger ale or dish enhanced with ginger. Cardamom can also do the trick to soothe nausea away.

Boost Heart Health

Your heart is super powerful, and needs a little extra attention. So why not boost your heart health with cocoa, turmeric, garlic, thyme, cayenne or rosemary. The list could go on and on with more herbs and spices that can promote a healthy heart, so don’t be afraid to add as much as you’d like into your next roast chicken or stir-fry.

Fight Off Bacteria

Fend off diseases and bacteria with earthy cinnamon, antioxidant-rich oregano and detoxifying coriander. Your body will definitely thank you in advance when you don’t get sick!

Lower Blood Pressure

Cardamom, cocoa and garlic are all heart-healthy spices that can help lower your blood pressure naturally, whether you have a chronic condition, or are experiencing a spike. Combine tangy cardamom and sweet cocoa into a number of desserts, like coconut tarts and cookies for a [somewhat] healthier dessert option. Read on to learn more about the health and wellness benefits of cocoa.

Increase Circulation

Poor circulation is common, and occurs when your blood isn’t freely flowing to certain parts of the body. Clear it out and bump up your circulation by adding a power-trio of parsley, garlic and cayenne into any of your dishes, from pasta to fish.

Next, check out these tips for buying and storing spices.