Get a little SPICY: Spruce up for your health, ease your pain, and wake up your taste buds at Her Active Life

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Get a little SPICY: Spruce up for your health, ease your pain, and wake up your taste buds

Posted July 5, 2007 at 03:30 PM by Katie Drummond

Section: Her Health, Her Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Recipes

spices Commonly used by ancient civilizations and coveted by empires for thousands of years, herbs and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves have long been touted as more than just seasonings. In the Middle Ages, wealthy Europeans would hoard imports from Asia and Africa for everything from cooking and cleaning to crafting medicinal tonics and potions. Lucky for us, once-rare herbs and spices are now a little more common and a lot less expensive – and even better, those health benefits hyped by long-ago cultures seem to be the real thing.

While a myriad of different herbs and spices, in various forms and doses, are known to have healthy attributes, a few standouts can be cited when it comes to issues of particular relevance to women.

Menstrual pain need not be an unwelcome monthly visitor, and you don’t have to pop painkillers to keep cramps at bay. Thyme and ginger both boast many health benefits, but are standouts when it comes to clearing up abdominal discomfort, cutting down on bloat, and alleviating the diarrhea that often accompanies your period. While you can always enjoy them in cooked dishes, or try out various pills and oils that claim to be potent sources of the two, tea is the method of choice for dealing with your monthly woes. Relax over a few cups of thyme tea with grated ginger and lemon for a warm and soothing tonic.

Women who live for their weekly fix of daal and aloo gobi are in luck when it comes to staving off arthritis. Piles of research into curcumin, a common element to both turmeric and curry powder, have found that it slashes the risk of arthritis by reducing joint inflammation. If you need hard proof, look no further than India, where turmeric is touted as the “Queen of the Kitchen,” and only 1% of the elderly suffer from Alzheimer’s, compared to 25% of older people in North America. If Indian curries aren’t your thing, try Moroccan tagines instead – these mildly sweet stews are loaded with fresh vegetables, dried fruits, cinnamon, and a dash of curry spice.

Those brave enough to risk the fiery heat of cayenne pepper will be pleased to know that their culinary courage won’t go unrewarded. Not only does the capsaicin in cayenne reduce blood cholesterol and improve blood flow, but all that heat significantly increases digestive thermogenesis for over 20 minutes after dining – in other words, metabolism and fat burning abilities both get a boost. Because 10 grams of cayenne is needed to rev up the metabolism, and even more is desirable to help with cholesterol and circulation, those who can’t contend with spicy sizzle might want to look into a daily capsaicin tablet.

In India, fenugreek is used in everything from hair conditioner to clarified butter. Even if you’re already happy with your hair care products, there is still good reason to add fenugreek to your diet. One of the world’s oldest and most widely used medicinal herbs, evidence is mounting that fenugreek may reduce the risks of type-1 and type-2 diabetes, and it has long been relied on to boost breast milk production in new moms. Because of its pungent flavor, fenugreek is typically used only moderately in cooking, but powdered fenugreek is commonly available in potent capsule form.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women over 65, and while major lifestyle overhauls are sometimes warranted to reduce risk, consuming more cinnamon is a small change that any woman can make to her diet. The spice is an excellent source of both fiber and calcium, which combine to remove bile salts from the body and lower high cholesterol. Only half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day can reduce bad cholesterol by 12 – 26%: enough to make a marked difference in heart health. Incorporating this sweet spice into your routine is easy – try adding a tablespoon to coffee grounds before you brew for a special kick to your morning java.

Voracious Vegetable Curry Recipe

Those looking to add more of the above spices to their diets can enjoy this fresh vegetable curry – ginger, curry powder, fenugreek, and turmeric combine with other seasonings for a curry sure to rival your favorite takeout.

Ingredients:

2 cups brown lentils
1 cup red lentils
1 cup black eye beans
3 potatoes, chopped
1 eggplant, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red capsicum, chopped
1 head broccoli, broken into small bits
1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 tbsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp fenugreek powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp minced chili

Directions:
If you like roasted vegetables, drizzle the potato and eggplant in oil and roast them in the oven for about 1 hour. If you’re pressed for time, boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes before adding to the other vegetables.

Combine the garlic, ginger and other spices with cooking oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, capsicum, zucchini and broccoli and fry until vegetables have softened. Add the lentils, beans, and roasted vegetables, then simmer with more water until the vegetables are cooked and the flavors have melded.

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