Spice is the variety of life (and Herbs)
One of the most common reasons why people often feel like eating healthy means less taste is because they are not introduced to the spices and herbs that make food flourish with flavor. This is where spices and herbs are best They have amazing flavor as well as, many health and wellness benefits when used in cooking, beauty, and preparing recipes.
Try our BHW Spice Blend 21 (Made with all Organic ingredients)
Healthy dishes do not have to taste like wood, bark or chalk all you have do is spice it up! We will include a list of spices as we highlight them monthly with use and benefits. We love Organic spices and herbs.
Turmeric Powder
What and Where:
Turmeric, or Curcuma longa, belongs to the ginger family and naturally occurs in Southern Asia and India. Turmeric supplements come from the plant’s rhizomes, which feature rough, brown skin and a dark orange flesh. Known for its fragrant aroma and slightly bitter taste, turmeric is a common culinary spice in Indian cuisine. Turmeric also comes in liquid extract, capsule and powder forms. The traditional Oriental medicine systems have long used turmeric powder to treat a variety of medical conditions.
Lowering Cholesterol is One of its many benefits:
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, early research indicates that turmeric can help lower blood cholesterol levels and keep low-density lipoprotein levels from building up in your arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Keeping your LDL levels low can reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack. Turmeric also keeps platelets from clumping together, which means it might stop blood clots from forming on your artery walls. (Source: LiveStrong)
Notty Cook Notes: Turmeric can be used in many of your everyday dishes….not just for Indian Cuisine 🙂
Rosemary
What and Where:
Since its primordial Mediterranean origins, the woodsy-citrus-like fragrance of rosemary has graced gardens, kitchens, and apothecaries throughout the world. A lovely herb with tags like “Dew of the Sea” and “Old Man,” rosemary is related to mint with leaves like flat pine needles touched with silver.
Rosemary, often used for improving memory, is unforgettable! This ancient herb, whether fresh or dried, is one of the most popular for kitchen use, and can be added to soups, sandwiches, cheese, dips, and even for making infused oil. But with the wide array of nutritional benefits rosemary provides, what this herb does for human health is truly remarkable.
Health Benefits of Rosemary:
For centuries, one of the most common medicinal uses for rosemary has involved improving memory, not just for the flavor it adds to food. This herb, especially the flower tops, contains antibacterial and antioxidant rosmarinic acid,
Mostly renowned for fighting infection, the vitamin C content synthesizes collagen, the protein required for optimal blood vessels, organs, skin, and bones.
Manganese, another of the more prominent minerals in rosemary, plays such a critical antioxidant role in the body – specifically aided by its cofactor superoxide dismutase – that it’s associated with lowering the risk of cancer, specifically breast cancer.
Rosemary also contains iron (part of the hemoglobin inside red blood cells, determining how much oxygen the blood will carry) and potassium (a component in cell and body fluids which helps control heart rate and blood pressure). There’s also fiber, copper, calcium, and magnesium, and an abundance of B vitamins,
The litany of vitamins and minerals in rosemary is a long one, with corresponding uses in the body for each. Unique compounds and oils include rosmarinic acid and essential oils such as cineol, camphene, borneol, bornyl acetate, and α-pinene, providing anti-inflammation, anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties. And research provides ample evidence that rosemary not only improves memory, but helps fight cancer.
Isn’t it great that all we have to do to improve our health is to eat “close to the earth” – or in this case, the herb garden! (Source: FoodFacts.)
Notty Cook Notes: Fresh Rosemary is great to put in the cavity of a whole chicken or Turkey breast while roasting! Flavor and more FLAVOR! 🙂
Happy Health Reminder:
If you are allergic or sensitive to any of the spices or herbs listed here, eating them can cause negative side effects and is not recommended. Also, if you experience any adverse symptoms after eating one of these foods, it’s best to discontinue use and talk to your doctor or seek medical attention immediately. You are the expert on your food sensitivities.