Spicy and savory foods have long been known for their healing properties. Chili, for example, reduces inflammation, improves metabolism, strengthens the immune system, and helps fight disease thanks to its capsaicin content.
The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has found that spicy food consumption is associated with longevity in a certain way. The study, conducted over five years, involved 199 men and 293 women aged 288 to 082 years. Scientists monitored their diets and found that those who ate spicy foods six to seven times a week had a 30% reduction in mortality risk compared to those who ate spicy foods less than once a week.
What does this mean? If you don’t have stomach ailments, add spice to your meals!
Add ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves to freshly brewed coffee and smoothies. Cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg can help you sweeten your meals and fight sugar cravings.
Try spicing hot chocolate or coffee with red pepper. Or make this turmeric detox drink with cloves, ginger and lemon. By the way, turmeric is one of the most powerful anti-cancer foods!
Everyone knows about delicious ginger tea with honey and lemon. But ginger root should be added not only to drinks, but also to vegetable and fish dishes.
Chili or allspice peas can be added little by little to soups, main courses and even salads. I try to add freshly ground black pepper to my homemade sauces more often. And in this recipe for buckwheat noodles with vegetables and hot red pepper, several spices are perfectly combined at once: ginger, cloves, allspice and coriander. And how delicious it turns out if you season ready-made vegetables, such as cauliflower, with nutmeg!
In my kitchen I always have at hand a variety of spices, ginger, pepper of all kinds of colors. They not only give food a new flavor, but they also bring a host of health benefits. By the way, ginger, black and red peppers help to “speed up” the metabolism. And this is especially true after the long winter holidays.
In the last few months, living in Asia, I eat a lot of spicy dishes with ginger, garlic, various types of pepper. I managed to get used to and fall in love with many previously unfamiliar tastes and I plan not to give up this “sharp practice”, especially in view of the above!