Have you ever embarked upon a new meal plan, looked over the shopping list and realised you might have to take out a bank loan to cover the cost of it all? (Yip, me too!)

Contributing to this cost, is no doubt the list of herbs and spices, especially if you’re not used to incorporating these into your diet already and don’t have a full range of them at home.

This blog post will reveal my recommended top three spices that will help get your spice collection started so you don’t have to spend a fortune all at once. Saving money however is not the only objective here. Let’s find out why herbs and spices are so important.

WHY ARE HERBS AND SPICES IMPORTANT?

We are told that adding herbs and spices to our cooking is good for us. They have been shown to increase metabolism and enhance fat burning but did you know about the other health benefits?

In fact, throughout history, herbs and spices have been used for medicinal purposes before they became a part of culinary use. Healthline presents a helpful list of 10 of the world’s healthiest herbs and spices and it’s no surprise that my three rank amongst these.

1. CINNAMON

Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of the Tree Cinnamomum and comes in two forms: Cassia and Ceylon.

Cassia is from Indonesia and is ideal in cooking, sauces. Ceylon is sweeter but is a much delicate flavour and ideal in sweets and deserts.

Cinnamon Cassia Quills (sticks) are usually around 6 inches long and have a more delicate flavour than ground cinnamon. They will also keep fresh for a year if stored in an airtight container.

You can also grind them and add the powder to curries and desserts, or add them whole to ice cream or soothing hot drinks. Add cinnamon to your hot lemon, honey and ginger when you are suffering the cold. I find it helps to take the edge off the ginger.

Cinnamon helps fight inflammation and has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

Cinnamon also lowers blood sugar levels and has a powerful anti-diabetic effect. This is because cinnamon slows the breakdown of carbs and improves insulin sensitivity.

An easy way to include cinnamon in your diet is to add cinnamon powder to your morning porridge. A light dusting of this spice over the top of some blueberries and raspberries makes this the perfect breakfast in my eyes!

2. TURMERIC

According to Doctor Greger,  author of the book How Not to Die, there’s evidence to suggest that turmeric along with cloves (not to be confused with garlic cloves), ginger and rosemary come out as the superstars of spices for their anti-inflammatory capacity (inflammation, which can be caused by sugar, a lack of exercise, toxins, and food allergies for example).

Specifically, there’s evidence which finds curcumin (the yellow pigment in turmeric) to be the solution to a myriad of causes of disease from cancer to Alzheimers disease. Another source states that curcumin is so strongly anti-inflammatory, to the point where it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs.

You can incorporate turmeric into your diet by adding it to your curries, soups, bread and rice dishes.

Specifically, you can add it to water to season tofu when frying it in a pan. I informed a woman of this at the supermarket checkout recently whom, after seeing it in my basket, asked me how I cooked tofu. It was in that very moment, I felt a blog post coming on!

I also realised that adding turmeric is almost a daily habit of mine now. It’s a staple spice added to tofu scramble: the perfect light meal a few hours before strength training. A word of caution about preparing food with turmeric though: the yellow colour of curcumin can stain worktops and even the best of non- stick pans! 

If you have any tips regarding how to avoid or get rid of these stains, please let me know @sculptingsusan on IG. 

3. GARLIC

The Journal of Nutrition states that garlic was used for its medicinal properties and this is thanks to the allicin in garlic. This is also responsible for garlic’s distinct smell.

Garlic supplementation is well known for combatting sickness, including the common cold.

It's also good for heart health, high cholesterol and helps to reduce blood pressure proving in a study to be as effective as a blood pressure lowering drug.

Fresh Garlic versus Garlic Powder.

Garlic is a bulbous plant and whilst the concentration of nutrients in garlic powder is less than that in fresh garlic cloves, there are still a number of antioxidants and organic compounds like allicin that can benefit your health. Garlic powder is also an excellent replacement for when you’re strapped for time.

Garlic powder is the ground form of dehydrated garlic and contains vitamin C, vitamin B6, iron, calcium, protein, magnesium, sodium and carbohydrates in the form of dietary fibre and sugar.

If you have a fresh garlic: press a few cloves with a garlic press, then mix it with extra virgin olive oil and a bit of salt. You can use it in savoury dishes, soups, sauces and dressings.

Add garlic to the aforementioned turmeric in a frying pan with water when preparing tofu scramble. It’s truly a game changer!

 So instead of spending lots of money all at once on an abundance of overwhelming herbs and spices, start with three spices and add to your collection every month.

Cinnamon, turmeric and garlic are three great spices to get you started.

Once you start to incorporate these spices into your cooking more regularly, you can build upon them and start to diversify your collection. Not only will they help to add flavour to your meals but the majority help you to reduce inflammation, speed up your metabolism and aid in your fat loss goals. Best of all, they assist in the prevention of a myriad of diseases.

So the next time you follow a recipe or food plan, you might just find that you already have the herbs and spices in your kitchen ready to rock!

Love fae

 Have some nutrition tips of your own to share? Let me know by connecting with me @susanrenniefit on Instagram

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