ginger & pickles nutrition
  • Home
  • About
  • Nutritional Therapy
  • Fees & Contact
  • SHOP
  • Testimonies
  • Blog
  • Food intolerance
  • Genetic testing

BLOG

How to spice up your life

25/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Herbs and spices are such an important part of food and nutrition. As well as providing taste and colour to food many have numerous nutritional benefits as they are full of phytonutrients. 

Phytonutrients (sometimes referred to as 'phytochemicals') are compounds in all plants which protect it and help it grow. These are the things that alongside vitamins and minerals offer us health benefits. You may have heard of some specific phytochemicals such as tannins, caffeine, phytates and reservatrol. Some of the best known culinary herbs with superb health benefits include basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, cinnamon, cardamon, liquorice, chamomile, oregano, ginger and fennel.

Probably the easiest and safest way to consume most culinary herbs is through a infusion (or a tea). This requires you to pour boiling water over dry or fresh herbs (normally 1 heaped teaspoon, or 1 teabag) and leave to steep  for 10 – 15 minutes (preferably with a lid or a cover to avoid the loss of volatile oils). Drink three times daily for health benefits. Here are some healthy herbals teas and why they can benefit you:
​
Chamomile: calming and anti-inflammatory. Great for digestive issues especially when caused by stress or anxiety
Cinnamon: Very soothing for diarrhoea. 
Warming for those with poor circulation
Fennel: for gas bloating and IBS. Also good for breastfeeding mothers as it increases breast milk production.
Liquorice: 
anti-inflammatory and soothing for the stomach, good for constipation as a mild laxative. Not recommended for those with high blood pressure
Nettle: very good for seasonal allergies
Peppermint: for gas, bloating and IBS
Sage: for menopause (hot flushes), and soothing to sore throats
Spearmint: may be useful for conditions with high androgens such as PCOS and acne 
(**N.B. some herbs even taken as a tea, should be used with caution or on advice if pregnant or on medication)


But adding herbs to food is just as easy and can really boost flavour of so many dishes. Here are three of my favourite culinary spices. Curries from Asia famously contain many herbs and spices and one of the most interesting and heavily researched is turmeric which is becoming more and more used in therapeutic doses for its natural anti-inflammatory actions so excellent for joint pain or inflammatory conditions. I also love adding fresh or fried turmeric to scrambled eggs (always with black pepper which helps with the absorption) or to a cup of bedtime golden milk (see recipes).

Cardamom is another lovely spice known for its anti-carcinogenic properties, as a digestive aid and in relation to helping urinary infections. Its also high in manganese and iron. Again this is quite often used in South East Asian and Scandinavian cooking. But cardamom has a natural affinity with sweet so I quite often grate a little into cakes or puddings, especially anything chocolate. Fantastic in hot chocolate (see recipes).

Lastly, ginger. Beautiful, powerful, unforgettable ginger is wonderful as it can be used in curries to add heat (many Indian and Thai curries use ginger as standard), in sweet dishes or cakes and in reality is gorgeous just on its own in some boiling water. Ginger contains a compound called gingerol which is what gives it its anti-inflammatory properties and also its anti-nausea merits. Ginger and lemon in hot water first thing in the morning throughout winter. Can't beat it.



0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Louise Cullen

    Archives

    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016

    Categories

    All
    Anxiety
    Artichoke
    Autumn
    Bone Broth
    Breakfast
    Childrens Health
    Digestion
    Earthing
    Elderberry
    Food Tips
    Grounding
    Health
    Health Tips
    Herne Hill
    Holistic
    Immune System
    Immunity
    Lifestyle
    Liver Health
    Liver Recipes
    Mental Health
    Nourish
    Nutrition
    Nutritional Therapist
    Nutritionist
    Omega 3
    Probiotics
    Protein
    Recipe
    Recipes
    Sambucol
    Stress
    Supplements
    Vitamin A
    Vitamin C
    Vitamin D
    You Are What You Eat

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
  • Nutritional Therapy
  • Fees & Contact
  • SHOP
  • Testimonies
  • Blog
  • Food intolerance
  • Genetic testing