The 14 Spices That Can Help You Find Your Happy Weight
The power of spices goes beyond beneficial health aid. Spices also help significantly with weight loss. Just ask Kellyann Petrucci, M.S., N.D., the weight-loss expert whose new book will help you find your healthy weight through the use of spices, stat. This exclusive excerpt from 10-Day Belly Slimdown informs us about exactly what spices to add to your meals to burn through fat. Here you go!
The 14 Spices
1. Cayenne
Capsaicin, the zest that gives chili peppers their heat, helps shrink fatty tissue and lower blood-fat levels. It’s also thermogenic.
2. Cilantro and coriander
Cilantro and coriander are parts of the same plant. It refers to the leafy green part of the coriander plant, while coriander is the common name for the seeds of the plant. This plant is antioxidant-rich in general and it’s edible parts have been known to help reduce LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol levels in your blood. They are also packed with vitamins A and K.
3. Cardamom
Cardamom is thermogenic, meaning it increases your body heat and speeds up your metabolism, has anti-inflammatory properties, and acts as an antioxidant, cleaning up rogue molecules called free radicals and resisting cellular aging.
4. Basil
Basil is anti-inflammatory, reduces water retention and bloating, and functions as an adaptogen. Adaptogens are substances that help your body adapt to stress, which is a welcome aid. Not to mention, it helps reduce fat buildup in your liver while detoxifying your body.
5. Black pepper
Black pepper not only has weight-loss benefits of its own but those benefits are amplified once paired with other spices. Piperine is the compound that gives pepper its pungent flavor. Piperine enhances the effects of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric—a fat-burning powerhouse. One study also suggests that the piperine in black pepper battles fat by blocking the formation of new fat cells.
6. Cinnamon
Cinnamon helps regulate blood glucose levels, reducing your cravings and helping you burn fat faster.
7. Cloves
Cloves help reduce your blood sugar. They also help improve your digestion and optimize your metabolism.
8. Mustard
Mustard can boost your metabolism by up to 25 percent for several hours after eating. This can be done with as little as a teaspoon of the spice. Allyl isothiocyanates are to thank for this, which are phytochemicals that give mustard its characteristic flavor.
9. Garlic
Garlic is rich in antioxidants and helps burn belly fat. It also reduces LDL cholesterol, which may lower your risk of heart disease.
10. Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and it aids in gut health. It also has thermogenic properties that help boost your metabolism.
11. Cumin
Cumin is a powerful fat burner that also aids in digestion. One teaspoon can help you burn up to three times more body fat.
12. Parsley
Parsley is packed with vitamin C, making it a great immune-system booster. It’s also an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps protect your body against free-radical damage. It has anti-inflammatory properties, relaxes your muscles, and encourages digestion.
13. Fennel seeds
These are a natural diuretic and a powerful digestive aid.
14. Turmeric
We mentioned it earlier as being paired with the pepper, however, turmeric is powerful on its own as well! Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric. It slows the formation of fatty tissue by acting against the blood vessels needed to form it. Curcumin contributes to lower-body fat and weight loss. It is also an anti-inflammatory agent and lowers insulin resistance.
These little herbs traditionally used for flavor enhancement pack some major health aids. That being said, be sure to use them in liberal quantities when adding them to your meals and enjoy that powerful benefits!