Most processed foods on shelves today use salt and other
weird additives (most I can barely pronounce) to add flavor to meals. I’m sure
you can imagine that this affects your health in many ways, such as high blood
pressure, GI problems, and so on (I’ll save that rant for another day). However one healthy way to add flavor to foods is
to use herbs and spices. They all have different health benefits, and are so
much tastier than salt!
So here are a couple of common herbs and spices and their
benefits:
Rosemary: Prevents
DNA mutations (lowers cancer risk!), and may also stop damage to blood vessels
(improving heart health, woo!).
Oregano: Has a
very high level of antioxidants that improve immunity, and relieve stress put on the body (from smoking, pollution and
other nasty stuff).
Cinnamon: reduces
inflammation (relieving pain!), also lowers LDL levels (reducing heart problems!).
Cayenne pepper:
Speeds up metabolism and fat burning.
Garlic: Prevents
the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms in the body (can sooth an upset
stomach and prevent infections!), and can also lower blood pressure.
You can buy herbs dried or fresh, just remember that dried
are much stronger. The rule is use a 1
to 3 ratio in any recipe (ex. 1 teaspoon of dried or 3 teaspoons of fresh).
Both dried and fresh have nutritional benefits, but fresh will
defiantly give you more for your buck (considering it hasn’t lost any oils, or
aged significantly). The university of Colorado did some work on this and
determined that fresh garlic has 1.5 times more antioxidants than dried garlic
(hot damn!).
So grow some in your backyard or in a pot by your window!
As far as your garlic rule, do you consider a store-bought jar of minced garlic to be "fresh"? It's not technically dry, so I figured I'd ask! Also, I love your blog Amanda! I'm trying to be healthier so I find your stuff very relevant. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading; I'm so glad you love it! If there is anything you would like me to talk about in a post just ask :)
ReplyDeleteAs far as the cooking rule goes I would consider it fresh. Garlic powder or flakes would be considered dry (and much stronger to taste). Some people say that the jar kind is a little bit weaker than using a fresh clove, so you may want to even use a little extra (I honestly have never noticed the different, but then again I’m not that good of a cook). Just be sure to keep an eye on the expiration date of the jar since the older it gets, the less health benefits you will get.