Spice girls were my favorite band when I was growing up.

I loved baby spice and posh spice, but just like them, the spice girls can’t be “it” anymore; the same goes for store-bought spices.

I don’t know if you noticed already, but some of the things you buy, I still don’t approve, even though they are organic.(just wait for when we’ll talk about whey powder), and you know why?

Because you’re hurting yourself and you get fat in the process.

This world that we are living in has a lot of bad things going against it but it also has amazing things going FOR it!

Before we even start to talk about the benefits for your body, let’s think how much you can help the planet when you’ll stop using pre-made and pre-packed store-bought products.

When you buy fresh products you reduce the amount of garbage you leave after you, meaning less garbage going to the ocean…

Think about the dolphins…

And now, after we did our good deed for the day (thinking of how we can help with keeping this beautiful planet beautiful!) let’s talk about what we’re going to do in order to make this amazing body of yours even more amazing.

I’m willing to put money that some of you are missing out on the taste of food. The taste of real food that is, without all the fake flavors you put in it.

What is the biggest spice box in the store?

Last time I checked, it was this gross bacon bits… That is not a spice! That’s just human-made poison …

If you want to lose weight or even to just look hot, get rid of that! Like now! Take it and put it in the garbage.

That’s not food and it’s not spice!

I’m going to give you a list of foods that can be used as spices too!!! (I don’t know if you noticed but I’m giving you in each blog a way to save more money):

Garlic, onion, lemon, parsley, ginger, basil, mint, rosemary and cilantro.

They are all foods and they are all spices and each and every one of them is a superfood J.

I do use other spices too but it’s very important, VERY important, that you get yourself a mortar and pestle. (in case you don’t know what it is go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortar_and_pestle)

Because you’re going to buy a whole spice, and not a gross powder and you’re going to have so much fun. Guaranteed!

Some of the spices you’re going to use, you can just shred by yourself.

Did you ever think how spices end up in our kitchen?

I choose to believe the ancient healers used them as medicine and then they used them to prevent disease and put them in their food and other people’s food and when they left this world they took the knowledge with them and we were left with spices and zero knowledge about what to do. So we, as usual, are messing things upL.  

If you think of it most spices can be used as anti-inflammatory components:

Turmeric – you can buy whole fresh turmeric and shred it! It looks like ginger with orange color. You can use it the same way as the powdered turmeric, only now you know what’s in it and it’s fresh. Something I like to do is to put it in my tahini (I also put lemon juice in my tahini and sometimes garlic/parsley).

Cinnamon – buy cinnamon sticks and grind them using your mortar and pestle. It’s not going to be easy, but what’s wrong with a little arms workout? You’ll thank me next time you’re waving to somebody…

Cinnamon is one of the best superfoods out there; it’s not just anti-inflammatory; it also helps you to balance insulin and blood sugar levels.

I like to put cinnamon on my hot chocolate or on my oats or on yogurt with silver almonds.

Nutmeg – did you ever smell a whole nutmeg? AMAZING!!!  What I like to do with the whole nutmeg is to put it in while I’m cooking and then after it has done its job and given the food everything it could, to throw it like yesterday’s paper.

Nutmeg is also a superfood that helps you to clean your liver and kidneys and helps reduce pain.

Cloves – cloves is another spice you grind using your mortar and pestle and then put in your food.

It’s great for toothache and helps against viruses like the flu.

I don’t use it as often as the others but that’s because I really like the others.

Before we start talking about our conclusions from this post I want to talk about one more spice…

Cayenne pepper – herbologists called it “the king of herbs” and it sure is!

What makes it so spicy is what makes it such a help in stimulating your heart beat and blood flow.

It’s an anti-cold, anti-flu and anti-allergen. It helps with the digestion, prevents and treats blood clots, is a joint-pain reliever, supports heart health and helps with weight loss.

 

You do want to be careful when you use it; it’s very spicy. But you can use it just like any other pepper.

 

So what did we learn? (so what have we learned?)

*you can make you own spice from stuff that grow in your garden.

*spices can be very healthy for you if you’re using the right kind.

*bacon bits it not spice.

*you’re probably ruining your taste buds by using what I call “fake spices” and what you call “pre-made store bought spices”.

*using pre-made store bought spices can make you fat but if you make your own spices you can Eat The Cake And Not Get Fat.

 

Bye now J

Researched and Written by Dana Gat  2013 ©