GGingerbread, peppermints, pumpkin pie. Aromas and treats of the season. Something Gingerbread, peppermints, pumpkin pie. Aromas and treats of the season. Something special? You bet! Something seasonal? Unfortunately. Too often we forget about spices after the holidays. I once thought of them as garnishes: nice to have, but not essential. Not anymore. Why? I realized that spices gave me a boost in happiness and health during the holidays. Then I thought why not carry that lift over into the whole year? Turns out that spices can do magic anytime.
Consider holiday favorites cinnamon, ginger, mint, and cloves. What magic powers do they have? Let’s take a look at ginger: it adds a snappy, lively taste to ginger snaps and ginger ale. But it does more. It’s anti-inflammatory. Many people with arthritis get relief from it. In a double-blind randomized trial, ⅛ tsp. ginger relieved migraine sufferers as much as the drug sumatriptan. And it is an old remedy to relieve nausea, as from motion sickness. It beat out Dramamine in a test in 1982.
Peppermint sticks and patties are a holiday staple. Mint refreshes tea, lemonade, and salads. It packs the most antioxidants of any common herb. Peppermint oil has helped relieve indigestion and colonic muscle spasms. Perhaps that’s why after-dinner mints are often served.
Many people insert clove pieces into the skins of oranges and apples to perfume the air. Stick them into a peeled onion to put in cooking soups. Powdered cloves are delicious added in small (half teaspoon) amounts to fruit salads, or on apple cider. They are rich in antioxidants, and manganese. They are mildly anaesthetic and have been used to quell tooth pain.
Cinnamon adds a piquant flavor to pumpkins, squash, fruit, and even oatmeal. And it may sharpen your mind. One study found that participants who smelled cinnamon performed better on mental tests. It has functioned to reduce processes of inflammation. It can help delay food spoilage. And it can reduce blood sugar levels. However, it is no longer recommended for treating diabetes. The cassia variety contains the chemical coumarin, which may be toxic to the liver at high doses. The ceylon variety doesn’t have coumarin, but it may not help blood sugar levels.
Now, NOTES OF CAUTION; Use small quantities only. Spices are potent. A tablespoon of ginger has been found to upset the stomach of one in twenty-five people in the study. If you use nutmeg, just use a sprinkle. More than two to three teaspoons are considered toxic.
1 Greger, M. How Not to Die, p.361
2http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=682
3Greger, M. How Not to Die, p.368
4Ibid. p.360
5 Ibid.p.367
Note: Here is a reference explaining essential oils: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/aromatherapy-do-essential-oils-reallWishing you happiness at the holidays, and beyond!
BWishing you happiness at the holidays, and beyond!
Wishing you happiness at the holidays, and beyond!
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Wishing you happiness at the holidays, and beyond!
Wishing you happiness at the holidays, and beyond!
special? You bet! Something seasonal? Unfortunately. Too often we forget about spices after the holidays. I once thought of them as garnishes: nice to have, but not essential. Not anymore. Why? I realized that spices gave me a boost in happiness and health during the holidays. Then I thought why not carry that lift over into the whole year? Turns out that spices can do magic anytime.
Consider holiday favorites cinnamon, ginger, mint, and cloves. What magic powers do they have? Let’s take a look at ginger. We know it adds a snappy, lively taste to ginger snaps and ginger ale. But it does more. It’s anti-inflammatory. Many people with arthritis get relief from it. In a double-blind randomized trial, ⅛ tsp. ginger relieved migraine sufferers as much as the drug sumatriptan. And it is an old remedy to relieve nausea, as from motion sickness. It beat out Dramamine in a test in 1982.
Peppermint sticks and patties are a holiday staple. Mint refreshes tea, lemonade, and salads. It packs the most antioxidants of any common herb. Peppermint oil has helped relieve indigestion and colonic muscle spasms. Perhaps that’s why after-dinner mints are often served.
Many people insert clove pieces into the skins of oranges and apples to perfume the air. Stick them into a peeled onion to put in cooking soups. Powdered cloves are delicious added in small (half teaspoon) amounts to fruit salads, or on apple cider. They are rich in antioxidants, and manganese. They are mildly anaesthetic and have been used to quell tooth pain.
Cinnamon adds a piquant flavor to pumpkins, squash, fruit, and even oatmeal. And it may sharpen your mind. One study found that participants who smelled cinnamon performed better on mental tests. It has functioned to reduce processes of inflammation. It can help delay food spoilage. And it can reduce blood sugar levels. However, it is no longer recommended for treating diabetes. The cassia variety contains the chemical coumarin, which may be toxic to the liver at high doses. The ceylon variety doesn’t have coumarin, but it may not help blood sugar levels.
Now, NOTES OF CAUTION; Use small quantities only. Spices are potent. A tablespoon of ginger has been found to upset the stomach of one in twenty-five people in the study. If you use nutmeg, just use a sprinkle. More than two to three teaspoons are considered toxic.
ingerbread, peppermints, pumpkin pie. Aromas and treats of the season. Something special? You bet! Something seasonal? Unfortunately. Too often we forget about spices after the holidays. I once thought of them as garnishes: nice to have, but not essential. Not anymore. Why? I realized that spices gave me a boost in happiness and health during the holidays. Then I thought why not carry that lift over into the whole year? Turns out that spices can do magic anytime.
Consider holiday favorites cinnamon, ginger, mint, and cloves. What magic powers do they have? Let’s take a look at ginger. We know it adds a snappy, lively taste to ginger snaps and ginger ale. But it does more. It’s anti-inflammatory. Many people with arthritis get relief from it. In a double-blind randomized trial, ⅛ tsp. ginger relieved migraine sufferers as much as the drug sumatriptan. And it is an old remedy to relieve nausea, as from motion sickness. It beat out Dramamine in a test in 1982.
Peppermint sticks and patties are a holiday staple. Mint refreshes tea, lemonade, and salads. It packs the most antioxidants of any common herb. Peppermint oil has helped relieve indigestion and colonic muscle spasms. Perhaps that’s why after-dinner mints are often served.
Many people insert clove pieces into the skins of oranges and apples to perfume the air. Stick them into a peeled onion to put in cooking soups. Powdered cloves are delicious added in small (half teaspoon) amounts to fruit salads, or on apple cider. They are rich in antioxidants, and manganese. They are mildly anaesthetic and have been used to quell tooth pain.
Cinnamon adds a piquant flavor to pumpkins, squash, fruit, and even oatmeal. And it may sharpen your mind. One study found that participants who smelled cinnamon performed better on mental tests. It has functioned to reduce processes of inflammation. It can help delay food spoilage. And it can reduce blood sugar levels. However, it is no longer recommended for treating diabetes. The cassia variety contains the chemical coumarin, which may be toxic to the liver at high doses. The ceylon variety doesn’t have coumarin, but it may not help blood sugar levels.
Now, NOTES OF CAUTION; Use small quantities only. Spices are potent. A tablespoon of ginger has been found to upset the stomach of one in twenty-five people in the study. If you use nutmeg, just use a sprinkle. More than two to three teaspoons are considered toxic.
Gingerbread, peppermints, pumpkin pie. Aromas and treats of the season. Something special? You bet! Something seasonal? Unfortunately. Too often we forget about spices after the holidays. I once thought of them as garnishes: nice to have, but not essential. Not anymore. Why? I realized that spices gave me a boost in happiness and health during the holidays. Then I thought why not carry that lift over into the whole year? Turns out that spices can do magic anytime.
Consider holiday favorites cinnamon, ginger, mint, and cloves. What magic powers do they have? Let’s take a look at ginger. We know it adds a snappy, lively taste to ginger snaps and ginger ale. But it does more. It’s anti-inflammatory. Many people with arthritis get relief from it. In a double-blind randomized trial, ⅛ tsp. ginger relieved migraine sufferers as much as the drug sumatriptan. And it is an old remedy to relieve nausea, as from motion sickness. It beat out Dramamine in a test in 1982.
Peppermint sticks and patties are a holiday staple. Mint refreshes tea, lemonade, and salads. It packs the most antioxidants of any common herb. Peppermint oil has helped relieve indigestion and colonic muscle spasms. Perhaps that’s why after-dinner mints are often served.
Many people insert clove pieces into the skins of oranges and apples to perfume the air. Stick them into a peeled onion to put in cooking soups. Powdered cloves are delicious added in small (half teaspoon) amounts to fruit salads, or on apple cider. They are rich in antioxidants, and manganese. They are mildly anaesthetic and have been used to quell tooth pain.
Cinnamon adds a piquant flavor to pumpkins, squash, fruit, and even oatmeal. And it may sharpen your mind. One study found that participants who smelled cinnamon performed better on mental tests. It has functioned to reduce processes of inflammation. It can help delay food spoilage. And it can reduce blood sugar levels. However, it is no longer recommended for treating diabetes. The cassia variety contains the chemical coumarin, which may be toxic to the liver at high doses. The ceylon variety doesn’t have coumarin, but it may not help blood sugar levels.
Now, NOTES OF CAUTION; Use small quantities only. Spices are potent. A tablespoon of ginger has been found to upset the stomach of one in twenty-five people in the study. If you use nutmeg, just use a sprinkle. More than two to three teaspoons are considered toxic.