Using Healing Spices in Your Kitchen

You probably have a spice rack in your kitchen. But did you know that its contents can do much more than add a little flavor to your meals? If you have certain key spices in your cabinet, you can use them to promote heart health, help prevent cancer, reduce inflammation, and more. By incorporating healing spices into your cooking and using them more frequently, you will be doing your body a huge favor.

So, what are healing spices?

Oil of clove is 60 to 90 percent eugenol, A potent pain deadening antimicrobal. Clove has earned the official endorsement of the FDA as an effective stopgap measure for tooth pain. Clove is also among the spices that can help the body use insulin more effectively, thus lowering blood sugar.

Cinnamon is another healing spice that is found in almost every spice rack. Cinnamon is a nutritional powerhouse, with antioxidant properties that keep cells safe from oxidative stress and dangerous free radicals. Cinnamon is also a powerful weapon against cardiovascular problems. Cinnamon (like cloves) helps the hormone insulin work better and also reduces blood sugar levels.

To incorporate both cinnamon and cloves into your diet, try this Spiced Iced Tea recipe that’ll cool you down during the heat:

Ingredients

• 10 cups boiling water
• 3 Lipton fresh brew black iced tea bags
• ½ Tbsp pure bourbon vanilla extract
• 10 whole cloves
• 2 large cinnamon sticks
• ½ whole nutmeg
• Sugar to taste (1/4 to ½ cup)

Directions

1. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg to a heat-resistant pitcher.
2, Place the tea bags in the pitcher and pour hot water over it. Add vanilla and stir.
3, Steep for 5-7 minutes. (You want the tea to be strong to compensate for the ice diluting the tea when served.)
4. Take out tea bags and stir in sugar while water is still hot.
5. Let tea cool to room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Sage is another age old healing spice. The oils found in sage are both antiseptic and antibiotic, so it can help fight infections. It has also been known to have calming effects and it is associated with helping memory and mood. Sage is also great for digestion, and it has estrogen-like effects that are believed to relieve hot flashes and night sweats (two symptoms of menopause).

Try this Sage and White Bean Dip recipe that’s perfect for when you’re entertaining some guests (it also incorporates a few other healing spices, garlic and cayenne pepper):

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can of cannellini beans (or other white bean)
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Use a food processor to combine all ingredients until totally smooth.

We hope you use these spices to promote health in your home!