Healthy happy you.
If something you are eating (or drinking) needs a bit of a kick, don't turn to salt or sugar to do the trick, try adding some spices! Spices are not only lower in calories, but also offer a long list of health benefits including curbing hunger, strengthening muscles, boosting your brainpower, and improving your mood. A simple way to spice up your life is to start with your daily cuppa joe. Read more
Take a flavorful trip south of the border with this cumin and cayenne scented chicken dish. Pounded chicken breast halves and canned black beans make this meal come together in a flash. First the chicken is seared, then the black beans are sautéed with vegetables in the pan drippings. Sound delish? Wait till you taste this healthy and provocative dish! To get the recipe, read more Read more
Me, I like it hot. You name it, I'll sprinkle a little hot sauce on it. I just like the taste (and the heat) but adding spice to your food can curb hunger, strengthen muscles, boost your brainpower and improve mood. Here's why: Staying slender: A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that when women added 2 teaspoons of dried red pepper on their food, they consumed fewer calories and Read more
Oooohh . . . It is getting hot in here. Red hot. Red hot pepper that is. I am talking about cayenne pepper. This spice is hot right now for so many reasons — here are just five. Cayenne is made from ground dried pods of chili peppers. It has hardly any aroma, but makes up for its lack of smell with a powerfully hot taste. The active ingredient in cayenne is capsaicin and it this Read more
Have you recently gotten engaged and you are dying to show off your ring? It's time to get your hands, not just your arms, in shape. Here are some tips: The winter does a number on your hands - you're constantly washing them to prevent colds and flu, and the dry air can leave you skin and nails brittle and cracked. Find a moisturizing hand soap to use that'll kill the germs, but won't dry Read more
Cayenne pepper is made from dried chili peppers, and is known for its strong, spicy taste and smell. It's used in many dishes to give them a little "kick," but it can also be used for medicinal purposes. Capsaicin is the chemical in the chili pepper that gives it its heat. It has been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines to treat many health conditions like poor circulation, headaches, Read more
Externally, an oil or cream made from cayenne can help relieve back pain. Cayenne contains Capsaicin, which is a powerful pain reliever used in commercial creams. You should be able to purchase an oil or cream containing cayenne from your local health food store. You can also make a cream by mixing a small amount of cayenne pepper with a skin cream, like Eucerin. If you're more an oil gal, you Read more
We've always wanted to take a stab at rolling out a few Natchitoches meat pies. Thanks to an easy recipe from Food Orleans, this might be a dream realized sooner rather than later. [Baked or fried? You decide.] Natchitoches meat pies are one of those special little treats with a name as fun to say as they are to scarf down. Nackadish — that's how you say it — is a small town we drive through Read more
I pretty much adore anything coconut, so when a lactose-intolerant friend introduced me to her version of hot cocoa, made with powdered coconut milk, I became obsessed. Believe it or not, I'm usually lukewarm on hot chocolate, but I've fallen in love with this "cocoa-nut" recipe. The basic makeup comes from Alton Brown, just swapping powdered coconut milk for powdered milk and subtracting the Read more
We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social networking site that celebrates our favorite topics, including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly. Today, Padma sings the virtues of a lesser-known condiment: homemade chili honey Read more
