FitSugar

Healthy Sugar and Salt Substitutes: Spice It Up!

Heather Dale — Fri, 13 May 2011 11:39:24 PDT

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. Instead of sugar, you can use spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, or a pumpkin spice mixture to help add some flair to your coffee. Research has shown that cinnamon can temper the blood sugar surge that follows a sweet treat, so get creative and add some cinnamon to your meals! Use it in fresh fruit salads, yogurt, or even this cucumber salad.

When it comes to really pungent cayenne, you can experiment by adding it to pasta dishes or sauces to give them a kick. The active ingredient in cayenne spice - capsicum - is said to be able to kill cancer cells without harming healthy ones and help with digestion and gas, so be adventurous when mixing it into dishes.

Learn about more spices that are good for you.

Become a Spice Girl, For Your Health

FitSugar — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 09:00:00 PDT

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 fat in later meals. Give your diet a light start; splash hot sauce on your morning omelet.
Becoming stronger: The curcumin that turns turmeric yellow also helps reduce inflammation and aids muscle repair after heavy exercise, researchers at the University of South Carolina at Columbia say. Enjoy the Indian spice for a few days before a big workout (try stirring it in a cup of lowfat cottage cheese and sliced fruit) to speed recovery.
Keeping sharp: Curcumin also sweeps out plaque deposits in your brain, which may help stave off Alzheimer’s disease, research from the University of California at Los Angeles suggests. For a savory meal, dust curry spices over rice and beans.
Getting happy: Capsaicin (the compound that gives chiles their kick) triggers pain receptors in the mouth, in turn signaling your brain to release feel-good endorphins, according to scientists at the State University of New York at Buffalo. That chemical surge not only helps dull the pepper’s bite, but it also betters your mood. Next time you need a quick lift, toss red pepper flakes or some diced chile peppers into your salad or bowl of chilled soup. Now that’s cool!

Source

Could Changing Your Mood Be as Easy as Changing What You Eat?

Allure — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:08:25 PST

We're excited to present this story from our friends at Allure:

Turns out eating well won't just make you feel better in some abstract, "brown rice is healthy so I'll feel virtuous if I eat it" kind of a way. A diet that is specifically designed to reduce inflammation may boost your mood. Recently, inflammation has been implicated in nearly every physical woe, from blemishes to the biggies like heart disease and Alzheimer's. Here at Allure, we've reported on how anti-inflammatories benefit the skin: topical antioxidants, and certain foods and supplements may all reduce acne, signs of aging, and skin cancer. Now Dr. Andrew Weil, health guru and author of the new book, Spontaneous Happiness, argues that eating certain foods won't just make us look better; it could actually keep the blues away. "It looks as if depression is another manifestation of inflammation," says Weil. He outlines a diet that will suppress harmful inflammation throughout your body when you keep reading.

4 Natural Remedies You Already Have in Your Pantry

Leta Shy — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:06:33 PDT

Some ailments need the power of the medicine cabinet, but other times when you're not feeling that hot all you need to do is look toward the spice rack. Whether you're in a bad mood, can't stop coughing, nursing a hangover, or have post-workout soreness, here are four spices that can help you feel better - no medicine required!

What: Peppers
When to use: When you're feeling down.
Why: The hot feeling you get in your mouth is from the compound capsaicin. It triggers pain receptors in your mouth, which causes your brain to release feel-good endorphins to compensate.
How to eat: Spice up a cold, dreary day with this spicy-sweet chili recipe, or this recipe for a healthy version of spicy eggplant.

What: Ginger
When to use: When you're fighting a cold or feeling nauseous or achy.
Why: Remedy the sniffles, aches, and congestion of the season with ginger; ginger contains a chemical that helps reduce nausea and inflammation symptoms, and ginger tea has been a tried-and-true congestion remedy for years.
How to eat: Whip up this ginger tea recipe the next time you are feeling under the weather, or dress up your dinner with this ginger-garlic broccoli recipe.

Read on for more remedies you can make with what's already in your spice cabinet!

Why You Should Be Adding Turmeric to Your Meals

Heather Dale — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:55:31 PST

Did you know that it's the powerful Indian spice turmeric that gives curry dishes that nice bold yellow hue? Turmeric not only adds to the aesthetic of Indian dishes, but it is also a powerful healing aid. The active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, works in a very similar way to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. For thousands of years, people in China and India have been using the spice to treat inflammatory ailments and as an antiseptic for cuts and burns, both in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Today, people continue to use this spice to reduce inflammation and accelerate muscle repair after heavy exercise.

To keep learning about turmeric's medicinal attributes and to find out what everyday dishes you can easily add turmeric to, just

read more. The curcumin in turmeric is not only an anti-inflammatory wonder spice, but it is also filled with antioxidants that will help protect your cells from free radical damage. Other benefits include:

Promotes healthy blood and liver functions
Supports the immune system against stress
Promotes healthy skin
Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels
Helps keep your blood healthy and detoxifies the liver
Digestive aid

This bitter and earthy flavored spice can be added to many foods. Here's a delicious cauliflower with turmeric recipe that is quick and easy to make. You can also use it to season meats (instead of salt and pepper), to spice up any egg or lentil dishes, or sprinkled on sautéed apples for dessert. You can even make your own turmeric tea if you're feeling really ambitious! Cooking tip: turmeric will stain anything it gets in contact with - including your counter and/or hands, so be sure to wash thoroughly if you have any spills.

Source: Flickr User ciamabue

Health Headlines: The Fight Against Breast Cancer Is Stronger

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:00:02 PST

Two stories came out this week that show great promise for the fight against breast cancer by ridding the body of breast cancer stem cells. These stem cells have been resistant to chemotherapy treatments and remained in the breast even after the cancer went into remission. Researchers hope that if they can eliminate the stem cells responsible for breast cancer, they can control the spread and recurrence of the disease.

Spices May Prevent Breast Cancer
- WebMD
In combination, turmeric and black pepper were shown to halt the growth of new breast cancer stem cells when applied in a laboratory dish. Piperine, which is found in black and long pepper, enhances the cancer-fighting properties of curcumin, which is prevalent in the spice turmeric. Before you run out and grab that curry, keep in mind that the spice solution was 20 times more potent than the spices found in a normal diet. More studies will be done to find a safe dosage for patients.

Experimental Drug Kills Breast Cancer Stem Cells
- Reuters
In clinical trials, an experimental compound called MK-0752 was effective in killing breast cancer stem cells in lab mice. The mice were injected with breast cancer stem cells from women and grew tumors that were identical to those growing in the women. When researchers combined chemotherapy with the compound they found, they were able to halt the growth of new cells.