Food is delicious, and it’s always nice to enjoy it, not just eat it because we feel hungry. Food doesn’t have to be boring, it is meant to be a pleasure for us both in cooking it and eating it. Making a good food is important for us, and it’s good to know what we eat and how we eat it. A good nutrition is the solid base of a healthy and happy life, so our food should be always balanced in proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but also in minerals and vitamins. Once we have achieved this, we can also start making food more interesting for our taste buds, because why not!
When we love cooking, we are usually getting the most out of it. Speaking of food, spices and herbs are like the cherry on the top of the cake. They can make our food taste delicious, look better, give it a proper texture and also add many nutrients to it that our body can benefit from. People usually use pepper, salt and paprika to give the food a better taste, but there are so many other exciting things that can be added to our food among these, that will make our food simply delicious.
What are herbs and spices?
As the name implies, they are of vegetarian provenience. Herbs are obtained from leafs and other green parts of a plant, whereas spices are obtained from certain parts of plants, such as from roots, seeds, bulb, stem and bark. Once these are gathered, some can me used fresh, but most of them will be dried out and then ready to use in food.
Herbs and spices are not just for adding flavor and texture to our food, but they can also add a good amount of nutritional value to our foods as well, and can even help us in some medical situations. Spices and herbs can contain lots of antioxidants and vitamins, and are considered in many cases natural remedies, which can help us in things such as weight loss, better immune system (which will make us stronger to viruses, bacteria and infections, faster healing) better cardiovascular health, a healthy brain and nervous system, and the list can go on.
Where to get herbs and spices?
Usually, all super markets have lots of kinds of them, and they are well labeled, containing precious nutritional and medical information and benefits. You can also make them yourself, by having an outdoor or indoor herb garden. It’s very easy to grow them, and you can find seeds to plant pretty much everywhere. This is even better because you know what you are growing, and you don’t use any dubious fertilizers and pesticides that can be harmful for our health.
Popular spices and herbs and their benefits
There are lots of kinds of spices and herbs that are waiting for you to try them. Down below we will make a list of the most popular ones. There’s something for everybody!
- Cinnamon: it can be used in lots of things. From cakes and cookies, to tea and coffee, cinnamon is not expensive and adds an unique taste. It is always know for its benefits such as a stronger immune system.
- Garlic: it is know not only for it’s delicious taste in foods, but also for its medical properties against cancer, against high LDL (bad) cholesterol, high blood pressure and lower chances of getting a stroke or heart disease. It’s also known for improving our immune system.
- Cloves: perfect for baking and not only!
- Rosemary: gives a good taste to soups, chowders and stews, and many others. It’s good for your brain’s health and your memory, and also contains antioxidants.
- Parsley: can be used in similar foods such as rosemary. It helps our digestion work better, contains vitamins such as Vitamin C and K.
- Mint: this one is loved by many for its taste, because it can be used in various cakes and foods, and we can even make tea out of it. It’s know for keeping colds away from us, aiding our digestive system, and help people with allergies.
- Paprika: If you are into spicy food, then you are in for a treat! It can be added to many foods, and if you don’t like spicy ones, no worries, there is also sweet paprika! Paprika also has health benefits, such as maintaining a good health of your eyes, can help you sleep better and helps your whole cardiovascular system in shape.
- Basil: basil can be used with steak or soups, chowders and stew. It gives an unique and intense taste and smell. Studies have shown that is has enormous health and nutritional benefits, including: antibiotic properties, high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
- Ginger: it also has an unique smell and taste. Can be used in teas, coffees, foods, and so on. It has a high concentration of Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, and other nutrients. Ginger is also used in medicine in various purposes.
- Oregano: one of my personal favorites! I add oregano to pretty much everything: omelets, salads, sauces, mashed potatoes, and so on.
- Mustard seeds: while adding good flavor to the food, they are also known for protecting our body against cancers of our gastrointestinal tract.
