Spice up your diet (and health) with these spices and addatives

A well planned out fat burning fitness diet can be very boring since complex recipes make it hard to count calories and are therefore discouraged. But with some forethought and planning, it doesn't have to be tasteless.

Here are 6 spices you can add to your fitness diet that will not only make bland chicken breast tasty, but are also good for your long health term health.

((Whoa... 5 of them start with a C and the 6th starts with a G))

Curry /Turmeric (India) an antioxidant rich yellow powder that helps fight some cancers, Alzheimers and joint inflammation

Cardamom (India). Stimulates the GI, relives indigestion and helps alleviate intestinal gas.

Cinnamon (from the bark of a tropical tree) common in dessert dishes. Helps improve circulation, is a natural anti-inflammatory (to releive pain) and can be a sedative. It is also beleived to help diabetics with blood sugar control as well as blood pressure control.

Cloves. These are the premature buds from an evergreen tree. Its oil has been used for centuries to alleviate tooth pain and as an antiseptic in mouthwashes. It also has anti-inflammatory properties great for arthritis. Used to also help reduce congestion and stimulate digestion.

Cumin (Mediterranean). High in Iron & Manganese and helps with digestion and bloating.

Ginger (Asia) a common root in Asian & Indian foods, especially desserts and served with sushi. It is rich in antioxidants, helps with intestinal gas and nausea (due to motion sickness, pregnancy morning sickness and hangovers).

Simple ways to incorporate these into your diet
First off, all of them but Curry/Turmeric, can be steeped into teas, which is the easiest way. If you don't like tea.

Add Cinnamon (and Splenda or Stevia) to your morning oatmeal or yams to make it sweeter.
Cardamom is great sprinkled on rice (often used in rice pilaf in India)
Ginger, sliced finely set to the side of any dish.
Curry/Turmeric- my favorite of them all, I use it on chicken and rice and squashes. And you can find curry that is spicy. I prefer it with salt.
Cloves- this is best steeped into a liquid like soup or into a tea
Cumin can be added to turkey chili to give it some flavor as well as bean dishes. But be careful because too much is very bitter


Other spices & addatives worth adding

Vinegar- Acetic acid is it's scientific name and is derived from the fermented simple sugars. Apple Cidar Vinegar has been regarded as a wonder tonic throughout human history. And the list of health benefits is endless. Added to a carb rich meal, it has been shown to help prevent a blood sugar surge/drop and has been shown to help the body absorb calcium more efficiently.

Capsaicin- the spice that makes peppers hot. It helps control hunger and very slight increase in caloric burn. Main ingredient in Paprika

Basil, an common herb, can be added to just about anything. I love it with sauteed shrimp. It's good for digestive issues and has been used to treat anxiety, memory loss. It's also good as a food preserver.

Rosemary. Another good one for memory issues, headache reliever, and minor aches and pains. Sprinkle this on lean beef or potatoes !

Garlic. Known to scare of vampires and cold bugs (in its raw form). Scientfically proven to lower cholesterol over time.

Like I said, if planned properly, you can get all of the above in one day of meals.

Meal 1
- Eggwhite omlette- sprinkle with Paprika
- Oatmeal- sprinkle with Cinnamon

Meal 2
- Grilled chicken breast- sprinkle with Curry
- Grilled potatoes- sprinkle with Rosemary
- Steamed Brocolli- add minced garlic

Meal 3
- Shrimp with Basil
- Steamed rice, Sprinkled with Cardamom
- Veggies

Meal 4
- Sashimi w/ ginger
- sushi rice
- seaweed salad w/

Meal 5
- Canned tuna
- spinach greens
- Rice- add vinegar to make it tastier

Meal 6
- Clove tea
- Cottage cheese
- fruit

Ok, did I cover them all?