Cooking with herbs and spices is ideal because you can add tremendous flavor, aroma and visual appeal to your meats, fruits and vegetables without adding unwanted calories, fats, salt and sugars.

You can easily see the benefits of cooking with herbs and spices is great. More importantly you can be creative in your cooking, because there are many varieties of herbs and spices to choose from.

Generally it's not much known that the benefits of using herbs and spices can speed up weight loss efforts, by quite a considerable amount actually.

More expressive the taste of food is, less need you have for adding salt and sugar, our most known white enemy. In addition, following herbs and spices contains ingredients, which contribute to slimmer figure and helps to lose weight.

Cayenne (also known as Capsicum, hot pepper, chilli pepper, tabasco pepper)
The majority of us have cayenne in our larders, and it is very commonly used in many food dishes. It is well known for its antioxidant action, and greatly helps with osteoarthritis and rhumatoid arthritis, shingles, and diabetic neuropathy. A note of caution however: Cayenne may act with anticoagulant drugs so be sure to consult with your doctor. Excessive use may also irritate the intestinal tract.

Chive
It works diuretic, stimulative and lowers blood sugar, besides it contains vitamin C and B2, calcium, sodium, phosphorus and iron. It can be added to soups, vegetables, omelettes and salads.

Chili
Burning is slim. Burning ingredients in Chili speed up metabolism and lowers cholesterol.

Cinnamon
Antioxidant and also lowers blood sugar. Add it to apple compote, lamb and pumpkins. Cinnamon confers a lot of health benefits: lowers LDL cholesterol and blood sugar, prevents leukemia and lymphoma, antimicrobial, anti-blood clotting, anti-arthritis, and many others. Cinnamon ethereal oil also accelerates digestion and works against inflammation.

Coriander
Fresh coriander is known for it's diuretic effect. You can cut it and add it to hot or cold soup, fish, potato sausage and salad. Grind grains can also be a salt substitute.

Cumin
Prevents flatulence. With grind grains spice up food of rice, cabbage, carrot, shrimps. Add some cumin to salt. And also to herbal tea.

Fennel
Is native to the Mediterranean and is widely utilized throughout the world. You will find it in teas, capsules, tinctures and lozenges. Fennel can be used to help with bloating, flatulence, mild digestive spasms, catarrh, and coughs. It also has antimicrobal, antispadmodic, and anti inflammatory properties. A note of caution here: Fennel can sometimes cause rare allergic skin and respiratory tract reactions. Fennel is also a potential source of synthetic estrogens and should be avoided if you are pregnant.

Garcinia (Garcinia cambogia)
Is a herb which is sold primarily for enhancing weight loss and boosting the amount of lean muscle. This is also known as hila or brindell berry. One of the major benefits of Garcinia is that it acts as an appetite suppressant and stops the body from storing fat.

Garlic
You can buy this fresh, or the one you will most probably have in your larder will be dried. The downside of garlic is the odour which it leaves on your breath, but chewing some parsley after eating will soon sort out that problem. Garlic is also known to help stimulate the immune system, and to help in fighting cancer. Well documented health benefits include lowering cholesterol,fighting infections, and reducing blood pressure. Again a note of caution: garlic may also interact with anticoaglant drugs, so do be sure to check with your doctor if in any doubt. Rare cases of allergic reactions are known, and some people might possibly experience heartburn or even flatulence.

Ginger
We all know that ginger can prevent seasickness. It also helps to maintain a flat belly. Use ginger to enrich grilled food, salad, fish, poultry, vegetables and also some sweets e.g. gingerbread. You can also find ginger candy and a tea with ginger. It's essential oil and burning substances warms your body, speed up metabolism and allay digestion.

Mint
Effective against flatulence and burning feeling in stomach. Mint is added to fish, shellfish, cheese and salads.

Mustard seed
Stimulates kidney activity and has mild purgative effect. Mustard is added to meat and sausages.

Onion
Universal spice in kitchen. It's essential oil makes us cry, but exactly this oils makes it so healthy. They speed up metabolism. Onion contains a lot of potassium, which helps to drain superfluous water and thus toxins out of the body.

Parsley
Stimulates liver activity and has a diuretic, antiseptic and purgative effect. Parsley is added to salads, omelettes, fish, potatoes and soups.

Pysillium (Plantago spp.)
This cheeky little herb has quite a few health benefits. Physillium is known to help lower cholesterol, and another major benefit is that it also helps to prevent constipation. If you use it as part of your weight loss program, it can help you to eat less calories and yet still feel really full. This is because of the amount of fiber that it contains.

Red pepper
Helps your body to burn away sugar and fat. Fresh or dry is added to vegetable, omelettes or meat.

Saffron
Stimulates gall bladder activity. Soak saffron in hot milk or water and add it to rice, fish soup and similar.

Siberian Gingsing (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
If you are going to start regular exercise as part of your health and weight loss routine, which is normally to be highly recommended, then this is a really useful herb. It can help your body adapt to the stress of unaccustomed changes, and it will help to make you feel less tired even when you are doing simple exercises like walking for example. So in turn therefore you are more likely to stick to your exercise routine.

Tarragon
Contains a lot of vitamin C and can substitute a salt. It stresses the taste of sausages, fish, white meat, pasta salads and omelettes.

You will realize of course that when using them as part of any dish to use them sparingly, as to add too much would just spoil the meal.

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