Herbs and spices to support your health

What are they

Herbs are... usually leaves and stems and more of a ‘seasoning’.
Spices are... usually derived from bark and are more of a key ingredient within a dish.

As well as adding flavour and taste to foods, herbs and spices can help with stress, poor digestion, inflammation, circulation and immunity problems and many more. They are used in other parts of the world as the main (and sometimes only) medicine.

In this article, I'm going to focus on herbs and spices to support digestion and reduce inflammation.

Herbs and spices to support digestion

Good digestion is essential for the body to function properly. Signs that it is out of balance include irregular or loose bowel movements, excessive wind, aches, acid reflux and bloating.

Try... ginger, basil, mint, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, horseradish, thyme, black pepper and nutmeg.

Herbs and spices to reduce inflammation

Inflammation is a natural and necessary response in the body. When there is an imbalance leading to too much inflammation, this can contribute to various health problems such as inflammatory skin disorders like eczema, heart problems, depression, pain (such as arthritis), inflammatory bowel disease and many more.

Try... turmeric, ginger and black pepper.

Ideas for using them

Maybe you already use some in your cooking? Such as basil with tomatoes or some dill with fish.

The pukka teas are great for their use of herbs and spices. They are now found in most supermarkets as well as health food shops and online. They are a great alternative to black tea.

The Schwartz website contains lots of ideas and recipes for using them to add flavour to dishes.

A traditional curry contains many spices. Want to make a healthier curry? Use a vegetable oil for frying, use chicken, fish or lentils rather than red meat and add lots of vegetables.

The book - cooking with Herbs and Spices: The Complete Guide to Aromatic Ingredients and How to Use them is a great introduction with lots of lovely recipes.