Spices
Spices
Seemingly light and delicate, herbs and spices are unassumingly powerful. It makes food more interesting.Spices not only make delightful flavor to meals. The are evocative of unique cultural experiences. Spices also have medicinal value that can be used to support your body.
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Ayurveda has made an art and science with medicinal value of spices, often using them interchangeably with herbs.With Ayurveda, use of spices literally turns your pantry into a medicine cabinet, once you know how.
Introduction
Spices have always been and are an indispensable part of Indian cuisine. Apart from providing an aromatic texture and enhancing the taste of dishes, some of the spices have several health benefits according to Ayurveda. These spices help in keeping diseases at bay and provide other health benefits like improved digestion, detoxifying the body and help in maintaining good health. What is more, these everyday spices can be used in almost every meal we make.One can have disease free body.
Spices are found naturally and posses chemical compounds and essential oils. They are plant based food sources which we obtain from different parts of a plants or a tree. Apart from good source of essential nutrient, they also contain anti nutrients. Spices enhances flavor or aroma of food and enrich the functional benefits of food with their medicinal properties. The combination of spices with the different types of meals varies according to the consumer's acceptance. The wide occurrence of spices from various parts of mother earth favors its healing ability in prevention of illness and treatment of some disease conditions. The medicinal / therapeutic functions and properties of spices are identified by the researchers and proved by the scientific evidences.
Spices are remarkably used for preservation of food preservation techniques adopted by the spices supports the reduction in the growth of microbes and germs on foods.Hence they increase shelf life of foods and improve the quality of food. Seasonal foods when they are preserved and packed with spices, they are made available in all seasons with their restored nutrients.
Spices are different from herbs, why spices are used in their dry form and herbs are preferably fresh green leaves. Spices have strongest flavoring agents in comparison to the herbs. The best flavors emerge from freshly ground spices.. Paste and powders of spices are easily available for the convenience and increased storage capacity. The combination of so many spices together seeks special attention in Indian based recipes. Storage of spices plays a vital role to retain their fragrance and chemical nature. Cool and dry places freed from heat can increase the shelf life of spices even at least more than six months or even one year.
When a person struggles a lot to accept his/her planned diet plan, the spices create miracles to encourage food lovers to enjoy their healthy and nutritious meal. The poor acceptance of a menu designed with the strict restrictions of salt, sugar or oil can easily be taken care of by spices. The promotion of mental health is indispensable with planning a meal for any individual. Spices energize the support required for fulfillment of our psychological demands in concern with foods. Spices when it is used in a form of powder, bark,seeds they do wonder to bring variety and colors to foods. Thus they are proved to be good natural appetizers.
When we add or sprinkle spices to various dishes , the meal become our own divine food. Foods performs and promote different activities of our vital organs to stay healthy. The basic functions of food include energy giving, building and protective measures. The major contributors for the sources of energy are mainly carbohydrates, proteins and fats. But their metabolism requires enough amounts of other nutrients like vitamins and minerals for the proper utility of the essentials chemical forms to perform so many functions in our body. The lead role taken by spices includes palatability, utility of nutrients and prevention of disease conditions. The effectiveness of spices can be easily justifiable by the possibly of making varieties and combinations in our daily meal.
Health Effects of Spices
Most spices have an especially powerful effect that improves digestion, circulation, metabolism and immunity. Most spices are anti microbial as well. Spices have the ability, for example to improve your ability to digest rich, heavy foods like meat or dairy.
Ajwain (Carom seeds)
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| Ajwain |
Help soothe pain due to gas or indigestion.Every morning 4 glasses of water with 2 teaspoon of carom seeds (ajwain). Let it cool down to room temperature and drink this water throughout the day. Add ajwain as an ingredient when making roti cooking vegetables.
Black pepper
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| Black Pepper |
Qualities : Light ,not very hot
Effect on Doshas : Alleviates vata and kapha
Other effect : Improves appetite.
It can help you digest heavy foods such as cheese.
Known as the king of spices.It is rich in Antioxidant, flavonoids,vitamin A and C . It has piperine, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight free radicals improve digetion and the absorption of beneficial compounds.
Hing or asafoetida miraculously prevents beans from causing gas.
Cardamom ensures a cup of tea won't lead to mucus congestion.
Curcumin of Turmeric
- Food additives
- Neuro protective
- Anti oxidant
- Cancer preventive agent
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| Turmeric |
Eugenol of Cloves
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| Clove |
- Antiseptic
- Analgesic
- Treat dental problems
Ginger:
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| Ginger |
- Improves digestion
- Anti inflammatory
- Fight flu/ common cold
Shogaol of dried / cooked ginger
- Prevents breast cancer
- Anti neuro-inflammatory
Dry Ginger (Sonth)
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| Dry Ginger |
Post digestive effect : Sweet.
Effect on Doshas : Relieves vata and and kapha disorders.
Other effect : Improves appetite, Aphrodisiac
Powder also known as sonth, take with food. Ginger offers health benefits, including nti-inflammation effect.
Ginger , ajwain and turmeric are added to meals to ensure digestibility. Although the number of calories in your meal stays the same, with spices your ability to process and metabolize these foods change, which may mean that you burn the calories more quickly or find relief from acid reflux.
Most spices are some combinations of pungent hot, sharp and dry. These penetrating attributes ignite digestive strength (agni) and burn up toxins (ama). They improve circulation which cleanses your tissues. Other spices are aromatic, acrid , bitter or sour qualities as well, but not always. The taste (rasa) and sensory experience of each spice gives you certain clues to its medicinal effects. This means you can often tell the medicinal properties of a spice merely by tasting it.
Each spice independent of taste has unique pharmacological actions as well (prabhava) for example,
Allicin or Garlic
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| Garlic |
It is mysteriously grounding despite its sharpness,
- Anti bacterial
- Inhibits platelet aggregation, tumor cell growth
- Reduce risk of heart disease/stroke
Coriander
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| Coriander |
Coriander is a small hollow stemmed plant in the Apiacear family, in the genus Coriandum. Its scientific name is Coriandum sativum. Pleasant, aromatic and spicy.. Its seeds have found in utility since ancient times in cooking as well as in various traditional medicines. It is also referred to as Chinese Parsley or Cilantro or coriander in English, dhania in Hindi and urdu and kothamavallivitai in Tamil. The leaves of this plant are used as a flavoring agent and a powdered seeds are used as a spice in the Indian kitchen.
Chilli peppers :/ Cayenne despite its burning effect, is paradoxically, anti-inflammatory.
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| Cayenne |
- Increase metabolism'
- Burns Fat
Anethole of Star Anise and Shikimic acid
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| Star anise |
- Anti viral
- Anti microbial
Myristicin and elemicin of Nutmeg is a sedative.
- Induces sleep
- Treats joints and muscle pain
- Treat depression
Fenugreek
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| Fenugreek |
It though bitter is nourishing. Seeds are great to help prevent and ease back and joint pain. .Fenugreek seeds or fresh fenugreek are also taken to help nursing mothers increase their breast milk supply.
Long Pepper (green/dry)
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| Long Pepper |
Qualities : Sweet, heavy, lubricant,pungent. hot
Effect on Doshas : Enhances kapha, relieves kapha and vata.
Other effect : Aphrodisiac
Pippali powder and honey taken two hourly good for respiratory problems.
Gaund (Gond)
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| Gaund |
It is an edible gum resin that is extracted from the bark of the tree. Gaund provides heat to the body and is usually eaten in cold winter months. Gaund and whole wheat ka ladoo is normally prepared for the nursing mother to help with lactation and provide nutrients for the baby. The main ingredients are whole wheat flour, butter, nuts, gaund, poppy seeds and sugar.
Gokshura
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| Gokshura |
Ghee processed with Gokshura (Tribulus terrestris). Gokshura is basically a well known diuretic, but it is also a well known rasayana (rejuvenator). It helps in relieving swelling and prevents complications caused by water retention like pre eclampia, PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension) etc.
Rock Salt
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| Sandha Namak/ Rock salt |
Qualities : Slightly Sweet,
Effect on Doshas : Relieves disorders of all three doshas
Other effect : Best among salts, improves appetite,vision aphrodisiac.
Sendha namak, a type of salt, is formed when salt water from a sea or lake evaporates and leaves behind colorful crystals of sodium chloride. It's also called halite, saindhava lavana, or rock salt. Himalayan pink salt is one of the best known types of rock salt, but several other varieties exist. Sendha namak, or rock salt, has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to boost skin health and treat coughs, colds, and stomach conditions. While research on many of these benefits is lacking, rock salts offer trace minerals and may help treat sore throats and low sodium levels
The only way to learn these special pharmacological effects of spices is through research and your own experimentation. Does fenugreek nourish you as it does others.
While all spices have some medicinal value each one is unique. Since spices are so diverse the sky is the limit of their unique properties. and benefits. While many spices have similar properties, there are equally many layers of subtlety to appreciate.
When we wonder or question about the health benefits of spices, it is remarkably interesting to find the term "NUTACEUTICALS". The term sounds to be technically new but it refers to the healing power of substance obtained from the foods or food sources. They are active substances which are obtained from food to assist in prevention and treatment of any health problems. The biologically active components though found in very less quantity were proved to be very effective in disease prevention.
Nutraceuticals users the wide range of food sources but highlights the functional properties of foods with their chemical nature and their interaction with human body. The mirror active components are extracted from food sources which includes spices can relieve the discomforts. They aid in performing the specific mechanism to get rid of illness and motivate healthy well being. The properties of spices are clearly understood with the study on their mechanism and body's response towards it. Nutraceuticals includes dietary supplements, isolated nutrients, plant extract, herbal products, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Spices with is nutraceutical properties finds its way for the preventive measure and supports in elimination of so many risk factors like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. Few examples are mentioned below with specific uses of spices with their active components.
The Advantage of using Spices in our daily diet includes the following :
- They promote healthy well being with good maintenance of body parts and organs.
- Improves salivation to increase appetite.
- They assist in treating diabetes by maintaining blood sugar level.
- Relieve sore throat, cold and fever symptoms.
- Treat respiratory infections, mild fever and influenza.
- They help in prevention of platelet clogging in blood vessels thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Reduce pain and symptoms of menstruation.
- Control bad breath and dental problems.
- Prevent allergies.
- Active antioxidants.
- Increase absorption of some vitamins and minerals.
- Good for maintaining blood pressure.
- Active digestive enzymes for treatment of stomach upset and indigestion.
- Can assist in aroma therapy.
- Relieve the pain in arthritic condition.
- Cancer protective effect.
- Provide relief from constipation, discomforts due to gas and nausea..
- Enhance mood, ease mental health.
- They help in nourishing hair and skin to feel young.
Varieties with Spices
Spices can go along with all types of food sources like cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables to make our meal delicious and nutritious. All healthy diet for treatment of any ailment requires the sufficient support from spices to blend the taste and nutrients. There are emerging trends to encourage the combination of fruits and spices.The active chemical components of both fruits and spices which are purely natural plant based organic substances found to be useful for the medicinal purposes.. We can try with innovative mixing up of cut fruits with spices to enjoy the new taste of nutritious snack meal. Here are some of the examples with different cooking methods where aromatic spices can be included.
- LASSI made out of mangoes and toasted cumin with fresh mint.
- Watermelon POPSICLES with crushed pepper
- BAKED apple with cinnamm powder.
- CANDIES of berries or cherries with cumin powder.
- SALADS with ginger extract.
- PANCAKES with strawberries and black Pepper.
- MUSKMELON juice with cayenne pepper
- Mushroom / vegetables SOUP with red chilli flakes / white pepper powder.
- DRIED apricot with cinnamon or cumin powder.
- FRESH bananas with cardamom
- Crushed garlic with GRILLED pineapple.
- TEA with crushed cloves and fennel seeds
- ROTI with ajwain seeds.
- VEG-FRIES marinated with garam masala/ chaat masala.
- GRAVY made with ginger-garlic paste
- Masala PARATHA with dry mango powder
- Jeera RICE with dried bay leaves.
- Poppy seeds with CAKES
- KORMA with star anise
- SMOOTHIES with turmeric powder.
Spice recipes
Here are the exotic recipes which can give you endless benefits of spices and herbs in your daily diet.
Barley veg soup
Carrot and onion chopped 1 no each
Vegetable stock 200 ml
Cooked barley 20 gm
Garlic crushed 1/2 tsp
Black pepper crushed 1/2 tsp
Oil 1/2 tsp'Salt to taste
Oregano a pinch
Heat oil in a pan, add garlic, onion and carrot. Let it get saute'. Pour in the vegetable stock and cooked barley. Remove from frame and sprinkle oregano. Get the delight of barley in hot veg soup during this winter. Serve for one with 90 cal.
Crunchy Veg salad
Chopped tomatoes deseeded 100 gm
Cucumber dices 100 gm
Boiled and chopped cauliflower 50 gm
Olive oil 1 tsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Salt and mustard powder to taste
Mix the given ingredients and make variation if required with combination of pepper powder and crushed garlic. Serve for three with 100 cal.
Flax seed sesame Ginger Bread
Wheat flour 100 gm
Freshly grated ginger 2 tsp
Sesame 1/2 tsp
Flax seed 1 tsp
Dry yeast 1 tsp
Olive oil 2 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Dissolve the dry yeast in lukewarm water, add sugar to it. and stir vigorously, cover it and keep it aside for five minutes. Sieve the flour and add in salt, then pou in the activated yeast, mix ginger to it . Keep kneading the dough evenly. Keep it closed without disturbing them. Allow the dough to rise for 3 hours, then slightly kneed the dough. Put it on the greased baking trays (bread mounds), again leave it for one hour to rise.. Brush the top surface of dough with oil and sprinkle the flax seed and sesame seeds. Bake at 250 degree Celsius for 15-20 minutes. Never forget to preheat the oven. Can serve two with 425 kcal.
Dos and Don'ts with Spices
- Store spices in an airtight containers, preferably glass jar.
- Do not use expired spices.
- See the food label before consumption.
- Do not use huge amount of spices in one serving of meal, they may irritate your bowel if taken in excess.
- Use different combinations of spices to feel the blend.
- Strictly avoid the usage of particular spices if any medical conditions specified by doctor.
- Try to understand the health benefits of spices with health experts.
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