Jul 6, 2009

Herbs and Spices the Forgotten Treasure!


Herbs & Spices are often a forgotten treasure and MY DIVA DIET wants you to know more about them.

Wars have been fought and countries discovered because of “treasured” spices. Marco Polo’s accounts of his trip to China in the late 1200s told of the spice trade in unknown lands, and many Europeans went in search of the exotic indulgence. In the fifteenth
through the seventeenth centuries, Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Dutch traders competed in the Far East for dominance in the spice trade, and by the late 1800's. America became involved. America’s first millionaires made their money in spices.

Herbs and spices are a great addition to any diet program.

They enhance flavor, improve the appeal, and increase the nutritional value of any dish. They also replace the need for other ingredients like fat, sugar, sodium, and flour.
These are some benefits of herbs and spices:
  • Low in calories and fat
  • Provide a variety of vitamins and minerals
  • Provide fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, antimicrobial properties, and anti-inflammatory potential
The properties found in herbs and spices promote the following:
  • Natural defense against infections
  • Joint health
  • Heart health
  • Balanced blood sugar
  • Digestive health
  • Weight control
  • Enhanced memory
  • Enhanced detoxification
For example:
  • Liver supporters: milk thistle and dandelion
  • Blood cleansers: red clove and burdock
  • Metabolism boosters: cumin, coriander, dill, mustard seed, and cinnamon


Herbs: These are leaves of low-growing shrubs. Popular herbs include parsley, chives, marjoram, thyme, basil, caraway, dill, oregano, rosemary, savory, sage, and celery leaves.

Spices: These come from the bark (cinnamon), root (ginger, onion, garlic), buds (cloves, saffron), seeds (yellow mustard, poppy, sesame), berries (black pepper), or fruit (allspice, paprika) of tropical plants and trees.

Isn't it time you add this "treasure" to your diet now and you can fell like a MILLION DOLLARS.

It is better to choose your herbs and spices from the fresh produce isle, however, if you get the ground in a bottle make sure it's pure and it doesn't have added ingredients like sodium, sugar, preservatives, and other harmful ingredients.

From time to time, I will be focusing an herb or a spice at MY DIVA DIET "Notes from Super Fit Diva". First one is my favorite--Cinnamon!

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