SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!

SIX OF THE BEST SPICES TO GIVE YOU A HEALTH BOOST

Nutmeg

could help break the “I can’t sleep” cycle… DON’T UNDERESTIMATE MILD-MANNERED NUTMEG. IT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF USE FOR PAIN RELIEF, GUT HEALTH, BRAIN HEALTH AND ESPECIALLY INSOMNIA – AND WHO ISN’T SUFFERING FROM THAT THESE DAYS?

GOOD TO KNOW: KNOWN AS A TEMPORAL SEDATIVE, ITS BLOOD PRESSURE-LOWERING ACTION MAY HELP YOU GET A BETTER NIGHT’S REST. “NUTMEG HELPS BREAK THE TIRING AWAKE-SLEEP-AWAKE PATTERN OF TRANSIENT INSOMNIA AND HELPS YOU STAY ASLEEP IF YOU ARE PRONE TO WAKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT,” SAYS HERBSMITH SEBASTIAN POLE. GOOD WITH… OTHER CALMING HERBS AND SPICES, SUCH AS SAFFRON AND ASHWAGANDHA. HOW MUCH? A PINCH IS ALL YOU NEED – TOO MUCH CAN UPSET YOU. TRY IT IN…

WARM MILK WITH A LITTLE HONEY. OR GO THE WHOLE RELAXING NINE YARDS BY ADDING 4-5 SAFFRON STRANDS, PLUS A PINCH OF ASHWAGANDHA POWDER. ALLOW TO INFUSE THEN DRINK JUST BEFORE BED.

A CAPSULE THE EASY WAY TO HIT THE SLEEP BUTTON. WE LIKE PUKKA HERBS NIGHT TIME, WHICH HAS SAFFRON, VALERIAN, ASHWAGANDHA AND NUTMEG IN THE MIX. £13.95 FOR

60 CAPS, PUKKAHERBS.COM

Cayenne

to soothe that niggly pain “IT’S A WONDERFUL PAINKILLER AS IT HELPS TO BLOCK PAIN TRANSMISSION TO THE BRAIN,” ENTHUSES RESEARCH HERBALIST MONICA WILDE. THAT’S DOWN TO CAPSAICIN, THE NATURAL COMPOUND IN CHILLIES, INCLUDING CAYENNE.

GOOD TO KNOW: ALONG WITH ITS PAINKILLING SMARTS, CAYENNE CAN UP YOUR METABOLISM. “IT INVIGORATES THE WHOLE BODY WITH A STRONG EMPHASIS ON THE CIRCULATORY AND DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS,” SAYS SEBASTIAN.

THIS MAKES IT A GREAT THERAPY FOR

COLDS AND FLU, SINUSES AND CONGESTION. GOOD WITH… GINGER, TO BOOST CIRCULATION AND ADD MORE HEAT TO ACHY JOINTS. OR GARLIC – ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL, PERFECT FOR COLDS.

HOW MUCH? JUST A LITTLE WILL DO THE TRICK – MAYBE JUST ¼TSP. TRY CAYENNE FOR… ACHING JOINTS IT GETS ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN, SO SMOOTHING OVER JOINTS IS A GOOD MOVE. TRY NAPIERS CAPSICUM & GINGER WARMING CREAM, £9 FOR 100ML, NAPIERS.NET

HEADACHES MONICA SUGGESTS ADDING A SMALL PIECE OF FRESH GINGER AND ¼TSP OF CAYENNE TO YOUR JUICE OR SMOOTHIE DAILY. COLDS AND FLU ADD GARLIC AND ½TSP CAYENNE TO CHICKEN SOUP FOR A DECONGESTANT PAR EXCELLENCE!

Turmeric

eases those aching joints WE COULD EXHAUST OURSELVES LISTING THE PLUS POINTS OF THIS SPICE. STUDIES AND ONGOING RESEARCH SHOW IT’S GOOD FOR CIRCULATION, JOINT ACHES, BRAIN HEALTH, LOWERING CHOLESTEROL, UPPING IMMUNITY, CANCER PREVENTION AND SO MUCH MORE.

GOOD TO KNOW: AT ITS HEART IS THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT CURCUMIN, A POTENT ANTIINFLAMMATORY, SUPPORTIVE FOR ALL THE ABOVE, BUT FOR JOINT HEALTH IT’S KEY, AS IT’S SAID TO HELP REDUCE PAIN AND STIFFNESS. GOOD WITH… JOINT-FRIENDLY EXTRAS LIKE TART CHERRY AND OMEGA-3 FISH OILS. “TURMERIC IS ILL-ABSORBED BY THE BODY,” SAYS TOP PHARMACIST SHABIR DAYA. “A SUPPLEMENT CONTAINING CURCUMIN WILL MAXIMISE ITS BENEFITS.”

HOW MUCH? ABOUT ½TSP A DAY IS

ENOUGH IN YOUR HOMEMADE LATTES AND SMOOTHIES, AND ½-1 LEVEL TSP IN COOKING. OR CHOOSE A CURCUMIN SUPPLEMENT.

IN PILLS TRY LIFE EXTENSION SUPER BIO-CURCUMIN, £27.95 FOR 60 CAPS, VICTORIAHEALTH.COM

AS A SPRAY SO NEW! SPRITZ INTO YOUR MOUTH BUT AIM CAREFULLY, AS IT’S BRIGHT YELLOW! BETTER YOU TURMERIC DAILY ORAL SPRAY, £17.95 FOR 25ML, BETTERYOU.COM

IN YOUR LATTE STIR ½TSP VIRIDIAN ORGANIC CURCUMIN LATTE INTO

WARM MILK AND SIP. £16 FOR 30G

(30 SERVINGS), VIRIDIAN-NUTRITION.COM

Cinnamon

helps you off the cravings roller coaster! IT MAY BE THE MARY BERRY OF SPICES, FOREVER TWINNED WITH COSY WINTER BAKING, BUT CINNAMON HAS YEAR-ROUND WELLBEING POTENTIAL THANKS TO ITS ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIMICROBIAL QUALITIES. CINNAMON TEA WILL SORT A DICKY TUM AND SEE OFF A COLD – BUT THERE’S MORE!

GOOD TO KNOW: “ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THIS SWEET SPICE IS HELPING WITH BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL,” SAYS NUTRITIONIST SHONA WILKINSON AT SUPERFOODUK.COM. “THIS MEANS IT MAY HELP BALANCE OUT THOSE BLOOD SUGAR DIPS AND PEAKS THAT CAN TRIGGER CRAVINGS AND OVEREATING. BENEFITS COULD INCLUDE BETTER WEIGHT CONTROL, ENERGY LEVELS AND MOOD.” GOOD WITH… CHROMIUM, A TRACE MINERAL THAT ALSO HELPS STABILISE BLOOD GLUCOSE FOR A TARGETED DOUBLE WHAMMY.

HOW MUCH? “UP TO 6G CINNAMON

A DAY – AROUND 2TSP – HAS BEEN

USED IN RESEARCH ON BLOOD SUGAR,”

SAYS SHONA. I’D SUGGEST STARTING WITH A HALF ROUNDED TSP, INCREASING IF YOU LIKE THE TASTE.” TRY IT IN…

PORRIDGE STIR SOME IN FOR A LUXE BREAKFAST OR SPRINKLE OVER YOGURT

FOR A BLOOD SUGAR-BALANCING SNACK.

A CAPSULE – TO HELP CURB THE CRAVINGS. LOOK FOR ONE THAT HAS CHROMIUM IN THE MIX. WE LIKE CINNACHROME BY PATRICK HOLFORD, £15.12 FOR 60 CAPS, SUPERFOODUK. COM AND GLUCO-ACTIVE CINNAMON EXTRACT BY FUTUREBIOTICS, £25 FOR 60 CAPS, VICTORIA

HEALTH.COM

Saffron

lifts your mood, protects eyes and more! NOT AS “EVERYWHERE” AS TURMERIC, BUT SAFFRON IS VERSATILE AND IMPRESSIVE. THIS GOLDEN WONDER CAN HELP WITH DIGESTION, INSOMNIA, PMS AND MENOPAUSE.

GOOD TO KNOW: IS ITS EFFECT ON YOUR MOOD AND YOUR EYE HEALTH. “RESEARCH SHOWS TAKING 4 STRANDS OF SAFFRON DAILY IMPROVES DEPRESSION AFTER

6-8 WEEKS,” SAYS HERBALIST

TIPPER LEWIS. BIG EYE

HEALTH BENEFITS TOO:

“A STUDY ON BETA

CAROTENOIDS IN SAFFRON

SHOWED VISION

IMPROVEMENT IN

EVERY PARTICIPANT,”

SAYS TIPPER.

GOOD WITH…

“MAGNESIUM AND B6

FOR MENSTRUAL MOOD

SWINGS, LOW ENERGY AND

FOOD CRAVINGS. MARIGOLD FOR

ANXIETY, MOOD ELEVATION, COLDS

AND MENSTRUAL DISORDERS,” SAYS SHABIR. HOW MUCH? THINK LESS IS MORE – JUST 4-5 STRANDS A DAY IS FINE IN FOOD OR DRINKS, OR TRY A SUPPLEMENT WITH WELLBEING EXTRAS.

FOR EYES CHECK OUT SAFFRON WITH MARIGOLD, WHICH IS RICH IN LUTEIN. TRY VIRIDIAN SAFFRON EXTRACT WITH MARIGOLD, £16.25

FOR 30 CAPS, VIRIDIAN-NUTRITION.COM

FOR MOODS TAKE SAFFRON WITH

RELAXING MAGNESIUM. TRY VIRIDIAN MAGNESIUM, B6 & SAFFRON, £21.85 FOR

60 CAPS, VICTORIAHEALTH.COM

Ginger

for a happy tum and diet potential! WE LOVE GINGER! A GREAT ANTIOXIDANT AND INFLAMMATION FIGHTER, USEFUL FOR ARTHRITIS PAIN, PERIOD PAIN, HEADACHES AND POOR CIRCULATION, PLUS SO MANY TUM PROBLEMS. FROM INDIGESTION

AND BLOATING TO MORNING AND TRAVEL SICKNESS, GINGER IS THE GREAT CALMER.

GOOD TO KNOW: THAT WHILE IT CALMS DIGESTION, IT STIMULATES TOO. KIRSTEN HARTVIG, AUTHOR OF Healing Spices (NOURISH BOOKS), SUGGESTS TRYING IT WHEN YOU’RE WRESTLING WITH A DIET. “GINGER CAN AID SLIMMING IF TAKEN AS A HOT DRINK WITH FOOD BECAUSE, AS WELL AS GIVING A SENSE OF FULLNESS, IT ENHANCES THE THERMIC EFFECT OF FOOD, REDUCING FEELINGS OF HUNGER.” GOOD WITH… OTHER ANTIINFLAMMATORIES, SUCH AS TURMERIC OR FISH OILS. HOW MUCH? ABOUT 1TSP GRATED GINGER MAKES A GOOD START IN TEAS AND DRINKS. GINGER HELPS WHEN YOU’RE… FEELING SNIFFLY POP SLICES OF FRESH GINGER INTO A POT, POUR OVER BOILED WATER, STEEP FOR 10 MINS THEN POUR. FEELING QUEASY A GINGER CAPSULE CAN SETTLE DIGESTION. TRY LAMBERTS 120MG GINGER CAPSULES, £9.95 FOR 60, SUPERFOODUK.COM FEELING JOINT PAIN TRY GINGER PLUS! TRY LAMBERTS GLUCOSAMINE COMPLETE, £17.47 FOR 120 TABLETS, WITH GINGER AND ROSEHIP, ANOTHER INFLAMMATION FIGHTER, SUPERFOODUK.COM

Remember: If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication, check with your health professional before taking supplements