When the weather turns chilly I love to pull out my chunky warm sweaters and slippers and start craving warm hot meals. Fall season is when we usually start getting back into the swings of our routine, sometimes overworking and eventually running ourselves down. Burnout usually follows with a weakened immune system which inevitably leads to more illnesses such as a common cold.
There’s 4 health foods I LOVE to eat and I try to incorporate them into my diet on a daily basis no matter what the season. These foods are available year round at all grocery stores! They are heavily used in Asian cuisines specifically South Asian.
Keep reading to know what they are!
Ginger –particularly Ginger root
Ginger has helped relieve symptoms of motion sickness and nausea. The root has anti-inflammatory compounds called Gingerols. Some ways how I add this into my diet: grate it into tea, add tiny pieces of it in cooking for stir fry, soups, chicken tacos etc.
Cayenne Pepper
The warm colour is beta carotene which is an antioxidant that our body converts to Vitamin A. Capsaicin gives the heat in Cayenne Pepper which is also used as topical treatment for pain relief. Cayenne has also been shown to have some cardiovascular benefits and helps to rapidly drain congested nasal passages by stimulating mucus membranes. I tend to add cayenne on my pizza, burgers, stir fry etc.
Turmeric
Turmeric is hands down my FAVORITE spice. I add it to almost everything; pizza, burgers, salad, lasagna, tacos etc. Turmeric is also used as a textile dye, a healing remedy and as a spice. The vivid colour comes from Curcumin which is an anti-oxidant. Turmeric can also help reduce inflammation; helps improve Cholesterol levels and help regulate digestion.
Garlic
Garlic contains Manganese, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Selenium, Calcium, Tryptophan and Phytonutrients. Chopping and crushing garlic helps release a chemical called Allicin but, you need to wait about 15 minutes before using it to help increase its healthful properties. Garlic can also help reduce blood pressure, improve Cholesterol and may help detoxify heavy metals. I usually cook with minced Garlic and fry it with onions before adding it into any warm meals such as Stir Fry, slow cooker meals, tacos, soups etc.
