Top 10 Home Spices and Drinks which Help you to Lose Weight

“A fit, healthy body—that is the best fashion statement” ― Jess C Scott nails it with her pearls of wisdom. Maintaining a good level of fitness is what we should all aspire to, and one part of being fit is maintaining our body-weight. So we are always looking for the best way to lose weight fast, but are we always able to do that? Lose weight with an ease, that is? Researchers have found that more than 2 billion people worldwide are now overweight or obese. The highest rates were in the Middle East and North America, where nearly 60 percent of men and 65 percent of women are heavy.

Looking for complicated solutions always is not an answer; we seldom give importance to solutions which are right under our nose. We would rather pop pills straight out of expensive jars, rather than go to our own kitchen for solutions. That a simple solution can give you a respite from the biggest of illnesses does not seem to strike us. But now we can help you lose weight with the spices which come straight out of your kitchen. These fat-burning spices help you shed off stubborn fat, which you may have been trying to lose for ages. So let us explore the top ten spices which we regularly use to spice up dishes, but now to lose weight!

Why is Losing Weight so important?

Most people think that losing weight is not important, that it is best to ignore the weighing scale. But the scary truth is that the more overweight you are, the closer you will be to digging your grave.

• Reducing your cancer risk- Women who are overweight have a higher risk of getting diagnosed with endometrial and breast cancer. Body fat produces estrogen, a hormone linked to both diseases, so if you reduce the body fat percentage, you will also reduce your cancer risk.
• Stay sharp- Obese people are more likely to develop dementia in their old age, particularly if they have large bellies. And the bigger the belly, the greater the risk, perhaps because of hormones or inflammatory factors which are produced by the abdominal fat itself.
• You will have heart disease type 2 diabetes and hypertension- The more overweight you are, the greater are the chances of you suffering a heart attack early in life. You might also suffer from chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. This should act as a great motivation to drop those excess pounds.
• You may suffer from depression- There is a greater risk of obese people suffering from depression, since the stigma attached to being overweight and less physical activity can lead to depression. However, losing as little as a few kilograms of weight can increase your chances of avoiding depression.
• More chances of getting injured while working out- Obese men and women have higher chances of getting injured while working out and they even feel self-conscious to work out in front of others.
• Your knees and elbows will be harmed- One important reason to lose weight is to reduce joint pain and improve your movement. These are things you can benefit from almost immediately if you lose even a few kilos.
• You won’t be able to get a good night’s sleep- Another important reason to lose weight is so that you can sleep better. It helps regulate your metabolism, maintain hormonal balance and so on. It generally helps you enjoy a better quality of life.
• Your immune system will be compromised- Losing body fat can mean a healthier and stronger immune system. And that means suffering from fewer colds, fewer infections, and a healthier daily life.

The Top Ten Spices to Lose Weight

So losing weight is more than fitting into your skinny jeans or just looking good, you get a myriad of health benefits which can help you live a long, disease-free life. Instead of focusing on dietary fads and expensive treatments, we will help you discover spices that will give you great results. Your spice rack does not only serve a decorative purpose, they have loads of healing techniques that can help you lose weight quite effortlessly. Spice up your bland diet food with these aromatic spices, and you will never look at meals the same way.

• Turmeric: Have you acquainted yourself with this spice yet? If not, then it is the time you did, because turmeric has a host of health benefits. It can be a potent disease-fighter against Alzheimer’s and cancer, also boosts metabolism in a big way. It is very easy to include in your soups, stews and curries. You can even have a hot cup of milk laced with turmeric right before you hit the snooze button. It’s a wonderful way to lose weight and have a terrific night’s sleep. It is one of the best spices for weight loss. Turmeric latte, anyone?

• Cinnamon: This spice is one of the most aromatic, and not only adds flavor to of your cup of java, but also to your morning oatmeal, cottage cheese and plain yogurt. What’s more, it helps you curb your cravings and keep you satiated for longer.

• Cumin: Just one teaspoon of this spice added to one of your meals per day can help you burn up to three times more body fat, according to a recent study done on overweight women. It adds a great flavor to any food. Try it in soups, marinades, curries; you name it and you can add this spice to it.

• Ginger: This versatile spice can help you control blood sugar cravings. Try to have this spice more after a binge day; it is particularly effective after having a sugar-rich or carb rich meal. It has similar fat-burning and thermogenic characteristics like that of turmeric and cayenne. You can also add this wonderful spice to your tea. It gives your tea the much needed zesty flavor, and you can never go wrong with this spice.

• Cayenne: Too much of cayenne can be bad news as it is a really hot spice, and if you are not too sold on spicy food, it can be pretty warming. But since it has a thermogenic effect, it can boost your metabolism like turmeric. So you can use it to good effect as it is one of the best spices to help with weight loss. Spice up your soups, scrambled eggs and your curries for that extra bang for your buck.

• Black pepper: black pepper has plenty of fat-burning properties. It even restricts the formation of new fat cells. Start sprinkling a little bit of black pepper to everything you eat. It is not too hot, in fact just right to invigorate your foods.

• Cardamom: Used in a great many dishes in Indian cuisine in conjunction with cinnamon and cloves, it spices up your curries like no other. Also use it for making the most wonderful, masala tea. Losing weight was never this spicy and fun!

• Mustard: The mustard plant belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables and can be clubbed with the likes of broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Research has substantiated that mustard seeds have been shown to boost metabolic rate by 25 percent, which means that more calories can be burned. In fact, as little as 3/5 teaspoon of mustard seeds, if consumed every day, may help you burn a generous 45 calories an hour.

• Garlic: This herb comes with magical healing properties, which help in treating cardiovascular conditions and improving your immune system to do everything from curing a common cold to fighting fatal cancer! Recent research has shown that this magical herb claims to reduce the fat from your waistline. Isn’t that tempting?

• Coriander: Derived from cilantro seeds, coriander contains a unique blend of potent oils like linalool and geranyl acetate which work like over-the-counter medicines to help alleviate digestive issues. It also helps you drop those extra pounds pretty effectively.

Potent Recipes to Include these Spices

Losing weight is never easy, especially when it comes to sticking to a diet. It always means eating bland foods which have little or no taste. But adding these spices to your food will spice up your dietary regime considerably. Here is how you can do it.

1. Masala Tea

Your winter mornings are never going to be the same again when you have this aromatic masala tea. It could be an ideal pal for those long winter evenings when you can curl up in your armchair, with a book, your steaming cuppa and your solitary musings.

Ingredients

• 4whole cloves
• 2 cardamom cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 3 cups water
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons black tea (decaf is best)

Method

• In a mortar, grind coarsely the cloves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon, you can even use a coffee grinder.
• Add the crushed spices in a small saucepan add the water, ginger, and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes.
• Add the milk and sugar to the pan and bring to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and add the tea.
• Cover and let steep for 3 minutes.
• Stir the chai, and then strain it into a warmed teapot or directly into teacups.
• Creamy Cashew Cardamom Smoothie

Ingredients

• ⅓ Cup cashews
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 Frozen Banana
• 5 cardamom pods – just use seeds or use a big pinch of ground cardamom, according to taste
• One generous pinch of cinnamon

Method

Add all of the ingredients to your blender secure lid and blend until smooth.

Transfer into a glass and enjoy.

2. Turmeric Milk

If you have heard about the healing benefits of turmeric, you must be wondering how to add this wonder spice to your diet, to get the most out of it. So if you are wondering about what spices help you lose weight, try turmeric in milk. Trust us, this drink can even replace your morning caffeine kick!

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh whole milk
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2-3 whole black peppercorns
• 2-3 whole cardamom pods cracked
• 1/2 inch ginger, roughly chopped
• Pinch of saffron, optional

Sweetener like honey, jaggery or regular sugar can be added to sweeten the milk.

Method

Heat the milk along with the spices for 2-3 minutes. Add the sweetener to taste if needed. Let it cool until it’s warm. Strain and serve.

3. Spicy Coffee

Are you someone who never experiments with his/her coffee? Well, if you haven’t tasted this delectable concoction, you have not tasted anything. Also, it’s one of the best ways to include those fat-burning spices too! This is how you should make your beverages more interesting.

Spices

• 1⁄4teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• 1⁄4teaspoon freshly ground ginger
• 1⁄4teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1⁄8teaspoon freshly ground green cardamom seeds
• 1⁄8teaspoon freshly ground clove

Coffee

• 1 cup freshly roasted coffee beans
• 4 cups boiling water
• Hot milk to taste
• Sugar, if desired or you can even add a bit of jaggery

Method

Combine the spices with the coffee beans in a grinder and grind until the beans are finely ground.

Bring 4 cups of water to boil.

Put some milk, a cup or more—in a small saucepan over a low flame to heat. Do not let it come to a boil.

If you are making the coffee in a filtered maker: Pour the coffee mixture into the paper-lined brewing cup. Pour about 2 ounces of boiling water over the coffee to allow the grounds to “bloom.” Then slowly add the rest of the water, allowing it to drip through the grounds into the pot below.

Pour the spiced coffee into cups and add hot milk and a natural sweetener if desired. Serve at once.

Can you think of a tastier way to lose weight? We certainly can’t. Also, like us you won’t be immune to the charms of these intoxicating spicy drinks, there is certainly something about spices which draw us to them like a magnet!

Top Spices for Weight loss – Make Weight Loss Drinks – PDF