Herbs & Spices That Promote Weight Loss

Herbs and spices add flavor to a meal that can make your mouth water. What's more, many herbs and spices can also help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism. Mustard seed is known for its ability to increase your metabolic rate. Herbs such as basil and sage are also great for weight loss because they can make healthy food taste even better---therefore making you more likely to eat nutritious meals.

Food

• Cook with a variety of delicious herbs such as cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin and fennel.
  The Mayo Clinic advises picking herbs that are not wilted. Herbs and spices are both plants, but spices are mainly categorized as seeds or powders and herbs are crushed plants. However, these terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
  Cayenne is a great spice that can be added to spicy dishes like Mexican food or even meat, depending on what your taste buds are calling for. The American Journal of Epidemiology says that cayenne improves the body's ability to digest fats, which helps with metabolic rate. Cayenne can also be taken in supplement form.
  Cinnamon is also great for improving circulation and metabolism.
  Cooking herbs work great when they are combined. Some common herbs used together are sage, basil and rosemary. All herbs have vitamins and minerals which can make a meal even more nutritious. Flax seeds can even help curb hunger and improve digestion because the seeds are a natural laxative.

Drink Herbal or Spice Tea

• Drink herbal tea rather than coffee in the morning. Even though coffee is also an herb, the caffeine it contains is not good for everyone, so drink coffee in moderation or switch to herbal teas.
  Green tea is a popular herbal tea that boosts metabolism. According to a study at The University of Geneva in Switzerland, green tea aids digestion and speeds up the fat-burning process. Another study conducted at the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that green tea increases metabolism within a day of ingestion. Green tea also decreases appetite, which is great for weight loss as well.

Supplements

• Take herbal supplements. Hoodia is a well-known herb for boosting metabolic rate. Studies conducted at Brown University show that hoodia works by stopping hunger signals in the brain.
  Go to your local health food store and pick up a few of the top fat-burning herbal supplements such as alfalfa, chickweed or burdock root. Many of the cooking herbs can be combined without any problems, but be careful when mixing herbal supplements. Look for a fat-burning supplement that already combines a few herbs. You can also buy the individual herbs separately, but be sure to look up each herb in a reference book or talk to your doctor about possible interactions. Interactions are rare, but they can happen. This is more commonly seen when herbs are combined with medications, so talk to your doctor if you are taking medications.
  Keep in mind that some doctors scoff at taking herbs altogether because they solely believe in medications only. You can also seek advice from a naturopathic doctor if you want to talk to someone who is more open-minded about alternative medicine.