Weight-Loss Spices

Shedding a few extra pounds is often a matter of adding more time to your normal exercise regimen and making significant changes to your diet. While certain foods like vegetables and fruits are healthy sources of vitamins and minerals that will help the body to maintain a healthy weight, there are also certain spices you can add to your home-cooked meals that will naturally stimulate your body to get rid of fat.

Turmeric

• One of the ingredients that gives Indian curries their smoky goodness is turmeric; according to Natural News.com, herbalists have used the spice to treat gastrointestinal distress and pain in the joints due to arthritis. Turmeric also possesses thermogenic properties that increase the metabolism and helps to break down the fat content of food. The Western world has become interested in turmeric recently due to its healthy traits; the National Institute of Health confirms that the spice has anti-inflammatory properties and can even prevent cancer. Turmeric may also aid obese individuals in losing weight, according to information in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition. An experiment conducted at Tufts University revealed that curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, may be able to reduce weight gain in humans and stifle the growth of fat tissue.

Cinnamon

• Cinnamon promotes blood circulation, which makes your body feel more energetic, prompting you to exercise. According to WebMD, cinnamon tree bark extract can lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. The 3 Fat Chicks website also asserts that taking a teaspoon of cinnamon each day can prevent the onset of diabetes and assist the body in digesting carbohydrates, which makes it easier to shed pounds. Cinnamon is a tasty addition to lattes, breakfast foods like pancakes and French toast and dessert items like cookies. However, large amounts of cinnamon can cause liver toxicity and an itching sensation on the lips and mouth.

Cayenne Pepper

• Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which jump starts the metabolism shortly after a person consumes foods seasoned with the spice. Capsaicin also helps to decrease the appetite, reducing the cravings for sugar or unhealthy carbohydrates that lead to weight gain. Cayenne pepper aids the digestive system as well, making it easy for the body to process foods, and can alleviate gas and bloating. According to 3 Fat Chicks.com, the spice helps to lower or maintain a healthy blood pressure; you can add the spice to grilled veggies like eggplant or asparagus to offset the slightly bitter flavor of the vegetables, or sprinkle some of the seasoning on chicken breasts or salmon for an added burst of flavor.

Ginger

• Ginger is a popular spice for Asian cuisine; the rhizome, or underground stem, is ground or chopped to before added to food, but individuals can also take the ingredient in capsule form to aid in weight loss. The spice boosts the body's metabolism, making it easier to burn calories and fat at a quicker rate. Adding ginger to foods like baked chicken or tofu, or using sliced ginger in tea is also ideal if you've included weight lifting in your exercise and weight loss plan, as the seasoning aids muscle cells in utilizing oxygen. In addition to helping the body shed weight, ginger helps relieve nausea and dizziness and pregnant women can eat foods with ginger to reduce morning sickness, according to WebMD.