At Angeles health International we have treated thousands of people on our network of 22 hospitals for a range of conditions, from MS to Alternative Cancer Care and weight loss surgery to heart conditions. We believe that medicine is about more than treating a condition. We combine the latest cutting edge modern medicine with time-tested traditional methods to create the perfect care package for you, the patient, as an individual.
One of the focuses of many of our treatment programs is diet, because if you can get your body functioning well you can help yourself to become healthy again, giving your body the strength to fight what it needs to on a cellular level.
Some of the silent heroes of the world of health, and ones that have been tried and tested for thousands of years, are herbs and spices. Not only do they add flavor to a dish but they have remarkable properties, from fat burning by increasing our metabolic rate, to helping our memory, fighting disease, including cancer, and making us generally healthier.
Here are our spices of the month, to help you spice up your month!
1/ Mustard seed. The name “Mustard’ derives from the Latin word “mustum’ meaning “must. Maybe that’s because we should all use it in our cooking! Dating back over 3,000 years mustard is well known for its benefits, from its cancer fighting properties or to treat a chesty cough. It also tastes great and mustard seeds form part of the base for many Indian dishes
Mustard can also increase your metabolic rate. One Canadian study claims that eating mustard seeds every day can help you to burn 1,000 extra calories. One tea spoon apparently has the potential to boost the rate at which you burn calories by 25%.
2/ Black Pepper. A staple in most kitchens, black pepper is often overlooked for its properties. Black pepper corns are actually tiny dried fruit that are usually ground to form a powder. The most heavily traded spice in the world, black pepper derivatives are known to have anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties.
The compound, piperine, which makes the pepper taste spicy is also thought to increase the metabolic rate by around 8%. It is thought to aid nutrient absorption and help the digestion, so pepper not only lets you get the best from your food’s flavor but it’s nutritional benefits too.
3/ Cinnamon. Cinnamon is a spice made from the bark of a tree in the family Cinnamomum. It has a great flavor and can be used in sweet and savory dishes. Cinnamon is believed to have anti-clotting and anti-microbial properties. Recent studies show that cinnamon regulates the rate at which the stomach empties after food, which helps to keep you feeling full for longer.
In making the stomach empty slowly cinnamon can control the rise in a person’s blood sugar, reducing the volume of insulin that is released and, in turn, producing less excess fat.
Try to include one of these three spices in your food every day and see if you can feel the difference. And keep an eye out for our next “Spices of the Month’!
If you would like more information on the range of procedures that Angeles Health International’s network of hospitals can offer you then feel free to call us today and speak to one of our qualified advisors on 1.866.668.9263.
