Top 3 Healing Holiday Spices

With the holidays fast approaching pumpkin pie and spiced lattes are on the horizon.

Holiday meals call for more spices in our food.

Whether adding nutmeg to Eggnog or cinnamon to family tradition cookies, this is truly the time of year when we reach into the spice cabinet a little more often.

The common spices used in holiday foods have tremendous healing benefits so bring it on!

Cinnamon

Cinnamon finds its way into just about every holiday meal. Sprinkled on sweet potatoes, baked into cookies or simmered into an evening beverage, this popular spice is a seasonal favorite. As winter approaches, using cinnamon is a good choice. It increases warmth and circulation and supports efficient digestion of fats and heavy foods. Cinnamon helps counteract the congestion that is often accompanied by creamy foods and desserts.

There is the temptation to eat heavier foods during holiday gatherings. Don’t go it alone, use one of these spices to help you digest your food! When you get bogged down by foods that are a burden to assimilate, you don’t participate as much in the pleasures that life has to offer. It really is that simple. When you are supported in digesting your foods, you feel better and have more energy to enjoy the holiday merriment.

Cinnamon is also a time tested remedy for the onset of colds. Adding cinnamon to your meals helps prevent colds. If you are suffering with a cough, cold or sore throat, consider adding cinnamon to your food to quicken your healing process. Cinnamon dissolves mucus and helps resolve irritating coughs and bronchial congestion.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg becomes a household word during the autumn and winter months. Exponential consumption of nutmeg arrives as cookies and pies are produces en masse. It is the main spice in the illustrious beverage Eggnog and nutmeg is found simmering in mulled wines and ciders in kitchens across the country.

Nutmeg is a superb digestive aid. It is commonly added to cream and cheese sauces, egg dishes and creamy desserts. Nutmeg is especially helpful for digesting rich, dairy filled foods often found at the holiday table.
Even if you aren’t normally a big spice wielding chef, the ritual of holiday cooking demands a few dashes of nutmeg. Befriending nutmeg is a good move during the feasting holiday season. It mediates the effects of rich food, too many desserts, too much food in general and late night eating.

Cloves

This is another spice that once you realize the immensity of its healing capacity you are going to seek out more ways to use it in your kitchen. Fortunately that isn’t too difficult; the rich, warm taste and aroma of this spice provides a pleasant accent to sweet and savory dishes and punctuates the flavor of cookies and pies.

It is a good thing we use cloves in pudding and pie because cloves are an antidote to the mucus forming nature of desserts. Heavy desserts are known to clog the sinuses, dull the mind and produce phlegm. Cloves clear the sinuses, encourage mental clarity and resolve phlegm! Enjoy a few holiday treats, but make sure to add some clove to keep you healthy!

We have all heard the saying, “Eat, drink and be merry”. It can be challenging to be ‘merry’ after a lavish holiday meal if we don’t digest it that well. These top 3 holiday spices will enhance your digestion, helping you to more fully enjoy the holiday spirit and your time with friends and family.