Eat healthier.

Lose weight.

Save money.

Poof!  That’s the sound of thousands of New Year’s resolutions disappearing.

We certainly meant well, didn’t we? Bet you didn’t realize that spices can help you eat your way to mending these popular New Year’s resolutions.

1. Eat Healthier.

I’ll be blunt. Eating healthy doesn’t come from popping a supplement, following an out-of-balance fad diet, or relying on some other non-fat, no-calorie fake piece of edible ______ (insert noun of choice). Healthy eating is a lifestyle approach. But it’s a GOOD one. As in TASTING GOOD.  Start by boosting your antioxidant intake in the form of real food and spices. ScienceDaily report summarizes a Mayo Clinic Health letter. “When it comes to boosting antioxidant intake, recent research indicates there’s little benefit from taking diet supplements.” The article goes on to say explain that foods contain thousands of types of antioxidants which are basically unmatched in supplements.

In the spices-as-food category the top antioxident spices include ground cloves, cinnamon or ginger, dried oregano leaf and turmeric powder.

Not used to eating these spices? As a general rule, if you’re eating it for breakfast—add cinnamon. This even works for BACON!

The spice/food concept gets better. There’s a recent finding that some spices, when paired with broccoli, enhance each other’s cancer-fighting antioxidant power.* (Check out Spice Freebies for a coupon for spicy brown and dijon mustard. What timing!)

Bottom line: flavor up and health up.

2. Lose Weight.

The spotlight here goes to chili peppers. Cayenne, aleppo, ancho, paprika, chipotle — all peppers contain a substance called capsicum. Capsicum is what generates that heat. And this is where the weight loss takes place. All that heat you feel requires calories to generate it. Add some chili pepper to your life. A few calories here…there…it adds up!

Speaking of capsicums. I have a WINNER to announce for the Karma Sauce Company Chipotle Orange Sauce. Using a number from random.org. And the winner is…Ellyn Schaefer!  Congratulations Ellyn! Stay tuned, I have another giveaway coming up in the near future!

3. Save money.

How much is a bag of white rice? Compare that to a box of rice and herbs. It’s about 3 times the cost. All for the addition of oregano, basil, rosemary and thyme. Frozen herbed vegetables? Yup, you’ll be paying twice as much for the priviledge of that herb adjective. It doesn’t end there…you pay premiums for roasted spices and individual packaged spices. This is a huge topic but here are two quickie recipes that will save you dollars on the minute.

Roast your own spices.

Make your own herb sauce.

Psst…if you make your own it will be healthier too—you know, resolution number 1.

The above 3 resolutions are some of the most popular. But between you and me, I think it’s time to add a fourth.

4. Eat More Spices

You had to see this one coming! We know how cool spices are but they are highly practical. If you don’t have them in your life now is the time to start. Why not? They’ll help you lose weight, eat healthier, save money and add a little more flavor in your life.

*Findings by the University of Illinois College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences and read in Nature’s Marketplace.

How are your New Year’s Resolutions progressing?

Farmers Market Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nataliemaynor/530316492/

Chili pepper picture credit: Baroda on Dreamstime.