Spice Up Your Health With Herbs

Looking for natural flavours to stimulate my taste buds, I began experimenting with various herbs about five years ago when I decided that enough was enough and gave up salt. Similar to superfruits, herbs are both tasty and highly nutritious; thus, I consider herbs to be “superplants.”

In a pinch? Although fresh is always best, the ground varieties work wonders too. For example, one teaspoon of ground basil contains more than one third of the daily recommended amount of vitamin k.

These six herbs below will definitely spice up your food and, most importantly, your health.

Thyme:
Thyme contains an oil (called thymol) and is rich in flavonoids, both making it a powerful antioxidant.

Tip: Sprinkle some fresh (or ground) thyme on scrambled eggs to bring another dimension to a breakfast favourite.

Rosemary:
Rosemary contains substances that are useful for stimulating the immune system, increasing circulation, and improving digestion.

Tip: The first time I used rosemary in cooking, I added it in to the mix for some homemade turkey burgers. It was a hit!

Cilantro:
Recent research has shown that coriander (seeds of the cilantro plant) could have cholesterol-reducing action.

Tip: Mix puréed avocado, finely chopped jalapeño pepper, a heap of cilantro, and mayonnaise for a great dip and/or spread.

Dill:
Dill are considered cancer-fighting, as they have been shown to neutralize carcinogens, such as the benzopyrenes (which come from cigarette smoke as well as other sources).

Tip: Combine dill weed with plain yoghurt and chopped cucumber for a sauce to put on top of baked/grilled salmon. It is also a tasty addition to egg salad.

Basil:
In addition to containing nutrients essential for cardiovascular health, the compounds in basil have also been shown to prevent DNA damage in human immune cells.

Tip: Make a delicious pesto sauce by chopping basil and garlic and mixing them in olive oil.

Oregano:
Think blueberries are good antioxidants? Oregano has twice the anti-cancer antioxidant activity as blueberries.

Tip: Garnish your next slice of pizza with some fresh oregano.

Not yet convinced? I almost forgot to mention that herbs are practically calorie-less.