6 spices to improve your metabolism

I was at the beach over the weekend visiting family before I head overseas for my 3 week vacay. I was lucky to squeeze in some qt with my bff, Ailah, before I headed back up north. During our stop at Starbucks she encouraged me to sprinkle some ground cinnamon on my coffee. At first I accused her of trying to sabotage my "diet", then she told me that cinnamon actually speeds up your metabolism. So, you better believe that I covered the entire top of my coffee with cinnamon! Intrigued by the idea that spices can speed up your metabolism, I hit up google to find more of these "miracle spices". Here are 6 spices that I feel can be easily incorporated into your daily diet to hype up your metabolism, and hopefully allow you to eat like you have the metabolism you had when you were 10.

Cinnamon

Research has shown that a half teaspoon several times a day can effectively lower blood sugar and improve glucose metabolism, as well as lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This spice is so versatile - you can use it in whole grain baked goods, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt and even in some Mediterranean meat dishes. It has so many other benefits including relieving muscle and joint pain, stimulating circulation, as well as anti-microbial properties that are effective against E. coli.

Cayenne Pepper

It contains capsaicin which helps with pain relief and neuropathy, increasing circulation and stimulation of bile, improves digestion. There are several topical pain relieving creams on the market containing capsaicin. It also contains a potent anti-fungal compound called CAY-1.

Ginger

An Australian study proved that ginger revs up the metabolism and burns off calories. Biochemists applied both fresh and dried ginger extracts to the tissue of animals and found that the spice induced tissues to use up more than 20% more energy than usual. Chinese herbalists prescribe ginger for weight loss, because of its warming ability. By raising body temperature, ginger helps stimulate the body's fat burning mechanisms. It has also been proven in Ayurveda medicine (a medicine system from India aimed at balancing the body through diet, meditation, herbs and massage, so the body can heal itself), to help relieve arthritic pain. Slice up gingerroot and eat it with rice or stir-fry, or boil it and drink as tea, 3 times per day.

Chili Powder

Like all peppers containing capsaicin, chili powder is a powerful stimulant that raises your body's temperature and helps you burn calories faster. Chili is another good spice for spaghetti sauce and of course, vegetarian chili.

Garlic

Garlic heats up the immune system and is known for its healing properties for colds and flu. Garlic has been touted as a miracle herb. Proponents say it boosts your metabolism and keeps your insulin levels low to maximize fat burning, making bad breath a small price to pay.

Green Tea

Ok, so green tea isn't really a spice, but studies found that drinking green tea containing caffine increased metabolism 28 percent to 77 percent, depending on how much a person consumed. Fast metabolism equals greater fat burning.

And just for good measure....

Water

Dehydration slows down your metabolisim and often disguises itself as hunger. If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water. It might make the pangs go away. I'm not endorsing the act of drinking from public water fountains...just making sure that you have your Sigg bottle filled up with water and with you at all times ;o) It's almost summer, start boosting your metabolism...NOW!