Let’s Get Spicy

In my wellness and food classes throughout the years, I have helped others learn what it means to be the spice of life—not just in our emotional and mental health but also our overall physical health. In this blog, I will discuss specific spices to incorporate into our foods and their benefits so we can be the savor, the salt, and the sweet in life. “I always told you, your sweet side is your best side.” -Bill

As a fellow at Dr. Peter D’Adamo’s Institute for Human Individuality (IfHI), focusing on Geno Types, I have gained invaluable knowledge about my DNA. This experience has inspired me to explore other Geno Types and how our environment can support our health by preventing illness and fostering self-improvement. By making conscious decisions about what we eat, we can truly enhance our well-being. I recognized these principles long before RFK Jr. became associated with them, and I am pleased to see their growing prominence. Conscious eating aligns with becoming more self-reliant and accountable, especially for large chain stores and restaurants.

Spices Invigorate the Nervous System, which controls the immune system. Food is Medicine; it’s what you eat that moves you forward.        -Dr. Peter D’Adamo, The GenoType Diet

I recommend keeping a list of essential spices in your spice cabinet and using them frequently. As creatures of habit, we should cultivate healthy cooking practices and regularly prepare meals featuring specific spices, making them a natural part of our cooking routine. Aim to create a variety of meals each week while prioritizing health. This doesn’t have to be complicated; in fact, it shouldn’t be. Ensure you have staples like rice, quinoa, and potatoes, along with a selection of both fresh and frozen vegetables, to provide texture and substance for satisfying meals. The right spices will add that wow factor to your dishes!

Dr. D’Adamo told me, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” He meant you base your diet on 70% eating good, clean, healthy food. When traveling and out or over with a host, don’t sweat it; be a good guest and eat in kind or do what you must, but just get back to your regular eating routine.

Reminder spices can come in dry herb form or the volatile essential oil form.

Turmeric:

It boosts the brain, Soothes joints, Fights Colds, and promotes Healthy Skin. Your body can absorb more when combined with Coconut Milk, Black Pepper, and olive Oil.

Curry: It lowers blood sugar levels, has antibacterial effects and digestive health, boosts the brain, and delays cognitive decline, sexual function, heart, metabolism & serotonin.

Cumin: +Anti-parasitic, healthy bones & teeth, respiratory tract, hemoglobin production.

Garlic: All the above, plus Anti-fungal, reduces the risk of heart disease & clears up acne.

Sea Salt: Detox Supports Thyroid function and regulates fluid balance & blood pressure.

Jalapeno: Fiber, Pain relief, weight loss, anti-stomach ulcers, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Vitamins A, C & Potassium. Immune, Skin & Vision.

Pepper: Magnesium/Copper/Iron & Vitamins, Lowers Cholesterol.

Red Chili Flakes: Treat migraines & headaches, heart, digestion & Immune.

Basil: Cell damage protection, depression reduction, stroke damage reduction, mental alertness, stress reduction & anti-infectious.

I recommend using doTERRA for volatile oils. If you would like more information on how to order or learn about the components of spices through these oils, I’m happy to help. Additionally, I can provide a link for you to order if you’d like to try them yourself.

https://referral.doterra.me/188056

Create meals according to weather: savory soups in cold weather, Grilled &sauteed foods in warm weather, broths & wellness shots when illness strikes, quick bites, and easy-to-prepare and store snacks & sweet treats. No matter the occasion, utilizing a pinch or blend of spice is vital to healthy eating. Learn various methods and how others incorporate spice by reading other food blogs, journals, and magazines, and I highly recommend attending some cooking classes. Remember, there is always room for improvement for the mind and your gut. Food, knowledge, and applying wisdom move you forward. Your body is a temple; treat it as such. It is a magnificent creation, and God would not have put us here without providing the things that would shape us into lively, wonderful beings.

When I Travel, I Always Stop at Specialty Stores

My daughter had a bread business for a while and always used the best salt to make her bread and butter loaves. Her loaves of bread were perfect, and they completely changed how I enjoyed butter, prompting me to make it for myself whenever I could! During my visits, she would share everything she knew about French salt, her preferred flours, and her methods for preparing, cooking, and baking.

Not only was I incredibly proud of her, but it also brought back fond memories of her growing up. I remembered at an early age how she used to wake up before me to make muffins and how she has always has loved to bake.

She shared her techniques with me, and I could taste the difference in quality. Since then, I have only used high-quality salt in my cooking. On one of my visits, she took me to a specialty spice shop, Love at First Bite, located in Idaho Falls. Now, every time I visit her, we make it a point to stop by and pick up some essential ingredients. Side note: The shop is perfect for gifts for that special person and your sweet cravings. I have picked out many gifts for loved ones here.

Mindfulness Thought: Matthew 7:9-11 says that if you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give what is good to those who ask Him? 

I encourage you to learn more about the spices you see in the aisles of your grocery store, those specialty stores you come across on your vacations and in your own towns that you have to drive across to the other end, find a parking spot or pay for one, it’ll be worth it. Learn where the spices derive from, what foods they work best with, and how they are best received.

Please share your favorite spicy dish with me. I would love to learn how you incorporate both healthy and delicious ingredients!

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” Matthew 4:19. 

I recently taught a class on spices at Natural Grocers in Corpus Christi, TX. Several attendees emailed me afterward to share how they replicated the meals and enjoyed the spices very much. Toward the end of the class, a mother and daughter came in, and the mother mentioned that she could smell the food from the entrance of the store, which drew her to the table. I offered her a plate, and she accepted, while her young daughter declined.

As I was wrapping up the class, I glanced back and noticed that the young girl had taken her mother’s plate and eaten it all. The mother approached me afterward and shared that her daughter had never liked foods like this before tasting mine. She said, “She ate all my food!” and then asked for another plate. Naturally, I obliged.

So, you see, it might not be just about what you are cooking, but how you are cooking it and what’s missing from it.

Bon appétit!

Thank you for reading and sharing this blog with a friend. I appreciate your friendship.