Turmeric, one of the main ingredients in curry, is a plant and spice known for its unique flavor, bright yellow coloring and reputed health benefits.

Part of the ginger family, Turmeric was used as a dye and considered a powerful anti-inflammatory in ancient Chinese and Indian medicine. It is also believed to have an array of health benefits. It has been used as both a cancer-fighting agent and a liver detoxifier. Additionally, the South Asian plant can be used as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent on cuts and burns. Turmeric has also been used as a digestive aid and treatment for arthritis and depression.

Today, turmeric can be taken as in capsule form. Most experts, however, recommend that people try to include it in their daily recipes and meals.

Herbs, seasonings and spices can be your best friends when you're trying to cook healthfully. They add tons of flavor without upping the calorie or fat content.

"Fitness Magazine" has seven great spicy recipes that will fit into your healthy lifestyle. Their Hearty Beef Chili recipe is jazzed up with some smoky cumin and it gets its heat from chipotle chili pepper, Thai Pork Stir Fry gets a kick from curry, and fresh ginger flavors the Chicken with Rice Noodles.

All those seasonings and spices can really add up when you buy them at the grocery store. Consider buying them from a health food store instead; you can usually buy just what you need. Also, whole spices tend to have more flavor, so grind your own when possible. To get the most life out of your spices, keep them in air-tight containers in a cool, dry space, preferably away from light.

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Hey, guess what? Spicy foods can help you lose weight.

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When you cook, do you stick to the standard salt and pepper? Or do you get more creative, adding fresh herbs and spices to your meals? There are benefits beyond great flavor ... so the next time you cook, be sure to spice it up.

Using spice has been linked to weight loss, and using herbs and spices in place of salt can benefit your blood pressure. In a recent study, researchers found that many herbs and spices can protect tissues from damage and inflammation -- both of which are problems caused by high blood sugar. So frequent use of certain spices and herbs may help those who are living with diabetes.

Spices and herbs are high in antioxidants. While it's not clear how much of each item is necessary to protect tissues, incorporating these ingredients in your meals in small amounts certainly can't hurt. The spices and herbs researchers found to be beneficial include cloves, cinnamon, allspice, apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, marjoram, sage, and thyme.

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Want to drop a few pounds? Add some spice to your meals -- any kind will do, as long as it's low in calories. According to Fit Celeb, adding zero-calorie spices to your meals can help you lose weight. In fact, in studies, participants who did just that lost an average of 30 lbs in six months, compared to two lbs in the control group. Wow. The key to the weight loss was attributed to the aroma of the dishes -- taking a moment to savour the smell of the food was key to participants' weight loss.

A few things to keep in mind: Butter is not a spice, and neither is salt -- both will likely cause you to gain weight rather than lose it. However, be sure to stock up on healthy, flavourful spices like cinnamon, dill, rosemary, curry powder and so on.

What's your favourite spice?

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As hot August turns into cooler September, hauling out my crockpot also means sliding open the spice drawer. I don't know about you, but I simply use more spices in the fall and winter.

Nutrition research backs the health benefits of a variety of spices. Pinch, dash and teaspoonful your way to flavorful health with the following power spices:

• One tsp cinnamon wields the antioxidant punch of a full cup of pomegranate juice or a half-cup of blueberries. A cheap way to get your polyphenols, cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar and fight inflammation.
• Potential metabolism boosters and appetite suppressors include cayenne pepper, chili powder and paprika. Cayenne works for me -- it fries my mouth so I can't go back for seconds.
• New research on ginger is examining its anti-inflammatory properties -- similar to aspirin or my sore muscle best friend, ibuprofen.
• Oregano is the antioxidant powerhouse of dried herbs, capable of fighting bacterial growth and possibly the bacteria associated with ulcers.

Read more to discover the health benefits of yellow curry, curcumin and red peppers, too.

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There's been all kinds of stories circulating around lately on what a ridiculously huge amount of calories Olympic athlete Michael Phelps consumes every day while still managing to be totally ripped and toned. Talk about efficient calorie-burning! But you don't have to be on a crazy athletic training schedule and headed for the Olympics to learn how to burn calories better (although that certainly helps, I'm sure!), just try these 5 tips:

• Eat breakfast
• Tune in to your body's hunger cues
• Drink plenty of water
• Encourage healthy bacteria (take probiotics, eat yogurt)
  
• Go heavy on the spices (cayenne pepper, paprika, chili peppers)

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Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Being someone who loves to travel, I'm drawn to ethnic foods, tastes from around the world. So many cultures have different forms of curry, but my favourite is a good, spicy Indian curry. Provided it's not loaded with too much cream or sodium, curry is loaded with healthy ingredients like fresh veggies and spices. One of the key ingredients, of course, is Turmeric, and it's one of the main reasons you should eat more curry.

Why? The reasons are almost endless.

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So you're the type of person who fills your grocery cart with healthy foods -- fruits and veggies of every shape and color, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein. Your healthy choices are enough to make the check-out person feel guilty about the candy bar stashed beneath her register. But are you sure you're getting the most vitamins and minerals out of the foods that you buy?

Shape has a list of 9 common kitchen mistakes even healthy eaters make:

• Overloading on produce. It's best to buy fresh fruits and veggies within just a few days of using them. If you stock up on too many they'll lose precious nutrients as they sit on your counter waiting to be eaten. Or, worse yet, they'll end up going to waste altogether.
  
• Exposing foods to light. Opt for milk in cardboard boxes and don't store foods in glass canisters or see-through storage containers. Many foods are susceptible to a process called photooxidation in which light breaks down the nutrients.
  

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Instead of eating all those meals with mountains of included sodium levels, have you ever considered fixing "tasteless" foods then spicing them up with various spices to get those taste buds really going?

As some like to say, "there's no such thing as too much pepper" -- something I agree with. Try pepper on everything (except maybe fruit). Red potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, enchiladas and soup and you will be surprised how much this simple and inexpensive ingredient can wallop those foods with flavor without needing to add a bunch of processed flavoring.

In fact, I always looks for "low sodium" foods when shopping. I then add my own pepper, garlic, thyme and other spices to suit my taste -- all without consuming 1,000 milligrams of sodium per sitting in the process. Ever try cinnamon on plain, unflavored yogurt? Mmm.

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I love Mexican. Looooooooooooove it. But it's usually considered a diet no-no. I guess tortillas, re-fried beans, cheese and sour cream aren't the best for the waistline. But the key to healthy long-term changes is finding ways to enjoy the things you love without the guilt.

So if it's Mexican you love, here are some suggestions: Get your fix in salad form, without the tortilla or taco shell. Trade re-fried beans for regular beans (like black beans). Use low-fat cheese and sour cream in moderation, and choose lean protein sources, like chicken breast. I cook mine with Tex Mex spice and it's delicious.

Want more? Check out this recipe from Self Magazine.

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Natural and organic foods are often seen as boring and bland by those who are used to salty and chemical-infused processed foods, but it does not have to be that way. Ever try using fresh herbs in that salad or with that salmon?

Cilantro, Rosemary and Thyme are three of my favorites. Even squeeze a fresh lemon onto that veggie plate? That's another idea to spruce up the taste of some great feeds that don't have a load of MSG to get those taste buds excited while the food behind it is hardly adequate for normal nutrition.

The next time you find yourself trying to eat a healthier regimen of meals, but are discouraged by the bland taste you think may be there, try some fresh herbs (not bottled if possible) and spices. Personally, I use pepper on most foods I eat, although I understand that is too much for many of you. There are, however, many (many) alternatives.

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Did you know that sauteing your veggies with some olive oil is better than steaming them because you get more antioxidants that way? Yeah, me neither. I always assumed that the cooking method that involved the least fat was the most healthy. That's just one of the cooking tips I've learned from this article by Prevention Magazine. Here are some suggestions, in a nutshell:

• Cook or heat up tomatoes to up the amount of heart-healthy lycopene
  
• Let Garlic stand for 10-15 minutes before using it in cooking
• Heat acidic foods in cast iron to add more iron
• Add healthy fats like Avocado, Nuts and seeds to improve the nutrient content of your salad
• Add lemon juice to homemade chicken soup -- it increases the calcium in your soup
• Marinate -- the chance of picking up carcinogens from your barbecue is significantly decreased if you marinate your meat and veggies beforehand
• Save time and valuable nutrients by cutting bigger slices of veggies
• Don't peel -- the skin on many veggies is where the good stuff is
• Add fresh spices and and herbs to your meals

Great tips -- check out the article for a more in-depth explanation. What tips do you have?

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I was buying glucosamine tablets for my dog to cut down on arthritis inflammation. Then saw some in the drug store for people and thought I would give them a try for the pain in my joints from arthritis. I did not notice much change for either of us. Then I read an article today that glucosamine trials show little benefit against arthritis. The results of 15 trials of over the counter glucosamine vary so widely that industry bias may be a factor influencing the more positive outcomes, concludes a team writing in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

Click here to read the MSN health news article and you be the judge.

Native Americans have used cayenne pepper as both food and medicine for at least 9,000 years. It has also been used as a topical remedy for arthritis and muscle pain. So I think I will pull one of my favorite spices out of the cabinet and give it a try to remedy the knee joint pain the natural way. The University of Maryland Medical Center has an article on the healing powers of cayenne pepper. Click here to read their report.

A favorite breakfast food of mine that is both good for you and tastes great is whole-wheat bread with ground cinnamon (fresh ground if possible) and a touch of melted butter (just a little). No sugar though -- but using berries on top is good!

Cinnamon is known to lower blood glucose, triglycerides and even the "bad" cholesterol (LDL). Some purists swear by cinnamon as a partial cure to diabetes as well, and there is a long history of its use in those types of patients.

Is it a good spice to use? Absolutely -- but regular and sparing use (every day) is the way I use it when cooking and baking. Try it on a piece of whole wheat bread topped by some fresh berries. Yummy doesn't describe it!

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