Herbify your diet

If you’re truly committed to losing weight, cutting fat, and actually changing your life, then keep reading! There is nothing radical here, just information that our ancestors have known for quite some time. With a totally different lifestyle from our parents and grandparents, we have forgotten the power of HERBS. The problem for many of us is learning how to prepare tasty AND healthy food. Trust me, the two are NOT mutually exclusive!

First, let’s talk about salt, the automatic ‘go to’ for adding flavor to food. Sea salt and table salt have about the same amount of sodium. A preference for sea salt should be considered because:

Sea salt is collected from evaporated seawater and is generally not processed. This lack of processing means that the salt ALSO contains many minerals from the ocean that are beneficial for you, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This lack of processing also means there are no additives to prevent it from clumping.

Many cooks prefer the natural flavor of sea salt. Depending on where the salt was harvested, the crystals come in different sizes and sometimes colors, which makes them fun to work with.

Now let’s talk about herbs and why they are nature’s gift to us.

First, most dried herbs on their own are extremely low in calories, averaging less than 16 calories per tablespoon.

Second, herbs are packed with vitamins and nutrients that are just plain good for you. Eating a dish with paprika and parsley, you also get additional vitamins A and C. Do you like spices? Cumin will boost your iron intake, and curry powder is a delicious source of vitamin B6, iron, calcium, and other minerals.

Third, taking advantage of the natural flavor and nutritional goodness of herbs REQUIRES you to do some cooking. The problem with salt and weight gain isn’t just about the salt. This is how salt is used in the process of making fast, convenience, and mass-marketed food. Salt is used for flavoring, to restore the flavor of a processed food, to help ‘preserve’ it. In other words, processed or fast food is full of salt and little nutrition. Processed salty foods also create a craving for fizzy drinks like sodas or juices that mostly contain sugar.

A meal well seasoned with herbs and spices will encourage you to drink healthier beverages with your meal, such as water or red wine.

Working with herbs is creative, educational, and the food you eat will be of superior quality, totally delicious, AND you’ll be amazed at how much LESS money you’ll spend on food each month.

Take advantage of Mother Nature’s gift and immerse yourself in the world of herbs and spices. You don’t have to throw away the salt, but you will find that you will use less and help your body be the best it can be!