Thanksgiving Herbs and Spices
It's getting chilly outside, and we can start to feel the holiday spirit. Many of us will be celebrating Thanksgiving in a week, and the pleasant, comforting aromas from all the cooking will be filling our homes. Spices such as thyme, clove, nutmeg, sage, and bay leaves not only give us that traditional holiday cooking flavors, but they also have health benefits.
Thyme
It makes it for a great addition to your stuffing, or green beans casserole; It's full of vitamin C and is also a good source of vitamin A, which helps boost our immune system. It's also shown to boost our mood! It contains carvacrol which studies have shown to increase both dopamine and serotonin levels, improving our feeling of well-being.
Clove
Together with cinnamon and nutmeg, clove ads the very traditional taste of classic thanksgiving desserts such as pumpkin pie and bread pudding. It has been used as a preservative for centuries. Besides its known benefit of relieving that painful toothache, it also acts as a digestive aid by helping with indigestion and bloating.
Nutmeg
Apart from the traditional desserts, its rich and fragrant taste can also be added to your sweet potatoes and carrots for that added spice. Its benefits range from helping you sleep better to optimizing your digestion. Certain compounds found in nutmeg have been shown to even help with stomach ulcers.
Sage
Sage is a flavorful addition to your mashed potatoes, roasted turkey, or next day leftover soups.
It has been used as an herbal medicine for centuries, helping improve cholesterol, helping with menopause symptoms, combating obesity, and improving memory.
Bay leaves
We all have experienced that feeling of having eaten too much! Especially during the holidays. Adding bay leaves to your thanksgiving cooking can help you, and your guests digest the feast. They contain enzymes, thus aiding digestion and help reduce bloating and soothe an upset stomach.
And, of course, you can find all of them at the bulk session at William's Natural Foods.