When eating a meal, you may often praise yourself for including things like blueberries, red bell pepper, sweet potato or any of the other well-known healthy foods. But would you stop to pat yourself on the back for adding cinnamon? Or garlic?
According to McCormick.com, cinnamon has extraordinarily high levels of antioxidant compounds. It compares the anti-oxidant levels in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with ½ cup of fresh blueberries. Now, I would much rather eat the blueberries than a spoonful of cinnamon, but it’s good to know that my favorite baking spice is adding much more than just flavor to my recipe. On McCormick’s website you will find a list of seven spices, including cinnamon, which have been linked to promoting good health.
Garlic is relied upon as a tasty flavor component in many meals, but claims have been made to its usefulness in fighting colds, cancer and other ailments. But according to the National Cancer Institute, one way to ensure you maximize the cancer-fighting agents in garlic is to mince it and let it sit 10-15 minutes before you use the fresh garlic in your meal. The sulfides within the garlic, which are thought to be the primary cancer-fighters, need some time to develop after mincing.
So there you have it…two quick ways you are probably adding to the healthfulness of your eating without even knowing it!
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