From the Origins of Spices websites comes this:

There are a number of uses for spices other than for flavoring or cooking. Medicinal use of spices, anti-bacterial uses and more. Read on for more about other uses for spices.

Turmeric - Part of the curcumin plant, turmeric helps reduce inflammation. A study in the Journal Arthritis & Rheumatism finds turmeric stopped further cartilage destruction and blocks inflammation and is shown to reduce swelling. Use: Eat lots of dishes with curry several times a week. You can also find supplements. Take 1,000 mg turmeric capsules two or three times per day depending on symptoms. Always follow directions on bottle if available.

Rosemary - Used often in Mediterranean cuisine. Rosemary contains phytochemicals and antioxidants that research says reduces inflammation and as a pain reliever. Use: Do not use during or just before pregnancy. 4-6 drops of rosemary oil in warm bath water, or mix 4-6 drops with a capful (1 tsp.) almond oil and massage into your sore joints.

Read the rest here.

Get Small - If you have standard size dinner plates, get some smaller plates. It easily helps reduce your portions.

Think Out Of The Box - Boxed and processed foods usually have fewer phytonutrients which studies have shown help reduce the risk of heart disease. Eat fresh cooked foods whenever possible.

Go Big on Veggies - Increase the portions of veggies on your plate. Veggies should consist of 2/3 of the average plate size.

Take Away - Remove the salt shaker, only add necessary salt for flavoring during cooking. Salt increases blood pressure.

Fish Please - Fish, especially white fish has lowfat, cooks easily, and is heart healthy. Eat quality fish, once or twice a week. Discuss with your doctor if planning or are pregnant.

Eat Seasonally - When in-season, increase your in-take of fresh veggies and fruit.

Herbs are an essential part of cooking throughout history, and nowadays with year-round  availability of many herbs, cooking with herbs is a creative way to make your favorite dishes stand out. Using dried herbs is more of an art as they tend to have a stronger flavor, but don’t last as long. As with many herbs, use with caution and add over time. Melding of flavors is best achieved by cooking slowly, or letting the dish stand overnight in the refrigerator.

I really like these new pepper mixes that come ready in their own table sized grinder. Just recently I noticed a salt blend, which I of course snapped up and placed it in my cart. As I shopped I was quietly thinking about what I was going to use it on.

Asparagus was in, and looked quite good with it’s even green coloring and slim stalks of goodness. That night, as I am preparing my vegetables for a hot bath, knowing that the veggies themselves would be the first victim I pried open the bottle ready to dispense.

Herein lies where I was going with all of this. Here it comes, are you ready? Don’t grind the salt mix directly onto your dish. The dispenser tends to allow the ground salt residue to collect and to occasionally dispense unexpectedly onto whatever dish you were ready to enjoy. I suggest grinding the salt mixture into a small dish or ramekin and then pinch onto your desired dish.

- JollyCook