CHAPTER 5
Fat Flush Herbs and Spices
Spice is the variety of life.
–JONNY BOWDEN, PHD, CNS
Herbs and spices flaunt Mother Nature in all her aromatic and healing glory. For thousands of years, people have utilized herbs and spices to flavor foods and treat illnesses: ginger for an upset tummy, cayenne for high blood pressure, cinnamon to lower blood sugar, garlic to ward off bacteria, nutmeg to warm digestion, and turmeric for just about everything including Alzheimer’s and pain. Sadly, even with the wide array of spices available, black pepper remains the most popular seasoning among Americans!
I invite you to expand your use of herbs and spices to include a variety of Fat Flush flavors. For example, seasoning your foods with a bit of dill, parsley, coriander, or cumin goes a long way toward boosting the nutritional value of your meal and helps you steer clear of bloat-promoting salt and artificial additives.
What’s the difference between an herb and a spice? An herb is an aromatic leaf, like parsley, while a spice stems from a pungent seed, root, or bark, such as cinnamon. Both types of seasonings offer a myriad of fat-flushing benefits, from urging the metabolism into high gear to erasing excess water weight.
Antioxidants, so abundant in herbs and spices, have become synonymous with good health because of their ability to neutralize harmful free radicals in the body. In addition, these Fat Flush seasonings aid the digestive process, support the liver, and help prevent disease. To achieve the greatest impact from seasonings, make use of the full range of Fat Flush herbs and spices. Avoid using any of the seasonings every day to prevent the development of food allergies. (People are prone to develop allergies to foods they eat all the time.)
The facts are indisputable. Herbs and spices transform the simplest meal by providing flavor and soul to your food. At the same time, they impart a host of nutritional rewards and are teeming with valuable health benefits. What more could you ask for from a sprinkle of this and a dash of that?
ANISE
What smells like licorice, tastes like licorice, but isn’t licorice? It’s anise, one of the oldest cultivated spices in the world. Native to the Middle East, anise has been used as a medicine since prehistoric times. The Romans used anise to thwart indigestion, prevent bad dreams, treat scorpion bites, and ward off the evil eye. In the sixteenth century, anise served as bait in mousetraps. These days, we have tastier uses for anise. It flavors cakes, cookies, and breads and enriches soups, stews, and seafood. From liqueurs to licorice candy, anise lends its distinctive flavor to a wide variety of food and drink.
Beyond the kitchen, anise is found in many commercial cough syrups and sore throat medications. In addition to adding flavor to these drugs, anise contains the chemicals creosol and alpha-pinene, which have been shown to loosen mucus in the bronchial tubes, thus making it easier to cough up. Studies have confirmed that anethole, the main active ingredient in anise, inhibits the growth of certain tumors, especially colon cancer. And scientists at the University of California found that anethole helps fight Candida albicans—those sugar-loving yeast microbes that can wreak havoc in our bodies.
Consuming anise can soothe a queasy stomach and boost antioxidant levels, and because it contains dianethole and photoanethole, which are chemically similar to estrogen, anise can even take the edge off perimenopausal symptoms.
Recommended Usage
Up to one teaspoon of anise seeds per week.
Just the Facts
♦ Licorice candy contains very little “licorice.” Instead, most of its flavor comes from anise.
♦ Mexico is the world’s largest producer of anise.
♦ Anise “perfumes” the artificial rabbit used in greyhound races.
♦ In medicine, anise oil masks the taste of bitter-tasting drugs.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ For a refreshing taste, sprinkle a few anise seeds onto a salad or mix some into your salad dressing.
♦ When you’re cooking cabbage, add anise seeds to produce a delightful flavor.
♦ Sprinkle a bit of ground anise in hot lemon water. Drink it first thing in the morning to give your digestive system a boost.
♦ Baked apples are delicious with ground anise seed sprinkled on top.
♦ Store anise in a cool, dry, dark place in tightly sealed containers. Anise may retain its flavor qualities and strength for up to three years.
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
ERMA BOMBECK
CINDY C., CALIFORNIA
CAYENNE
Cayenne has been used as both food and medicine in the tropical areas of South and Central America and Africa for more than 7,000 years. Related to both mild bell peppers and fiery chili peppers, cayenne bears no connection to black pepper. In fact, it was Spanish explorers who misnamed cayenne a pepper and began trading it around the world.
Cayenne does much more than create a tongue-tingling meal. It is loaded with vitamins C, B, A, and E and also contains calcium, phosphorus, and iron. One of the richest sources of vitamin E, cayenne helps keep the heart healthy and strong. And as its bright-red color suggests, it provides us with immune-boosting beta-carotene, one of the most important antioxidants in the body. Cayenne offers additional value as a painkiller (especially against the discomfort of arthritis), an antiseptic, and a digestive aid.
As most of us can attest, cayenne is a diaphoretic—a sweat-inducing spice. Its hotness comes from a high concentration of capsicum, a substance that has been firing up the circulation for centuries. It is capsicum that gives cayenne the power to get the blood pumping efficiently, stimulate the body’s metabolic rate, and help clean fat out of the arteries. Cayenne adds a real kick to all your veggies, sauces, dips, and soups. I even like a pinch of this hot stuff in my smoothie.
A study at Oxford Polytechnic Institute proved that cayenne pepper stimulates the metabolism by about 20 percent and results in increased distribution of oxygen throughout the body.
Recommended Usage
Liberal use, to taste, every other day.
Just the Facts
♦ Capsicum, the colorless, heat-producing compound in cayenne, is also known as capsaicin. Amazingly, within the last few years, over 1,300 studies on capsicum have been published in medical journals.
♦ Because of its hot, burning flavor, cayenne takes its name from a Greek word meaning “to bite.”
♦ People who break out in a sweat after eating cayenne are experiencing “gustatory perspiration.”
♦ Dropping a pinch of cayenne into your gloves will keep your hands warm on a cold morning.
♦ You may see cayenne ranging in color from deep red to nearly orange.
♦ Cayenne is one of the few spices that are always purchased in ground form.
Boost the Benefits
♦ Cayenne pepper should be kept in a tightly sealed glass jar, away from direct sunlight. Stored in this way, it should keep up to one year.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ Cayenne is sure to heat up any combination of mixed, steamed veggies.
♦ Give your herbal coffee a traditional Mexican flair by adding a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.
♦ Adding cayenne and lemon juice to cooked bitter greens, such as kale, really complements the flavor.
♦ Use cayenne in moderation. For example, for a recipe that serves four, start with just a dash or two. Increase the amount, dash by dash, until you have the heat level you desire.
♦ Because cayenne’s heat intensifies when it’s frozen, you may want to go easy when making a dish destined for the freezer.
THINK TWICE!
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
JULIE T., WASHINGTON
CINNAMON
Once considered a precious commodity, cinnamon boasts a long history as both a spice and a medicine. Cinnamon is actually tree bark and can be found in dried stick form or as a ground powder. True cinnamon comes from Ceylon and is difficult to find in U.S. stores. Tan in color, it offers a delicate aroma and a sweeter flavor than the more common, less expensive “cassia” cinnamon. If the cinnamon in your cupboard is mahogany red, it is cassia and was probably grown in Vietnam, China, Indonesia, or Central America.
Medieval physicians treated coughs, sore throats, and diarrhea with cinnamon. Europeans used cinnamon to preserve foods and to mask the stench and flavor of spoiling meats. And it turns out that they were on to something. Recent studies have confirmed cinnamon’s ability to rid foods of dangerous bacteria. One study, conducted at Kansas State University, found that cinnamon destroyed E. coli bacteria in apple juice.
The healing powers of cinnamon’s active ingredients (cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol) don’t end there. Cinnamon has been well researched for its ability to prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. Cinnamon consumption can boost the metabolism and derail candida, the microorganism that causes yeast overgrowth in the body. The calcium and fiber content of cinnamon seems to improve intestinal health and protect against heart disease. And best of all, in both test-tube and animal studies, scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have found that cinnamon makes cells more responsive to insulin. Clinical trials with humans are currently under way, but it appears that just a dash of cinnamon can help the body to metabolize glucose, keeping blood sugar levels in check.
I only recommend Ceylon cinnamon because most commercial cinnamons contain the liver-damaging ingredient coumarin that can be harmful to health when taken in excess. Cinnamon in general, however, is most helpful in controlling blood sugar levels so that insulin spikes are kept in check, and it can even reduce the glycemic impact of a meal by nearly 30 percent. As a delicious metabolism booster, cinnamon can rock desserts, lamb, coffee, tea, and smoothies.
Recommended Usage
One-half to one teaspoon every other day.
Just the Facts
♦ In the United States, consumption of cinnamon has jumped by 6.5 million pounds in the last decade.
♦ Most of the “cinnamon” sold across the United States is actually cassia (although it is labeled as cinnamon). Cinnamon and cassia are closely related, but cassia is stronger and less delicate in flavor. True cinnamon is readily available in other countries, including Mexico.
♦ Cinnamon sticks are known officially as “quills.”
♦ If you consume cinnamon every day, your body may stop responding to its thermogenic properties.
♦ How can you tell if your cinnamon sticks are true cinnamon or cassia? True cinnamon quills curl up from one side, like a jellyroll, while cassia quills roll inward from both sides, like a scroll.
Boost the Benefits
♦ To ensure the best flavor and nutrition from your cinnamon, buy it in small quantities, because it becomes stale quickly, losing both flavor and aroma. Your best bet is to grind your own cinnamon from quills, using a spice or coffee grinder.
♦ Keep your cinnamon in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark, and dry place. Ground cinnamon keeps for about six months, while cinnamon sticks stay fresh for about one year. To check for freshness, smell your cinnamon. Discard it if the aroma is no longer sweet.
♦ Foods that undergo radiation during their processing may form free radicals that are potentially harmful to humans. Look for organically grown cinnamon, because it has likely not been irradiated. Among other potentially harmful effects, irradiating cinnamon can reduce its vitamin C and carotenoid content.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ To prevent the bitterness that comes with extended cooking, add ground cinnamon to your dish shortly before you serve it.
♦ Try a dash of cinnamon in spaghetti sauce, beef stew, or chili.
♦ Brighten the flavor of apple, peach, or pear slices with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
♦ Before broiling, season chicken breasts or lamb chops with some sweet-spicy cinnamon.
Fat Flush Fun
♦ To fill your home with the scent of cinnamon, simmer a quill or two in a pot of water. This is especially nice throughout the winter holidays.
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
PATTY R., TEXAS
CLOVES
Did you know that cloves are actually flower buds, picked and dried before they blossom? Shaped like nails, whole cloves are an easy spice to recognize and have been prized throughout the ages. In ancient China, people were required to freshen their mouths by chewing cloves prior to meeting the emperor, and in the Spice Islands, wars were fought over the right to grow and sell cloves. Today, Brazil, Indonesia, and Zanzibar all produce cloves, although the finest cloves are said to come from Madagascar.
Eugenol, the main component of cloves, has a long-standing reputation for killing bacteria and viruses. This explains why cloves have been valued throughout history as a food preservative, a wound disinfectant, and a toothache cure. Highly antiseptic, clove oil continues to be used in mouthwashes, medicines, and antacids.
As a Fat Flush food, cloves stimulate digestion, fire up the metabolism, and reduce intestinal bloating and gas. So keep this hot, slightly sweet spice handy. You can try whole cloves to give an intense “punch” to your food, or you can use ground cloves for a more subdued flavor.
Recommended Usage
An eighth to a quarter teaspoon two to three times per week.
Just the Facts
♦ Cloves serve as natural insect repellents for ants and other crawling insects.
♦ Cloves are the only spice that is smoked more than it is eaten. Indonesia uses half the world’s supply of cloves to make “kretek” cigarettes. (The American Lung Association has declared that clove cigarettes are even more toxic than tobacco.)
Boost the Benefits
♦ Because of their high oil content, you need to keep cloves tightly covered, or they will lose flavor and turn rancid. Store this spice away from the light, in an airtight container.
♦ Look for whole cloves that are mahogany red, are slightly oily, and give off a pungent, sweet aroma. Avoid black or shriveled cloves; they are not fresh.
♦ Get rid of any ground clove that tastes bitter or harsh. It’s too old.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ Use cloves sparingly because the flavor continues to develop in a dish over time.
♦ Add cloves to tomato dishes or sprinkle them over cooked sweet potato.
♦ Do you make your own broth? Push a clove or two into an onion to give a distinctive flavor to chicken or vegetable broth.
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
CAROL A., CALIFORNIA
CORIANDER
Coriander—is it an herb or a spice? How about both? The fresh minty sweet leaves are considered an herb and are sometimes called cilantro or Chinese parsley. The seeds, which look like tan peppercorns, are a fragrant spice and taste like a mixture of sweet orange peel and sage.
Coriander is probably one of the first herbs to be used by people, going back as far as 5000 BC. If you read Tales of the Arabian Nights, you’ll see coriander mentioned as an aphrodisiac. In ancient China, eating coriander was a way to ensure immortality. Coriander holds the honor of being one of the first spices to arrive in America, and it sits high on the list of the healing spices.
Coriander is traditionally known as an “antidiabetic” plant. This claim has recently been confirmed. The British Journal of Nutrition published a study that found that when coriander was added to the diet of diabetic mice, it helped stimulate their secretion of insulin and lowered their blood sugar.
Currently, scientists are taking a look at coriander for its cholesterol-lowering effects. Researchers at a university in India fed coriander to rats that were on a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet. They found that coriander lowered levels of total and LDL cholesterol while actually increasing HDL levels. While further research is needed, there is no doubt that coriander packs a wallop as a Fat Flush food.
Recommended Usage
Up to one bunch per week.
Just the facts
♦ Coriander stalks are tender and have the same flavor as the leaves—so don’t throw them out!
♦ Only a small amount of coriander is needed to flavor dishes, especially if you’re using fresh coriander.
Boost the Benefits
♦ When buying fresh coriander, look for vibrantly deep-green leaves that are firm, crisp, and unspotted.
♦ Fresh coriander leaves are perishable and won’t keep more than a few days. To maximize storage time, wrap the leaves in a moist cloth and refrigerate them in a loosely fitting plastic bag. If the roots are intact, store the bouquet of coriander in a glass of water and cover it loosely with a plastic bag.
♦ Bunched coriander can be frozen by simply wrapping it in foil before placing it in the freezer.
♦ To keep coriander seeds, either whole or ground, store them in a tightly sealed container away from light. Ground coriander keeps for about four months, while whole seeds stay fresh for at least one year.
♦ Wash and chop fresh coriander right before adding it to your dish since the aroma of coriander intensifies immediately after being cut. To clean your coriander, place it in a bowl of cold water and swish it around with your hands. Repeat this process with clean water until no dirt remains in the bowl.
♦ To intensify the flavor of whole coriander seeds, toast them in a dry, nonstick frying pan before you grind them.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ To enjoy the peak flavor of fresh coriander leaves, add them to your dish during the last few moments of cooking.
♦ Season fish with lemon juice, coriander, and mustard. Then broil for a delectable flavor.
♦ Stir-fry some spinach, fresh garlic, and coriander seeds. Season with ginger and cumin, and you’ve got a side dish that’s jam packed with nutrients.
♦ Substitute fresh coriander for parsley or chervil in most any recipe.
♦ Toss fresh coriander leaves with salad greens for an added zing.
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
CARYL P., NORTH CAROLINA
CUMIN
An ordinary-looking seed, cumin packs a punch when it comes to both flavor and health benefits. Cumin has a distinctive taste, slightly bitter and peppery with a hint of citrus, which it lends to a wide array of Mexican, Indian, and Middle Eastern dishes. In the kitchens of ancient Greece and Rome, cumin served as a replacement for black pepper, which was expensive and hard to come by. During the Middle Ages, Europeans recognized cumin as a symbol of love and fidelity. Wives baked loaves of cumin bread to give to their husbands as they headed off to war.
Today, cumin is experiencing a comeback, as more people come to appreciate its culinary and therapeutic properties. Cumin seed is high in protein, potassium, iron, and thiamine. Researchers are finding that cumin stimulates the secretion of pancreatic enzymes, thereby aiding digestion and absorption of nutrients. Because of its ability to scavenge for free radicals, cumin enhances the detoxification process in the liver. And two of cumin’s active ingredients, carevol and limonene, have been shown to be powerful cancer fighters.
Whether you select the black or yellow-brown variety, be sure to add a healthy dose of cumin to your diet. Your liver will thank you.
This peppery biblical spice is a wonderful taste enhancer and catalyst for weight loss. The latest research out of the Middle East, where cumin is popularly consumed, shows that one teaspoon of this spice boosts weight loss by 50 percent, most likely due to its ability to raise body temperature, thereby heating up metabolism. This is one great spice for hummus, beans, chili, and any variation of a Mexican food dish.
Recommended Usage
Liberal use, to taste, every other day.
Just the Facts
♦ Cumin ranks as one of the most popular spices in the world, second only to black pepper.
♦ Cumin “seeds” are actually the small dried fruits of the cumin plant.
♦ Cumin is the essential ingredient in chili powder.
Boost the Benefits
♦ Whether whole or ground, cumin seeds should be stored in tightly sealed glass containers in a cool, dry place. Ground cumin keeps for about six months, while the whole seeds stay fresh for up to one year.
♦ Whenever possible, buy whole cumin seeds instead of powder since ground cumin loses its flavor more quickly than the seeds. You can easily grind your own cumin with a mortar and pestle.
♦ To bring out their full aroma and flavor, lightly roast whole cumin seeds before using them in a recipe.
♦ When making a dish that needs to simmer for a long time, consider using whole cumin seeds. Ground cumin can quickly lose its strength and become bitter.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ Add cumin to beef to give a new twist to pot roast or stew recipes.
♦ Flavor lamb brochettes or kebabs with cumin and then grill.
♦ Season steamed vegetables with cumin to give them a North African flair.
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
DONNA F., PENNSYLVANIA
DANDELION
Before you go yanking out those pesky dandelions and tossing them into the compost pile, you may want to check out their health benefits. What many folks consider irritating weeds are actually secret stockpiles of phytonutrients with amazing health benefits. Every part of the dandelion plant has nutritional gifts to bear, including cancer preventatives—from the tips of their leaves to the ends of their seemingly endless roots.
Dandelions belong to one of the largest plant families, the sunflower family (Asteraceae), which also includes daisies and thistles. They have been used medicinally as far back as the tenth century in the Middle East for everything from anemia to scurvy, skin problems, blood disorders, and depression.
At the present time, Green Med Info’s database for dandelions lists 47 scientific abstracts cataloging the plant’s evidence-based health benefits, with the strongest studies pointing toward anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that affect just about every system in your body. Dandelions’ anti-inflammatory properties make them useful for relieving muscle and joint aches, soothing eczema, and reducing postinjury redness and swelling. Dandelions offer support to your immune system, such as helping combat antibiotic-resistant infections.
Underlying these benefits is a nutritional bounty that includes vitamin C, B vitamins, beta-carotene, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, phosphorus, and even some vitamin D. Dandelion greens provide a staggering 535 percent of the recommended daily amount for vitamin K (K1, not K2). They are rich in fiber and boast more protein than spinach.
These superweeds act as both diuretic and laxative. They help your kidneys flush out waste by ramping up urine production, as well as increasing the activity of your digestive tract—especially fat digestion. Dandelions boost your bile production, keeping it thin and smooth flowing, which reduces gallstones. Dandelion has also been shown to help with nausea, loss of appetite, gas, and bloating. Dandelion promotes detox by reducing inflammation in your liver and gallbladder, promoting electrolyte balance and good hydration, and helping your liver filter out toxins, and it’s even been used to treat jaundice.
But wait—there’s more! Dandelions have anti-obesity properties and can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, which is epidemic today. They stabilize blood sugar by stimulating your pancreas to produce more insulin, as well as lowering your blood pressure and working magic on your cholesterol and other lipids.
As a huge bonus, your cup of dandelion tea may keep you out of the oncologist’s office. Dandelion root was found to cause melanoma cells to self-destruct (apoptosis)—even drug-resistant ones. Additionally, in 2011 researchers discovered that dandelion root tea may contain a “kill switch” for leukemia cells. Other studies have shown dandelion to exert similar effects against cancers of the breast and prostate.
Recommended Usage
♦ All parts of the dandelion are safe to eat. Leaves, roots, stems, and flowers can be consumed raw, as part of a salad, or cooked as you would any other greens (steamed or sautéed). Cooking, as well as adding some lemon juice, helps minimize dandelion’s somewhat bitter flavor.
♦ Dandelion roots, stems, and flowers can be brewed into a delicious antioxidant-rich tea. The root is classically used for tea, but if roasted first, you get “dandelion coffee.” Dandelion tea is useful for enhancing digestion before or after a meal and for treating indigestion after a fatty meal.
Just the Facts
♦ Dandelions are thought to have evolved about 30 million years ago in Eurasia. Their name is derived from the French words dent de lion, meaning “lion’s tooth.” Two species grow worldwide: Taraxacum officinale and T. erythrospermum.
♦ Dandelions attract pollinators and release ethylene gas, which helps fruit ripen.
♦ Dandelions have an underground taproot that can grow to a whopping 15 feet! This taproot adds minerals and nitrogen to the soil, as well as bringing nutrients upward to feed more shallowly rooted plants.
♦ The milky white sap you get on your fingers when you break a dandelion stem has germicidal, insecticidal, and fungicidal properties; it can be used to relieve itching related to eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, or insect bites.
♦ Dandelions may have the longest flowering season of any plant. Their blossoms were historically used to treat warts, blisters, and other skin afflictions.
Boost the Benefits
♦ Dandelion parts will stay fresh in your fridge for about a week, and wrapping them in a damp paper towel may extend freshness. The good news is, if your dandelion greens are past their prime, there are probably more where those came from!
Fat Flush in Action
♦ How to make dandelion tea or coffee: Chop clean dandelion roots by hand or in a food processor. For tea, steep root pieces in boiling water for 10 to 30 minutes; then strain. For a nutritious caffeine-free coffee alternative, arrange chopped roots on a baking sheet and roast for two hours in a 300 degree oven before steeping.
THINK TWICE!
Fat Flush Fun
♦ Dandelion is the only flower that represents all three celestial bodies—the sun, the moon, and the stars. The yellow flower is said to represent the sun, the puff ball signifies the moon, and the dispersing seeds represent the stars.
♦ Dandelion roots may be used to make dandelion beer.
♦ For your health and the health of the planet, consider ditching chemical herbicides, along with your need for the perfectly “manicured” grass lawn. Every year, Americans spend millions of dollars on toxic lawn chemicals and use 30 percent of the country’s water supply to keep their lawns green. What about a vegetable garden instead? You could be the first one on your block to sport a dedicated dandelion patch.
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
A. R. ASHER
UNKNOWN
DILL
Dill offers double the pleasure—and Fat Flush power—since both its leaves and seeds may be used as a seasoning. Dill’s fern-like, green leaves are delicate and have a soft, sweet taste. Dried dill seeds are light-brown ovals with a sweet, citrusy flavor.
One of the favorite herbs in ancient Greece and Rome, dill was considered good luck and was often placed in a baby’s cradle or over a door jamb for protection. Ancient soldiers applied roasted dill seeds to their wounds to encourage healing and help prevent infection. Today, we know those soldiers were on to something. Current research has confirmed that dill prevents bacterial overgrowth.
In addition to serving as a natural diuretic, dillweed contains a substance called carvone, which aids and calms digestion by relieving intestinal gas. This probably explains why, in early America, children were given dill seeds to calm them during lengthy church services. It also explains why I promote the frequent use of dill. The digestive tract works less efficiently as we age, and consuming dill gives it a welcomed boost.
As an added bonus, the active ingredients in dill qualify it as a “chemoprotective” food that helps neutralize certain carcinogens, such as the benzopyrenes found in cigarette smoke, charcoal grill smoke, and the smoke produced by trash incinerators. So use dill liberally to detox your body and delight your taste buds.
Recommended Usage
Two teaspoons per week.
Just the Facts
♦ It takes a tablespoon of chopped fresh dill to equal one teaspoon of dried dillweed.
♦ An ounce of dill seeds contains more than 10,000 tiny seeds.
♦ One tablespoon of dill seed contains as much calcium as a cup of milk. Dill is also a good source of fiber, iron, and magnesium.
Boost the Benefits
♦ When shopping for fresh dill, look for feathery green leaves. Don’t worry if the leaves appear slightly wilted, because they usually droop very quickly after being picked.
♦ Store fresh dill in the refrigerator either wrapped in a damp paper towel or placed with its stems upright in a container of water—like a bouquet of flowers. Since it is very fragile, dill keeps fresh for only a few days, even if stored properly.
♦ Forget using a knife and cutting board. Snip fresh dill with scissors to mince the delicate leaves.
♦ Your best bet for long-term storage is to freeze dill leaves. To use the frozen leaves, just snip off what you need and drop the rest back in the freezer. (Dill tends to darken a bit in the freezer, but it keeps nicely for several months.)
♦ For handy access when making soups, stews, or stir-fries, freeze dill leaves in ice-cube trays covered with broth. Then pop out just as many cubes as you need.
♦ Keep dried dill seeds in a tightly sealed glass container. If you keep the container in a cool, dry, dark place, the dill seeds will stay fresh for about six months.
♦ There is no comparison between the flavor of fresh dill and dried dillweed. Use fresh for the most intense flavor. If you must use dried, do so with a generous hand.
Fat Flush Fun
♦ Rumor has it that if you sprinkle some fresh dill leaves in your bathwater, you will be irresistible to your lover!
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ The longer that dillweed is cooked, the more the flavor diminishes. Add it at the last minute to achieve full flavor and aroma.
♦ Combine dillweed with plain yogurt and chopped cucumber for a delicious cooling dip or tangy seafood sauce.
♦ When broiling lamb chops or steak, sprinkle chopped fresh dill on the meat during the last five minutes.
♦ Is fish on the menu? The flavor of dill enhances most fish very well, especially salmon and trout.
♦ Since dill seeds are known for soothing the stomach after a meal, put some seeds in a small dish and pass them around the dinner table for everyone to enjoy.
DRIED MUSTARD
Can you guess what mustard and broccoli have in common? They are both members of the cruciferous family of vegetables. While there are about 40 different types of mustard plants, we get seeds from three main varieties: black, white, and brown mustard. For the most pungent flavor, look for black mustard seeds. White mustard seeds are the mildest and are used to make American yellow mustard. Dijon mustard contains the flavorful, dark-yellow seeds of the brown mustard plant.
At first, mustard was considered a medicine rather than a food. In the sixth century BC, the Greek scientist Pythagoras used mustard to take the bite out of scorpion stings. One hundred years later, Hippocrates treated patients with mustard medicines and poultices. Around the globe, people in every culture continued to find uses for mustard. German folklore encouraged brides who wanted to rule the roost to sew mustard seeds into the hem of their wedding dresses, while from Denmark to India mustard was sprinkled around the outside of homes to ward off evil spirits. It was the early Romans who ground mustard seeds and mixed them with wine into a paste similar to the prepared mustards of today.
Mustard seeds contain ample amounts of phytonutrients, including isothiocyanates. The isothiocyanates in mustard seeds have been the focus of many cancer-related studies and have been shown to inhibit the growth of existing cancer cells, especially in gastrointestinal tumors.
Mustard seeds provide selenium, magnesium, monounsaturated fats, and phosphorous. And they are a good source of iron, calcium, zinc, and manganese. Best of all, mustard helps flush fat by revving your metabolism. In a study conducted at the Oxford Polytechnic Institute in England, scientists found that spicy foods, especially mustard, spiked metabolic rates by 25 percent. By adding mustard to a meal, participants burned off at least 45 extra calories during the next three hours. So skip sugar-filled ketchup and stock up on dried mustard instead. Your waistline will thank you.
Mustard is a must in my kitchen. In the dried, powdered state or as a prepared mustard spread, it not only gives a burst of tangy spiciness, but helps flush fat by kicking metabolism into high gear. Study data from the Oxford Polytechnic Institute shows that mustard spikes metabolic rates by 25 percent. By adding mustard to a meal, participants burned at least 45 extra calories during the next three hours. Try just a pinch of dried mustard in your homemade salad dressings, mayo, and pickles. I really love it on my deviled eggs.
Recommended Usage
Liberal use, to taste, every other day.
Just the Facts
♦ Dry mustard contains at least twice the flavor zip of prepared mustard.
♦ The Fat Flush spice turmeric is what gives most American mustards their bright-yellow color.
♦ In the United States, pepper is the only spice consumed more often than mustard. And around the world, people eat over 700 million pounds of mustard every year.
♦ One teaspoon of dried mustard equals one tablespoon of prepared mustard.
Boost the Benefits
♦ When you mix dried mustard powder with cold water, a chemical reaction occurs between two enzymes that enhances the pungency and heat of the mustard. To stop the enzymatic process—and turn down the heat—you can add some very hot water or a bit of apple cider vinegar. Or just give it time. The mixture will reach its peak in fire and flavor after about 15 minutes and will quickly decline from that point on.
♦ Store whole mustard seeds in airtight containers in a cool, dry place for up to one year. Ground and powdered mustard stays fresh for up to six months.
Fat Flush Fun
♦ Try this tip during cold weather: sprinkle dry mustard inside your shoes to prevent cold feet and frostbite.
♦ Color your world yellow. Use mustard powder as a fertilizer—you’ll get brighter-colored daffodils.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ You may purchase mustard seeds either whole (and grind them yourself) or as a ground powder.
♦ For a tangy fat-flushing meal, dredge chicken breasts in “homemade” mustard and bake. Or use your mustard mixture as a dip for grilled chicken breast, fruits, and vegetables.
♦ Be creative with ground mustard, but go easy and taste along the way. You can always add more mustard, but there is no “cure” for overdoing it.
THINK TWICE!
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
CANDY C., KENTUCKY
CHICO MARX, MONKEY BUSINESS
FENNEL SEED
Looking like tiny watermelons, greenish-gray fennel seeds give foods a subtle, sweet, licorice-like flavor. Yet fennel’s reputation through the ages has been as a digestive soother. These unassuming little seeds can calm an acidic stomach, ease irritable bowel syndrome, and alleviate gas pains. As an added bonus, fennel relieves bloating by acting as a natural diuretic. How can this herb, which the Chinese used as a remedy for snakebites and scorpion stings, have such a soothing effect on the body? It appears that fennel relaxes smooth muscles in the body, including the lining of the digestive and urinary tracts.
Recent research suggests that anethole, the active ingredient in fennel, has an estrogen-like activity, making it a potential remedy for the symptoms of perimenopause. Anethole may also support the liver by encouraging the regeneration of liver cells, although more research is necessary to confirm this.
So whether you reach for fennel to season your food or chew a few seeds to settle your stomach after a big meal, you’ll reap the benefits of this aromatic herb.
Recommended Usage
A maximum of one teaspoon of fennel seeds every other day. (The stems and the fronds may be eaten freely.)
Just the Facts
♦ Fennel comes from the Greek word for “marathon” because an ancient battle between the Greeks and the Persians was fought at Marathon on a field of fennel.
♦ Bulb fennel is a vegetable that resembles a plump celery plant.
Boost the Benefits
♦ To purchase good-quality fennel, look for seeds that are either yellow or greenish brown and that taste and smell a bit like licorice.
♦ Toasting fennel seeds enhances their flavor.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ Typically used to complement fish, fennel is also found in a variety of Italian dishes.
♦ Sprinkle fennel and garlic on broiled lamb chops for a fabulous flavor.
♦ Add fennel to your favorite meatloaf recipe, sprinkle it over an apple before baking, or use a few seeds to season your next omelet.
♦ Fennel and fish are made for each other. Try adding some fennel seeds to the basting juices during cooking.
THINK TWICE!
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
THE GOOD HOUSEWIFE’S JEWELL, 1585
MAUREEN D., MARYLAND
GARLIC
What would you expect to pay for a substance that can fight cancer, AIDS, and heart disease, lower both cholesterol and blood pressure by 10 percent, and serve as a natural antibiotic and antifungal medication? Put your calculators away. Garlic does all this and much more—for about 15 cents per clove. Mother Nature gave us the gift of garlic—a Fat Flush food that has been utilized as both food and medicine for over 5,000 years.
The health benefits of garlic are noted in both the Bible and the Talmud, and an Egyptian papyrus from 1500 BC recommends garlic as a treatment for a variety of ailments—from dog bites to bladder infections. Today, garlic is being heavily researched, and we have learned that it serves as a diuretic, a stimulant, and a sweat promoter. It stimulates the metabolism, stabilizes blood sugar levels, and eliminates toxins from the body.
Garlic contains a wide range of trace minerals, including copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, germanium, and especially selenium. In addition, garlic contains sulfur compounds, vitamins A and C, fiber, and various amino acids. In all, garlic provides more than 100 biologically useful chemicals. The active component of garlic is a sulfur compound known as allicin. This compound is generated only when a garlic clove is broken, and it is what gives raw, cut garlic its distinctive odor and pungent taste. Allicin also gives garlic its powerful Fat Flush punch. At least 12 studies have confirmed that allicin clears cholesterol from the blood. The largest study, conducted by German researchers on 261 participants, reported that total cholesterol levels dropped by 12 percent in 12 weeks in the group treated with garlic.
Recommended Usage
Two to six garlic cloves every other day.
Just the Facts
♦ One clove of garlic that’s been pushed through a garlic press is 10 times stronger than one clove minced fine with a sharp knife.
♦ Chewing caraway seeds, fennel seeds, or fresh parsley after eating garlic helps freshen your breath.
♦ If you plant an individual garlic clove, it will reproduce an entire bulb in about nine months.
Boost the Benefits
♦ When you’re shopping for garlic, look for plump, firm bulbs with plenty of dry, unbroken skin. Heads that show signs of sprouting are past their prime and were probably not dried properly. Garlic that is very old will crumble when it is gently squeezed.
♦ Store your garlic in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area, away from potatoes and onions. Do not refrigerate or keep in plastic containers. If stored in a damp, warm environment, garlic will sprout or become moldy.
♦ Unbroken garlic bulbs will keep for up to three months. Individual cloves stay fresh for about one week.
♦ To ensure proper digestion of garlic, make sure you remove the green “germ” in the middle of the clove.
Fat Flush Fun
♦ Don’t try this at home! A famous French chef claims his success comes from chewing a small clove of garlic and then breathing gently on the salad before serving it.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ To loosen garlic skin, place a clove on a cutting board and cover it with the flat side of a wide knife. Rap the blade sharply with your fist. Don’t apply too much pressure, because the clove can easily be smashed.
♦ With garlic, the finer the chop, the stronger the taste. To lightly “perfume” your food with a mild garlic flavor, use whole, unbroken garlic cloves. Thin slices will provide more than a hint of garlic. For a fuller flavor, mince the garlic. And for an in-your-face garlic taste, crush the cloves to a pulp.
THINK TWICE!
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
OLD NEW YORK YIDDISH SAYING
MICHELLE F., INDIANA
GINGER
More than 5,000 years ago, people in ancient China and India regarded ginger as a “universal medicine.” Today, ginger can be found in more than half of traditional herbal remedies. Throughout its long history, ginger has been used as a remedy for at least 40 conditions, as diverse as diarrhea, dizziness, menstrual cramps, and mumps.
Highly concentrated with active substances, including powerful antioxidants called “gingerols,” ginger boasts a number of fat-flushing benefits. It revs circulation and promotes healthy sweating, encouraging detoxification of the body. Ginger supports liver function, clears up clogged arteries, and lowers serum cholesterol levels by nearly 30 percent. It contains compounds that resemble our digestive enzymes, assisting us to digest protein-rich meals more easily. And according to an Australian study published in the Journal of Obesity, ginger raises body temperature and assists the body to burn 20 percent more calories.
While hardly glamorous looking, with its knobby, gnarled appearance, ginger is a versatile and delicious Fat Flush food. The underground ginger stem, or rhizome, is a clump of flattish hand-like shapes ranging in color from pale greenish yellow to ivory. The aroma is pungent, and the flavor is peppery and slightly sweet.
Recommended Usage
At least a quarter-inch slice of fresh ginger every other day.
Just the Facts
♦ Ginger grows in many tropical areas including southern China, Japan, West Africa, and the Caribbean islands. Jamaican ginger is considered to be the best of all.
♦ Ginger is generally available in two forms, either young or mature. Most supermarkets carry mature ginger, which has a tough skin that must be peeled. Young ginger, usually found only in Asian markets, does not require peeling.
♦ Ginger is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, and vitamin A.
♦ Powdered ginger mixed with a bit of sea salt makes an excellent toothpaste, helping to strengthen gums and prevent bad breath.
Boost the Benefits
♦ Look for firm, plump “fingers” of fresh ginger, with clean, smooth skin. The smaller fingers tend to have the strongest flavor.
♦ When ginger is fresh, the flesh is pale yellow and very juicy. As it ages, it dries out and becomes fibrous, so avoid ginger that has become discolored, wrinkled, or moldy.
♦ The new little sprouts that appear on the sides of a gingerroot offer a delicate flavor, so don’t be afraid to use them.
♦ Whenever possible, choose fresh ginger over dried, because fresh ginger tastes better and provides higher levels of gingerol.
♦ Fresh ginger can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks if it is left unpeeled. Stored unpeeled in the freezer, it will keep for up to six months.
♦ Keep dried ginger powder in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark, and dry place. Better yet, store it in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life to at least one year.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ To substitute fresh ginger for ground ginger in your recipes, use a one-inch piece of freshly grated gingerroot for every quarter teaspoon of ground ginger.
♦ To peel ginger, use the edge of a spoon to scrape the skin off. It should almost roll off—without wasting any of the flesh.
♦ Spice up cranberry juice with some freshly grated ginger.
♦ Grate some fresh ginger onto your Fat Flush sweet potatoes.
♦ To create a flavor base for a stir-fry, mince some fresh ginger and sauté it in broth with some garlic.
♦ Add grated ginger and ground flax seed to apples and bake for a yummy dessert.
♦ Give zip to a rainbow of sautéed vegetables by adding freshly minced ginger.
THINK TWICE!
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
MARY D., FLORIDA
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, LOVE’S LABOURS LOST
PARSLEY
Parsley is the most widely used herb in the United States; yet every year, tons of this green garnish end up in the garbage. You should think twice about ignoring those decorative sprigs, because parsley contains more beta-carotene than carrots, more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than a cup of milk, and twice as much iron as spinach. It is also a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and fiber.
Through the ages, parsley has been used as a blood purifier and a natural diuretic. Its ability to rid the body of excess water and toxins makes it a shoo-in as a Fat Flush food. Parsley’s high nutritional value gives it the power to promote good digestion, nourish the liver, and strengthen the adrenal glands. In addition, parsley contains the essential oil apiole, which helps stimulate the kidneys and fight water retention. By making parsley part of your regular diet, you can lower your heart rate, reduce your blood pressure, and banish monthly bloat. As an added benefit, the high chlorophyll content in parsley will keep your breath fresh and sweet.
Recommended Usage
One bunch of fresh parsley per week.
Just the Facts
♦ The Greeks crowned the victors of ancient games with parsley wreaths.
♦ In the Hebrew celebration of Passover, parsley symbolizes spring and rebirth.
♦ While there are more than 30 varieties of parsley, curly-leaf parsley, a common garnish, is the most popular, and Italian, or flat-leaf, parsley offers the best flavor for cooking.
♦ It takes 12 pounds of fresh parsley to make 1 pound of dried; yet dried parsley has only half the taste and minerals of fresh parsley.
Boost the Benefits
♦ Select healthy, fresh-looking bunches with bright-green, crisp leaves.
♦ Keep parsley fresh by moistening a paper towel and wrapping it around the parsley bunch. Place in a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week.
♦ You can freshen slightly wilted leaves by standing the stems in cold water. However, this causes some loss of vitamin C.
♦ Like many other herbs, fresh parsley can be frozen. Wash the parsley and pat it dry. After chopping it, put the parsley in a plastic bag and toss it in the freezer. When you’re ready to cook it, just take out what you need. It will thaw almost immediately.
♦ Remember that cooking parsley for a long time takes away from its flavor and nutrient value, so add it toward the end of cooking.
♦ To intensify the flavor of any dried herb, sprinkle it over fresh parsley leaves before you chop them.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ To reap the benefits of parsley, use it fresh by tossing a handful into your salad or sprinkling minced leaves over cooked foods.
♦ Mix some freshly minced parsley and garlic into flaxseed oil for a savory, yet simple, topping for steamed vegetables.
♦ Parsley enriches the flavor of any broth. Stir some parsley leaves—and stems—into homemade or canned broth.
♦ If you add too much garlic to a broth or soup, you can remove some by inserting parsley leaves into a tea infuser and placing the infuser in the broth. The parsley attracts the garlic.
IT’S BEEN SAID . . .
SANDY S., MASSACHUSETTS
TURMERIC
It would take an entire book to cover the health benefits of turmeric. Thermogenesis, detoxification, diabetes, depression, kidney health, cancer, pain and inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cognitive function—I wonder if there’s any condition this gold mine doesn’t help. If so, we probably just haven’t discovered it yet. It’s arguably the most powerful herb on the planet and the perfect partner for Fat Flushers.
There are more than 9,000 peer-reviewed studies on PubMed about the benefits of turmeric and its primary active compound, curcumin. Turmeric facilitates healing in more than 800 different conditions by at least 150 therapeutic actions and has the ability to modulate more than 700 genes. In fact, this superroot packs so much punch that when compared with conventional medication, its benefits match or outperform many drugs and do so with far fewer adverse reactions. What follows are only the highlights.
Turmeric root is the spice most frequently used in curries, particularly yellow curries, and an excellent source of iron, manganese, vitamin B6, copper, potassium, and dietary fiber. What makes turmeric root really special is a particular group of polyphenols called curcuminoids (curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin), as well as a few volatile oils (tumerone, atlantone, and zingiberone), which all offer unique health benefits. Turmeric’s most extensively studied compound, curcumin, typically accounts for about 2 to 5 percent of the root weight.
For starters, turmeric helps your liver filter out toxins, as well as flushing out the ones trapped in body fat. Curcumin can actually attach itself to capsaicin receptors to boost thermogenesis. More than one study shows curcumin’s ability to inhibit fat genesis, reducing overall body fat and supporting weight loss.
This golden root has fabulous benefits for your heart, improving blood pressure and regulating blood fat levels after meals. Curcumin is equal to or more effective than diabetes medications in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. One study showed curcumin to be 400 to 100,000 times more potent than metformin (a common diabetes drug) for improving insulin sensitivity. Curcumin also outperforms many anticoagulant drugs among those at high risk for blood clots.
As an anti-inflammatory and pain treatment, turmeric blows away the competition. Curcumin is arguably one of the most potent anti-inflammatory compounds in the world, which is big news because most of our chronic diseases today—cancer, cognitive decline, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, heart disease, and others—result from inflammation. In one study, curcumin worked significantly better than diclofenac sodium (a drug for rheumatoid arthritis), without the adverse effects of the drug. A 2015 meta-analysis found curcumin to be a safe and effective pain intervention warranting further study.
Turmeric offers benefits to those suffering from Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and a number of other digestive problems. This is thought to be related to how it changes cell signaling and decreases production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
For example, curcumin helps heal the gut and supports the growth of beneficial microflora in those with IBD, without the side effects of corticosteroids. For many IBD sufferers, corticosteroids reduce pain but tear up the intestinal lining over time, making symptoms worse. Curcumin has also been found useful against H. pylori infections including gastritis, peptic ulcer, and stomach cancer, as well as exhibiting other antimicrobial actions. Speaking of cancer, turmeric is unique in that it appears to exhibit anticancer activity against nearly all forms of cancer (breast, skin, stomach, liver, and many others), preventing their growth and spread. Chemotherapy is also more effective when combined with turmeric.
Curcumin has been found to have unique brain benefits for improving mood and cognitive function and reducing your risk for stroke and neurodegenerative disease. Turmeric’s compound tumerone helps repair stem cells in the brain, speeding stroke recovery and slowing down the progression of dementia. When turmeric was compared with fluoxetine (Prozac) for major depressive disorder, it was found equally effective but with fewer side effects. As you can see, turmeric is unparalleled in its health-boosting power, so if you incorporate it into your daily diet, every cell in your body will be thanking you!
Recommended Usage
♦ The dose of turmeric you need to receive health benefits is not huge—as little as one-fiftieth of a teaspoon daily over a period of months has been shown to produce positive benefits.
♦ Adding turmeric to your green drinks adds a little extra flavor and a lot of nutritional kick.
♦ Add turmeric to your egg salad or deviled eggs to boost their nutritional value and intensify their color.
♦ Turmeric is fabulous with lentils, quinoa, and other high-nutrition grains.
♦ Turmeric and cauliflower are natural mates! Cut cauliflower florets in half and sauté with a generous spoonful of turmeric for five minutes. Once off the heat, toss with flax oil, a dash of sea salt, and pepper to taste.
Just the Facts
♦ Turmeric is not the same as curry. Curry is the general term for any number of spice blends (especially Indian), many of which have turmeric as one component.
♦ Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and, along with ginger and cardamom, belongs to the Zingiberaceae family.
♦ Turmeric root is native to India and Southeast Asia, with medical use dating back thousands of years, in the Ayurvedic tradition.
♦ About 800,000 tons of turmeric is produced each year worldwide, with more than 75 percent originating in India.
Boost the Benefits
♦ Curcumin stimulates production of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) from ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). Both DHA and ALA are omega-3 fatty acids, but DHA is particularly important for neurological function—there is more DHA in your brain than any other fatty acid. So if you take curcumin with your omega-3s, more of the ALA may be converted to DHA.
♦ Using turmeric in recipes can help some foods better retain their beta-carotene during the cooking process.
♦ Many produce sections now offer raw turmeric root, often kept near the gingerroot. In fact, turmeric root resembles gingerroot but is more yellow-orange in color. I recommend buying nonirradiated herbs and spices, and whenever possible, buy organic.
♦ Dried turmeric powder should be kept in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark, and dry place. Fresh turmeric root should be stored in the refrigerator.
♦ Turmeric powder can also be taken in supplement form, especially if you need to achieve therapeutic levels. I personally recommend a carbon dioxide-extracted form of turmeric.
♦ If you combine your turmeric with a little black pepper, the turmeric may be more usable throughout your body, thanks to a compound in black pepper called piperine. In one study, adding 20 milligrams of piperine to 2,000 milligrams of turmeric increased its bioavailability by 154 percent.
♦ One study found that when curcumin is combined with the steroid medication prednisolone, the side effects of the medication were significantly reduced.
Be a Fat Flush Cook
♦ Turmeric can make your grilled meat safer by helping prevent formation of heterocyclic amines. A teaspoon or two of turmeric per 3½ ounces of meat was used to produce this helpful outcome in one study, as well as satay marinated in a turmeric-containing spice mixture.
♦ My favorite way to enjoy turmeric is in a hot turmeric toddy at bedtime, which helps me relax. Simply combine one cup of almond milk with a quarter of a teaspoon of ginger, an eighth of a teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon, and half a teaspoon of ground turmeric. Bring the brew to a boil, simmer three minutes, and relax knowing all those power nutrients are doing wonderful things in your body as you sleep.
Fat Flush Fun
♦ Besides culinary and medicinal applications, turmeric has been used throughout history as a fabric dye.
♦ You can add turmeric powder to playdough to make marigold-colored playdough, and it works as a natural Easter egg dye too.
♦ Many swear by turmeric as a dandruff and scalp tonic! Just mix turmeric with the oil of your choice (olive, jojoba, and/or coconut oil work well), massage into your scalp, and leave in for 15 minutes. Then just shampoo and style as usual. As warned above, turmeric can stain towels, so proceed with caution!