Spices never go out of style in winter. Exactly like headwear and scarf can make your look unique with obvious warming effect, spices bring flavour to any dish, contain phytonutrients for your well-being and are ready to warm you up a little bit. Those accessories are perfect for hot drinks, vegetable mains and sides, porridges and meat dishes, and even for your winter desserts. I promise if you dive into cooking for Christmas or New Year you will definitely need some extra flavour for your recipes, so invest now in buying some to save your time and money on the cooking day.
While fashion stylist do their job and recommend French berets, all types of caps and cute hats with strings, I do mine. Here is the list of the most trendy spices of the season:
  1. Cinnamon. Sweet and flavory cinnamon sticks and powder blends nicely with oatmeal, teas, mulled hot drinks, fruit sauces and even with tap water. The spice is a well-known antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. It also has a unique ability to reduce sugar cravings and lower blood glucose levels. This property will help you with increased interest in chocolate, cakes and cookies. Try it in your morning porridge or in your evening chai tea and you will notice the difference!
  2. Tumeric. Bring mild spicy warming taste and uplifting yellow colour to your soups, stews and curries. It offer important anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant effect.
  3. Ginger. Sliced or grated, or powder ginger is widely used in Chinese medicine due to its strong anti-inflammatory properties. It contains various polyphenols— precious phytonutrients to support your well-being in winter. It complements fish, sushi, soothing teas, homemade bread and muffins. Spice up your winter in style.
  4. Red hot chilli peppers. Capsaicin in chilli peppers, fresh or in powder form) is known for its analgesic effect. Red chillies are very rich in vitamin C. If you are a vegetarian, vitamin C in chillies will increase non-heme iron uptake from plant foods.
  5. Garam Masala. It is actually an easy mix of spices very popular in Indian cuisine best slimming aids. Try it to experiment with ordinary dishes and get all the health benefits of this rich and interesting spicy mix. All spices should be ground. Take 1 tbsp of cumin; 1.5 tsp of each: coriander, cardamon, black pepper;  0.5 tsp of each: nutmeg, ginger, cloves; 1 tsp of cinnamon and 0.25 tsp of allspice. Mix and store in a closed container.
Hot tip: go organic if you can. Organic spices are considered slightly more pricy but much healthier option.
Note: all health benefits are possible. More research needed in order to use it as medicines. Therefore I would highly recommend you to choose in accordance with your taste and individual reaction on each. Some spices may cause mild digestive issues in sensitive individuals.