Hi ,
Do you know where spices are really good to use this time of year? The barbecue. Yes, we have to be aware of obtaining good quality meats for our barbecue prepared meals. We don’t want chickens full of arsenic and meats full of antibiotics and growth hormones. So at a minimum, purchase meats that are antibiotic and hormone free. The other concern is the levels of inflammatory omega 6 oils from feedlot feeding of grains as opposed to grass fed meats that will have a healthy ratio of anti-inflammatory omega 3 oils. The grain feed meats have more inflammatory omega 6 oils. This is less of a concern if you are diligent about not using seed oils anywhere else in your diet, like fried foods and dressings made with sunflower, corn, safflower, cottonseed, soy, canola, or other seed oils.
With barbecuing we have an additional concern. A formation of carcinogenic compounds, called HCA’s or heterocyclic amines, form as the heat of the fire oxidizes the muscle proteins causing them to combine with creatine – one of the energy sources in muscle. This happens with any muscle protein such as beef, chicken, pork, and fish whenever the meat is cooked at a high (higher than boiling) temperature. This is not a concern with non-muscle proteins like organ meats, dairy, eggs, or tofu. The longer you cook the meat and the more well done it gets, the more of these carcinogenic compounds are formed. For example, people who eat medium-well or well-done beef are more than three times as likely to suffer stomach cancer as those who eat rare or medium-rare beef.
So why am I mentioning this in an article on spices? Because many spices contain potent antioxidants that will block most of this process. In particular rosemary and thyme have been found to reduce HCA formation by 90%. Marinating your meats for several hours in solutions that contain these herbs is a tremendous protection from this problem. Other herbs like garlic and oregano, as well as red wine, also offer protection. So rub those meats with herbs and spices and marinate them before hitting the barbecue. Then while grilling, go for the medium rare steaks. For meats that you don’t normally marinate, like baby back ribs or meats that need to be cooked till well done, like chicken because of the salmonella concern, I use a trick of precooking the meats in the oven. I cook the meat at a low temperature for many hours. Then, just before I put them on the grill, I place some sauce on top and then leave the meat on the grill just long enough for the sauce to “set.” This way I still get that grilled flavor and experience without the dangers of forming nasty carcinogenic compounds.
So let’s talk more spices…
Rosemary: This is an easy spice to grow in your garden. Rosemary contains active ingredients that are potent antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory agents. Rosemary has long been known to improve concentration, boost memory, and lift depression. It is highly effective for respiratory problems including asthma, chest congestion, and respiratory infections. Rosemary also strengthens the immune system, improves circulation, stimulates digestion by stimulating the gall bladder to release bile, and fights cancer, as we mentioned above, by blocking carcinogenic chemicals.
Traditionally rosemary is used on meats to provide a savory flavor, and in soups and stews.
Thyme: The active ingredient in thyme is known for treating bronchitis, sore throats, chest congestion, laryngitis and asthma. It is also effective as a soothing stomach aid to relieve gastritis, indigestion and colic. Where thyme really shines is in its ability to kill bacteria, viruses, and fungus. The oil of thyme is the main ingredient in the products I use in the office for sinus infections. We also have it available as a spray for disinfecting counter tops. It is so powerful that it is recognized as the only accepted non-toxic substance for destroying the poisonous black mold that happens in some buildings.
An interesting new discovery about thyme shows that it actually boosts the amount of DHA (the main thing your brain is made from) in the brain, heart and kidney cells. This spice is actually the active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash – but they disguise it by calling it thymol.
Ginger: Ginger is one of those super spices that we would benefit from by using it on a regular basis. It contains over 25 different antioxidants that help fight inflammation and premature aging throughout the body. Ginger is such a strong anti-inflammatory, it helps reduce the pain and swelling of arthritis, and muscle aches. Ginger also fights cancer, reduces cholesterol, and prevents blood clots that lead to strokes or heart disease.
Ginger is best known for its tummy taming ability to reduce nausea and vomiting, as well as motion sickness. In fact, ginger is even be more effective than Dramamine for most folks, one of the most common drugs used for motion sickness. And because ginger does not have harmful side effects, like most drugs, it is safe and very good for nausea from pregnancy. Studies show that just 1 gram of ginger before surgery is actually more effective than the standard anti-nausea medication given for post surgical nausea and vomiting.
Ginger tea is commonly used for sore throats from colds and flu because of its anti-viral properties. It also is a good expectorant and helps suppress coughs. Tea is not really my thing. Personally I prefer Ginger Snaps, Ginger Bread, pickled ginger with my sushi, and my all time favorite – Ginger beer.
Oregano: Oregano oil contains rosemarinic acid, a very powerful anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral agent. Additionally, oregano is commonly used in capsule form to help expel parasites and eliminate fungal infection in the gut like candida albicans. Other studies also show that it is effective on the mold fungus Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger as well as 25 different bacteria, including staphylococcus. Does anybody actually use spices to fight infections other than weird mountain dwelling hippies? Yes! I came across a news piece about a commercial chicken rancher out in Pennsylvania (Bell & Evans) that uses oregano and cinnamon, instead of antibiotics, to prevent infections in his birds.
Oregano contains many compounds, including carvacrol – a natural insect repellent. Growing oregano around your deck may help ward of those pesky flying bugs, or you can also use a few drops of the distilled oil around the area.
But the real value of oregano is as a spice added to tomato sauce for pizza. Pizza just does not taste like pizza without oregano – either cooked into the sauce or added as fresh leaves right on top of the pizza.
Turmeric: I can’t say enough about the power of this spice for promoting health in your body. Yet in this culture about the only place you regularly find turmeric used as a spice is in yellow mustard. It is the turmeric that makes the mustard bright yellow. The bright color comes from a pigment in turmeric called curcumin, which is also the substance in turmeric that has the amazing inflammation fighting properties.
Curcumin, from turmeric, actually goes down deep into cells at the nuclear level and stops the cell from forming inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. It is so powerful that it works better than an over the counter painkiller, like ibuprofen (Motrin) and is comparable to hydrocortisone – particularly for joint and muscle pains. The really big bonus is that it has no toxic side effects like Motrin and cortisone. Everyone would be using turmeric as a painkiller except for two limitations: only 5-6% of turmeric is the active curcumin and turmeric as very poorly absorbed. Only about 1% gets absorbed when you take the turmeric as a powder in a capsule. It is better absorbed when it is cooked with fats in sauces, as it is used in curries and other Indian dishes. But you still have to use an awfully large amount of it to get a therapeutic dose. There are ways around this, which we use in the office.
In the diet, turmeric teams up with onions in foods to help prevent colon cancer and teams up with cauliflower and other cabbage vegetables to fight prostate cancer. An important side note for the prostate cancer fighting properties of cauliflower, the active substance – phenethyl isothiocyanates – form when you cut the vegetables up and stop forming when you cook them. So cut them and let them sit for 10 minutes before cooking them.
Turmeric helps a laundry list of nasty diseases: inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis, cancer, leukemia, Alzheimers, high bad cholesterol, improves liver function and protects the cardiovascular system. Turmeric is basically our first and best choice for fighting all the autoimmune diseases, especially when combined with resveratrol and vitamin D.
Garlic: As a spice, garlic is king. It enhances so many dishes with its wonderful aroma and potent taste. But garlic is also terrific for your health. It is well known as an immune system booster to help you fight off coughs and colds. The active ingredient is called Allicin, which is a sulfur-containing compound that acts as a natural antibiotic. In fact solders in WWII would crush up garlic and put it on wounds to keep infections away. Many studies have been done showing garlic’s ability to reduce plaque formation in the arteries to reverse heart disease. Garlic has been found to reduce tumor size in a wide variety of different cancers.
Garlic is a good source of vitamin B6 as well as iodine and vitamin C. A little goes a long way, so it is recommended that adults use no more than 1-3 cloves per day. More than that can have negative consequences – even beyond the garlic smell that will leak out through your pores.
As we can see, spices are really the first and often best medicine for humans. They have been with us for hundreds of thousands of years. Plants have developed these amazing healthful compounds over millions of years to help themselves fight off bacteria, fungus, and viruses, and we discovered that these same compounds work the same way for us.
Best of all, spices make our life more enjoyable. Their flavors are sublimely delightful and a joy to work and play with in the kitchen. All the while they are supporting the health of the body in very powerful ways. So grab those spices and start cooking!
Enjoy,
David