Who would have thought that simply using different herbs and spices to flavor and enhance your foods can boost the nutritional value of your meals and provide amazing health benefits as well? Research shows that adding various spices to your meals is synonymous with promoting health and well-being, as well as increasing the nutritional value of your food without adding any extra calories! Herbs and spices actually add more than just color and flavor, they also increase nutrient density, antioxidant activity, suppress certain cancers, exhibit antibacterial activity, increase your metabolism, reduce blood glucose and blood fat levels, as well as blocking the formation of AGEs (advanced glycation end products), agents that cause inflammation and aging.

The objective of using fresh, natural, whole foods is to create healthful meals that provide you with energy, vitality, improved immunity and resistance to disease. If you are in the process of gradually introducing your family (or yourself!) to this healthier way of eating, using herbs and spices to enhance the color and flavor of your meals may just be your secret weapon for enticing finicky eaters to try something new! Once your taste buds are sensitized to the flavors of real food once again, junk food and processed, packaged "fake" foods will lose their appeal.

Before we get into each specific spice or herb, here are some general benefits:
To inhibit inflammation caused by high blood sugar as well as diabetic tissue damage use cinnamon, cloves, allspice, apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, marjoram, thyme and sage.

To bump up antioxidant activity try cloves, cinnamon, coriander, pepper, ginger, garlic, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, lemon balm, marjoram, cumin and onion.

Great inflammation fighters are rosemary, black pepper, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, sage, turmeric and basil.

So where do you begin? I would suggest you not worry so much about whether a particular herb or spice is supposed to be used with a specific food. Experiment, get adventurous, use a variety of different spices and herbs, and create the flavors that appeal to you. To give you an idea of the incredible health benefits that await you, here is a list (by no means exhaustive) of some spices and herbs you can easily find at your health food store or supermarket and the disease fighting properties they have been found to contain:

Black Pepper: This spice aids digestion; is helpful in treating epilepsy, depression and sinusitis. Black pepper contains piperine, which has been proven to enhance the bioavailability of nutrients in other foods and spices. One study revealed that simply by combining the curcumin in turmeric with piperine improved the absorption by 2,000%. Combine black pepper with the other herbs and spices you use as often as possible to increase their effectiveness.

Cayenne Pepper: It contains capsaicin which helps with pain relief and neuropathy, increasing circulation and stimulation of bile, improves digestion. There are several topical pain relieving creams on the market containing capsaicin. It also contains a potent anti-fungal compound called CAY-1.

Cinnamon: Research has shown that a half teaspoon several times a day can effectively lower blood sugar and improve glucose metabolism, as well as lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This spice is so versatile - you can use it in whole grain baked goods, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt and even in some Mediterranean meat dishes. It has so many other benefits including relieving muscle and joint pain, stimulating circulation, as well as anti-microbial properties that are effective against E. coli.

Cloves: This oil of this spice has been used for many years as a folk remedy for toothaches. The reason is that it is anti-bacterial and mildly anesthetic. Studies have been conducted on its ability to prevent certain digestive cancers as well as environmental pollution toxicity.

Coriander: Lowering cholesterol levels, improving digestion and anemia, stimulating the production of insulin, which helps your body process sugar properly, as well as lowering blood sugar levels are some of the benefits of this delicious herb.

Chili Peppers: The main substance here is capsaicin which is a very powerful anti-inflammatory compound that not only relieves pain but clears congestion and mucus from lungs and nose (one bite of a pepper can clear your head in seconds!). Other benefits are anti-bacterial action that prevents stomach ulcers, lowering of cholesterol and triglyceride levels and boosting metabolism, which enhances weight loss.

Cumin: This delicious spice popular in Middle Eastern dishes has also been made more popular by TV chefs like Rachel Ray. It has been proven to unclog the waxy substance found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, promoting clear thinking and improving brain speed; it aids in digestion and is helpful in managing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Garlic: This one is an absolute superstar multi-tasker! It has been shown to kill cancer cells and protect against many types of cancers; is a natural antibiotic and antiviral agent that has even been effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria; has been used to treat and prevent colds, flu, candida yeast infections, acne; and produces hydrogen sulfide which prevents damage to the heart muscle.