Clear out your medicine cabinet to make room for healthy herbs and spices instead. Besides just a healthy way to boost flavor, they provide numerous health benefits too.
To create interesting flavors, I spin our spice rack around for every meal I make. Its fun to try new herbs and spices to see what you can make; sometimes good (daddy/husband of the year!!)…. sometimes bad (hello, couch), but always healthy. If you don’t already have these 10 herbs and spices, stock up now and start adding taste and nutrition to your meals.
If you want to add a lot of intense heat to your food, cayenne pepper is the best spice for the job. A tiny bit of cayenne goes a long way (I know from experience; so does Kelley….again, sorry dear), so start with very little and work your way up to what you’re comfortable with. Several reasons to “just add cayenne” include its ability to relieve congestion by clearing mucus from the lungs and nose, boost immunity, prevent stomach ulcers by killing bacteria, help with weight loss, reduce blood cholesterol, triglyceride levels and platelet aggregation, prevent many types of cancer, and relieve pain. Use it in anything you want to make spicy; vegetables, salad, chili (duh), corn bread, various dips, soups, and even chocolate (you have to try it). An interesting note: The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains.
Slightly spicy and incredibly versatile, it’s no surprise that black pepper is the most common spice in the world. Black pepper is a great way to top off anything from eggs and salad to cooked grains and meat. For the best flavor and health benefits, freshly grind whole peppercorns using a pepper mill or coffee grinder. Black pepper has antioxidant and antibacterial properties; it improves digestion, helps prevent intestinal gas, is diaphoretic (promotes sweating), and diuretic (promotes urination). Black pepper provides high-quality amounts of manganese, vitamin K, iron, and the peppercorn’s outer layer is said to promote the breakdown of fat cells.
Cinnamon is one of the best spices around as it can be used in a variety of dishes. It is a very potent spice, and only a little cinnamon is needed to bring its signature intense flavor to a dish. Cinnamon aids in digestion, circulation, and helps to treat diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and menstrual cramps. This spice is also well known for its blood-stabilizing abilities.
A popular food spice, cumin has a deep smoky flavor that is used in a variety of dishes, mainly Mexican and Indian recipes. Cumin is one of the best spices for cooking because it can be used to add a smoky flavor without the spiciness of chile peppers. Cumin’s list of health benefits include aiding the digestive system, improves liver function, promotes assimilation of other foods, relieves abdominal distention, gas, and colic, as well as migraines and headaches. I put this on cooked foods and mixed into salads for a wonderful smoky salad.
Oregano is a powerful antioxidant rich in phytonutrients. One gram of oregano contains 42 times more antioxidants than apples, 30 times more antioxidants than potatoes, 12 times more antioxidants than oranges and 4 times more antioxidants than blueberries. Two of the most important components of oregano are thymol and carvacol which have strong antibacterial properties. A study showed that in Mexico, oregano was more effective against amoebas than prescribed drugs. Fresh or dried oregano can be added to Italian and Mexican dishes, salads, egg dishes, vegetables, meats and more.
Cloves are the top spice that contributes to the distinctive smell of Indian food and drinks like chai tea. Cloves, whether whole or crushed, have a strong flavor and are best used in small amounts. Sprinkle a bit of ground cloves in your coffee or tea for a nice chai flavor, or add a pinch to baking recipes for something sweet and spicy.
Turmeric ranks among the best spices for adding color to a dish, and has a warm, peppery flavor similar to ginger and orange; it’s what makes mustard yellow. Most of its benefits are from curcumin, a compound in turmeric that has potent antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. This yellow-colored spice is the highest known source of beta carotene. Turmeric tones the spleen, pancreas, liver, and stomach, and strengthens the immune system, enhances digestion, it may help control blood sugar in diabetics, and it helps to dissolve cysts and gallstones.
Coriander is known for being anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and cholesterol lowering. It increases HDL (the “good” cholesterol), and may help reduce free radical production. Coriander is a good source of dietary fiber, manganese, iron, and magnesium. The leaves of the plant, commonly known as cilantro in the United States, may have anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties.
Dried coriander is used for making baked goods, as a component in curries, and as a pickling spice. Cilantro is best when fresh, but either dried or fresh, it makes great salsa and adds flavor to dips, spreads, soups, and stews.
Parsley is found in two varieties, curly and flat leaf. Fresh parsley is more flavorful than the dried variety. The curly version tends to have a more intense flavor than the flat-leaf variety. Use it in soups, salads, and casseroles, or to top any savory meal with or without meat. Among parsley’s beneficial properties is its ability to fight cancer; Animal studies have shown that it can inhibit tumor formation, particularly in the lungs. It’s also known to reduce the effect of carcinogens including those found in cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke.
As with most on this list, parsley is a rich source of antioxidants and essential nutrients like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid. It is also a great breath freshener and is commonly served at the end of a meal. Which is why I buy and recommend the bulk 1 pound bag!
Spicy and pungent with just enough sweetness, ginger should be in the kitchen of every home cook. Great for adding an amazing sharpness to Chinese and Japanese recipes or a touch of spice to baked goods like cookies and cakes, ginger is one of the most unique spices because of its usefulness. It is warming, stimulates digestion, and boosts circulation, respiration, and nervous system function. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and is useful for colds and fevers, alleviates motion sickness and nausea, and destroys intestinal parasites.
You really can’t go wrong adding any herb or spice to your meals (unless you’re allergic), but these are what I consider some of the best to have and use daily. I think garlic powder deserves an honorable mention for the list, but this is best consumed as fresh cloves crushed and chopped in recipes.
How many of these do you currently have and use in your kitchen?
My typical mound of spices. And I still had more to add!
We’ve been cloth diapering since Avery was born two years ago. Making the decision to use cloth instead of disposable diapers was a bit daunting at first (especially the cleaning part!), but it turned out to hardly be an issue.
Avery at 4 months helping me “organize” clean diapers.
Other than the obvious reason that cloth diapers are less wasteful than disposables, they actually save money. Another big reason is that so many disposable diapers are full of chemicals that found to be toxic to humans but still allowed use in diapers; at least in the U.S. Since I’m just here to show you our cloth diaper setup, you can read all about cloth diapers vs disposables on the Real Diaper Association site.
While I won’t claim that cloth diapering is enjoyable, far from, it is rewarding and poses many benefits to your wallet, baby’s skin, and the world. That said, cleaning crap off of the diapers several times a day can really get to you. So, in full disclosure, I admit that we do use disposables every now and then. Not the ones full of chemicals, but eco-friendly diapers from Honest Company are our go-to choice.
Just had to get that out of the way.
Our Cloth Diaper Setup
We use all BumGenius cloth diapers with most being their 4.0 model along with some Elementals and Freetimes. These are pocket diapers that require inserts. We use the BumGenius One Size inserts and stuff them into each clean diaper so they’re ready to go. They are all nicely placed crammed into a drawer in Avery’s room.
We never tried other brands, but we would if we could start over again. These work great, but now that Avery is older and so active/drinking and eating more, we have more leaks. The elastic can also wear out over time, but that’s probably a common issue in most cloth diapers.
To deal with the messy diapers, you NEED a diaper sprayer! The Bumkins Cloth Diaper sprayer is what we use and it has served us well. It does leak a little after spraying, but not much, and installation is easy with included instructions. We used heavy duty 3M double-sided tape to mount it on the side of the toilet and it’s been there ever since.
I also recommend the Spray Pal to avoid, ummmmm……splatters. It helps, trust me.
We use the Dekor Diaper Pail with the Dekor Diaper Pail Liner (of course) to store dirty diapers until it’s time for a dirty diaper load of laundry. Just remove the diaper inserts and toss everything in. Make sure you get rid of most of the poop!!
The liners come in a 2 pack, so when we take one liner bag out, we simply replace it with the other.
To wash, we the turn the liner inside out to get all of the dirty diapers out and run everything, liner included, on a quick wash/rinse cycle with no soap. What you clean your diapers with is very important as to avoid skin rashes on your kid. Make sure it’s natural and unscented. We have been using Charlie’s Liquid Soap without issue and highly recommend it for all of your laundering.
This is our basic setup that works for us. Some might have more of an elaborate setup and some may have less, it’s all personal preference. Since we’ve been at it for 2 years, I feel we have enough experience to share what we use in hopes it will help others interested in making the switch or just getting started.
This HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout routine is perfect for the time-strapped parent (or anyone short on time) as it provides a high-revving training stimulus in 30 minutes or less. That is, of course, assuming you push yourself out of your comfort zone. If there’s one carry-over from my years of marathon training to strength training, it’s learning to push far beyond my level of comfort to reach and/or surpass my goals.
But there are differences. With marathon training, it’s all about doing more; more miles, more time on feet, and essentially, more running! When training for strength, you focus on lifting more weight or adding more sets/reps,but doing too much creates a point of diminishing returns. Muscles need to rest and recover in order to repair themselves and grow stronger, and that means doing less might be best.
That’s an extreme Cliff Notes version as there’s definitely a lot more to strength training than just lift heavy, eat a caloric surplus (focusing on quality food sources), rest, repeat. I could blabber on and on about this topic, but I would need to have a blog devoted entirely to the subject as it is extremely vast. Plus, I have an HIIT routine for the time-strapped parent (or anyone really) I created that I want to share. Hopefully you’ll find it effective.
Once your kid goes down for a nap or you’re graced with a patient child, try this routine for a full-body blast that’ll have you full of endorphins once finished.
I’m waiting for you!!
6 Rounds for Time
6 *Pull-ups or Chin-ups
10 Burpees
15 Push-ups
10 1-arm **Kettlebell Swings (each arm)
15 V-Ups
*If you can’t do pull-ups/chin-ups, try inverted rows or dumbbell bent rows
**If you don’t have a kettlebell, use a dumbbell or anything you can old and securely swing
I was feeling this the next day and loved it! If you really push yourself, expect to take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. I added 5 minutes of biking before and after but it’s not required.
Give this routine a try and let me know how you liked it (or didn’t like it) in the comments below. This is also a great finisher after pure strength training with compounds exercises like squat, deadlift, bench, etc.; just shorten it to 3 rounds.
Parents need to keep fit too, and HIIT routines like this allow us to get a good strength and cardio workout in when there’s not a lot of time. If you can (or if nap time was a failure), have the kids join in to let them see how “fun” keeping active is, and you’ll be leading my example.
What are your current fitness goals?
Do you like HIIT routines like this or prefer standard cardio options like running or biking?
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
