5 Spices & 1 Trick to Melt Weight

Have you tried these?

Variety is the spice of life, or so we are told, but I’d like to state right here and now for the record spices are the spice of life.

Having served two years in the military 20 years ago, we knew to avoid spiced or curried meat. Why? because that was meat on the turn, as in about to go off. So the military ‘chefs,’ and I use chefs in the loosest sense of the word, would spice up the meat.

The problem would arise, a few hours after dinner at 1 am when that same spicy or curried meat would attack you and make you wish you were dead.

We were fighting a war against constipation and kicking its butt.

Military shenanigans aside, let's talk spices.

1. The Cayenne Pepper craze

A powerful YouTube influencer, come fitness guru, was blasting the message and dominating my headspace.

My reaction was like so many others out there. ‘Wow, I was not aware that all I had to do to lose weight more rapidly was to spice up my meals with cayenne pepper.’

I was so taken by the latest craze that I even added a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to my drinking water and what happened? Well, I didn’t get a cold or flu over that week, but I also did not see any weight loss. I thought the acceleration in metabolism would ‘kick in’ at any moment, but it didn’t happen for me. I did have rather hot pees though, yes I mean pee, not pea, although over that week I am sure I had both.

Cayenne Pepper has a super ingredient known as capsaicin, as all peppers do, and the hotter the pepper the more capsaicin it contains. Capsaicin increases thermogenesis, which is defined as: ‘Thermogenesis is a metabolic process whereby the body burns calories to produce heat.’

Source:https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/thermogenesis

There are studies to back up the thermogenesis and weight loss of capsaicin. I have linked them below. Not only does capsaicin help with thermogenesis calorie burning but also creates a feeling of satiety than less spicy food.

2. Feeling Ginger?

No need to feel timid when you add this spice to your repertoire. Studies show that ginger reduces hip-to-waste ratios markedly, and that’s good news for those of us carrying a few extra pounds.

Ginger also has a positive effect on blood sugar levels. As we know, our bodies store excess blood sugar as fat, and this leads to weight gain.

Ginger reduces insulin resistance, which assists with metabolism and our body’s ability to burn calories. Weight loss is so much more difficult to accomplish with increased insulin resistance, because of blood sugar levels.

3. Knock Knock…. Cumin (Come in) — a silly joke I know.

Cumin is made from ground seeds and research has shown that adding 3 grams of cumin to foods like yoghurt, and eating that twice a day, has caused weight loss. Researchers added cumin to one group’s yoghurt and cumin was not added to another group’s yoghurt. Both groups were given the same quantity of yoghurt and had to eat the yoghurt twice a day.

This research group comprised 88 obese women. Not only did the cumin group have reduced weight and measurements. They also had better cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels.

This is important because triglyceride levels and cholesterol can be indicators of heart conditions. Cumin is therefore also heart-healthy.

4. Can you say ‘Cinnamon sea anemone’ fast 5 times in a row?

Even if you battle to say that, cinnamon is a brilliant spice.

The internet was blowing up a while back with the online challenges where some young guys were challenging their friends to swallow a teaspoon of cinnamon, and some older guy tried to show off and said he would swallow a whole tablespoon of the spice. Well, the stupidity was hilarious. Google it if you are feeling down.

Cinnamon has a wonderful effect on blood sugar, by stimulating insulin release, which has a positive effect on glucose in the bloodstream, by utilizing the blood sugar, and in this way lowering blood sugar in the body.

5. The Golden Standard of Turmeric.

Turmeric is the golden goodness of ancient knowledge, that spice of India, adopted by China and later North Africa.

Turmeric is well-researched and well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric intake correlated to a reduction in weight and body mass index, as well as waste circumference. There is no set amount at this stage on how much you need because the study had various dosages, from 70 milligrams to 240 milligrams per day.

Combining black pepper and turmeric increases the absorption of this powerful spice, and I have also read that when coupled with coconut oil, this further enhances the powerful effects, as turmeric is fat soluble.

One Timely Trick

The one trick that works for me, and something I have been working on in the last 3 weeks, is waiting, waiting at least 40 minutes, and distracting myself after eating a healthy portion meal.

The signal that we are full, that we have eaten enough, takes time to reach our stomach. Your stomach and body may tell you otherwise, but this is where you need your mind to strengthen you.

I first realized this when I was in Southeast Asia on a business trip. They eat much less than us Westerners. And I ate what they ate and realized after a while after eating a meal, I was no longer hungry. I was involved in discussions and was not thinking about eating. That distraction after the meal kept my appetite in check. I also use a psychological image of a leaner me every time I feel like I should eat more. A visual image in my mind of what I am trying to achieve keeps me on track.

I am not majorly overweight, but I have given in to a snacking habit and put on 10 pounds more than I want, and all I am doing is removing that habit from my lifestyle.

I want to lose 10 pounds over the next 3 months and I am on my way to that goal. I have already lost 4 pounds in the last month through my strategy of waiting and distracting myself after a meal, coupled with my mental image of what I want, and removing my snacking habit. This is working for me, no diet, just a mindset change.

Recap

5 spices shown in various research studies to assist with weight loss are cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and turmeric.

The trick to remember too is to distract yourself after a meal for at least 40 minutes to get yourself out of the habit of eating when you still feel you want to. The signal that you have eaten enough takes a while to reach your stomach.

Research shows that the more we discipline ourselves to do what we don’t want to do, like overeating, the more the structure of our brain changes, and this strengthens our mental fortitude. I recently wrote an article about that.

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