July Meeting, Riverview

Sheila Turkell opened the meeting, reminded the new attendees that Mended Hearts is a volunteer organization, and introduced our featured speaker, Debra Dobies, Registered Dietitian, whose topic (for today; she always has good topics) was “Spice Up Your Life (this is about food, not your personal life).”

Debbie began by telling us the new guideline for sodium is 1500mg a day (it was 2300mg, which is in one teaspoon of salt). That’s hard to meet. Most of our sodium comes from canned and processed food and from eating out. Ask them to omit the salt, but sometimes they can’t. When we prepare our own food, we can add flavor by using herbs and spices - many of which also have medicinal value - and use less salt.

Traditionally, spices and herbs were used as preservatives to prevent foods from spoiling, and many of the plants they come from have antimicrobial and antifungal activity. The Queen of Spain sent Columbus to get spices from China because they didn’t have iceboxes (let alone refrigerators).

What’s the difference between a spice and an herb? A spice comes from the bark (e.g. cinnamon), root (ginger, onion, garlic), buds (cloves, saffron), seeds (yellow poppy), berry (pepper) or fruit (allspice, paprika) of a plant. Herbs are leaves of low-growing shrubs (e.g. parsley, chives, marjoram, thyme, basil, caraway, dill). These can be obtained fresh or dried, and dried may be whole, crushed or ground.

Herbs have been used in traditional Chinese medicine and many herbs and spices have antioxidants that protect us from free radicals. Free radicals are oxidants - you’ve seen what happens to olive oil exposed to air - it gets rancid - and Debbie warned us that free radicals could make us rancid.

Some spices

CINNAMON is one of the oldest known spices. Because of its aroma it was used in biblical times in anointing oils, and in ancient Rome it was burnt at funerals to cover the smell of the deceased. It comes in stick or ground form. Ceylon cinnamon is less common than Chinese but more pungent and flavorful and slightly sweeter. It helps reduce inflammation of the arteries and improves insulin response. It has been approved in Germany for the treatment of indigestion, bloating and flatulence. A study in 2003 reported that a quarter teaspoon a day reduced blood sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol in diabetics by about 20 percent. Throw it on your cereal and in your tea. It’s also antibacterial and antifungal. And studies show that just smelling it can increase cognitive ability.

CUMIN (a key component of curry powder) is used in Indian, Middle Eastern, Mexican and Tex-Mex foods. Native to Egypt, it was used in preparing mummies and as payment for priests. It’s from the same plant family as caraway, parsley and dill - the seeds resemble caraway seeds. It helps extract energy from foods, slightly increasing metabolism; studies show it increases secretion of pancreatic enzymes. It may also protect against some cancers.

BLACK PEPPER is one of the world’s most popular spices (you can also get white and red pepper). In ancient Greece it served as money and was offered to the gods. In medieval times it was used to cover “less than fresh foods” and was a key object of trade with China. It’s a strong antioxidant and antibacterial, and the outer layer of the berry stimulates the breakdown of fat cells. It reduces the formation of intestinal gas - it’s not a stomach irritant (as some people believe) but it may bother some people. It comes whole or ground but it’s better bought whole and crushed in a peppermill.

TURMERIC (also called Indian saffron because of its strong yellow color) has shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering activity. Native to southern India and Indonesia, it was used as a condiment, healing remedy and dye, and in Indian and Chinese medicine as a treatment for arthritis. It may protect against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and against colon cancer, and may help prevent childhood leukemia and improve liver function.

CLOVES, traditionally stuck in baked ham, can be used in cider, main dishes and baked goods. Used in 200 B.C. as a breath freshener, it’s still used in mouthwash. It masks the flavor of poorly preserved foods, prevents free radical formation and improves digestion, It’s an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and a mild anesthetic - throat sprays with clove oil numb your throat.

GINGER is good for nausea, intestinal distress, gas, motion sickness - and it’s safe for pregnant women. Fresh is better than ground. A 2001 study found that a concentrate equivalent to a bushel of fresh ginger relieved knee pain from osteoarthritis.

some herbs

THYME was used in Egypt for embalming mummies, burned in Greece as incense, and in medieval times hung as a symbol of courage and admiration. It’s been used in topical treatments for skin problems and as an antiseptic in mouthwash. It can prevent food contamination and decontaminate spoiled food. In India and China it’s been traditionally used as a tea to treat cough.

OREGANO is traditional in pizza. It’s good for food preservation - a 2003 study found that a concentrate destroyed Listeria bacteria in lunch meat and hot dogs. Pregnant women in the first trimester should boil those meats, as Listeria can cause miscarriage. Oregano has an antioxidant that destroys the bacterial cell membranes. It also combats free radicals.

CILANTRO was cultivated in China, Egypt and India thousands of years ago, and was introduced to Mexico and Peru by the Spanish conquistadores. Unusually for herbs, the entire plant is edible. It’s antibacterial, and is effective against Salmonella. In some countries it’s used to treat diabetes to lower blood sugar and cholesterol, and it also appears to lower blood pressure.

BASIL means “royal” in Greek. It’s a symbol of hospitality in India and of love in Italy. It’s good for your heart, it’s antioxidant, and it reduces inflammation of the bowel and the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

PARSLEY is not just a decoration on the plate; you can eat it, and it cleans your breath. It’s native to the Mediterranean area of southern Europe. There are curly (the kind that decorates your plate), Italian flat-leaf and Hamburg varieties. It was considered sacred in ancient Greece, used for athletes’ wreaths and to decorate tombs. It’s a cancer preventive; it inhibits tumor cell growth and neutralizes some carcinogens. It may help the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

GARLIC should be left for 15 minutes after cutting it to release allicin, which lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. Add it toward the end of cooking to preserve its health benefits. Garlic eaters have lower rates of some cancers. It’s a blood thinner, so avoid it if you’re on Coumadin. It can be expensive; buy it at Aldi’s. Garlic pills are ineffective.

Fresh is always better. You can grow herbs in pots, but outdoors they may take over your garden. Fresh herbs keep for about a week in the refrigerator in a baggie.

Store dried spices and herbs in a cool place (not near the oven) - not more than a year for herbs and ground spices, two for whole spices. Whole spices are better than pre-ground; you can grind them in a coffee grinder.

When to add them in cooking: delicate fresh herbs like basil, marjoram and parsley a few minutes before the end of cooking, less delicate herbs like oregano, rosemary and thyme twenty minutes before, whole spices and dried herbs an hour before the end, ground spices and herbs at the end.

Debbie gave us a handout with information about these and other spices and herbs, how they can help reduce fat, sugar and salt in the diet, some good spice and food combinations and recipes for seasoning blends. We gave her a good evaluation.