Spices and seeds can kick up not just the flavor, but also your health

NEW YORK -- Many spices and seeds, including garlic, cayenne, hot sauce, chia, ginger and tumeric, are known to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, help prevent cancer, and make us eat less.[br /][br /]Let's start with chia seeds.[br /][br /]"So these get bigger in your tummy?", we asked Jaclyn London of Good Housekeeping. "They do, they absorb the water in your tummy and kind of slow down your eating by making you feel a little fuller as we go," she said.[br /][br /]Jackie has tested and tasted the science. She eats chia every day.[br /][Ads /][br /]"These are filled with soluble fiber which is actually the type of fiber that has a blood sugar benefit as well as a cholesterol lowering benefit," she said. And they clean you out, Roto-Rooter out.[br /][br /][b]MORE ON HOW TO GET THESE 5 SUPER FOODS INTO YOUR DIET:[/b][br /][br /][post ID="698035" /][br /][br /]They get rid of bloat, all by adding chia seeds to your diet a few times a week. They make yogurt crunchy, and mix right in with salads. Next up: garlic.[br /][br /]"It lowers our blood pressure, it reduces atherosclerosis which is lowering our risk of heart disease and can reduce our blood cholesterol too," said Jackie. And it keeps away vampires, I reminded her, which "is probably the best benefit," she said, laughing.[br /][br /]Ha! To cayenne pepper and tumeric, also wonder spices. They can reduce inflammation, and the amount we consume.[br /][br /]"Because it's so spicy it can reduce how much we take in," said Jackie.[br /][br /]Hot sauce works the same way. We threw it in with the yogurt and chia seeds, then scooped it up with garlic crackers.[br /][br /]It tasted like buffalo wings. Oh, back to chia: their omega 3 fatty acids help with memory, and this is pretty cool:[br /][br /]"You know that chia is actually from the chia plant so that chia pet is the same thing," said Jackie. "The chia pet gives us the chia seed."[br /][br /]Wild, right? So kick up your health and the flavor of your food.[br /][br /]For more about spices, visit:[br /][url HREF="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a25392/supercarb-diet/" TARGET="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a25392/supercarb-diet/" REL="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a25392/supercarb-diet/[br /]"]http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a25392/supercarb-diet/[br /][/url][br /]For some recipes, visit:[br /][url HREF="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/a25292/supercarb-diet-meal-ideas/" TARGET="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/a25292/supercarb-diet-meal-ideas/" REL="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/a25292/supercarb-diet-meal-ideas/"]http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/a25292/supercarb-diet-meal-ideas/[br /][/url][br /]