The wonder of spices

As we move into autumn, we naturally start to crave warming foods and the comfort of home as the weather becomes cooler. It is a lovely time to embrace seasonal ingredients, herbs and spices that can nourish and support us through the changing season. This has been highlighted to me as I am studying(again I know!) to support people with cancer /recovering from and the health benefits of spices has been highlighted as an essential tool in my nutritional kit. Thought I would share a couple of ideas with you and practical tips in including them in your day. This learning I hope will be useful in the NHS setting as well as my private practice as particularly the aftercare of a patient is not always as comprehensive as it could be.

Starting the day with a cup of fresh ginger tea can be a simple way to support digestion and circulation, while ginger also has well-known anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting properties.

When I think of autumn cooking, I always think of pumpkin soup, especially with a little curry powder. The combination of warming spices and creamy pumpkin works beautifully and makes a wonderfully comforting autumn meal.

Rosemary is another favourite of mine. If you are lucky enough to have it growing in your garden, try making a simple rosemary infusion. Rosemary has traditionally been used to support digestion and may help with bile flow and fat digestion. It also contains compounds being studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, including carnosol, and rosemary has been associated with aspects of memory and cognition. It also has anti-cancer properties.

Turmeric is known for its liver-detoxifying properties, as well as its anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting characteristics. Absorption of curcumin (the powerful phytonutrient that gives turmeric its bright yellow colour) is increased by piperine, the active compound in black pepper, so turmeric and black pepper should be consumed together. This is a spice I use a lot when cooking and include it in soups which through the winter months is a staple in our house.

When cooking your Sunday roast, try making small cuts in the skin and adding fresh rosemary and slivers of garlic. There is a useful little tip with garlic too: after crushing or chopping it, leave it to sit for around 10 minutes before cooking. This allows time for allicin, one of garlic’s key sulphur compounds, to form.

So, as you create your autumn dishes, ask yourself: what herbs and spices could I add?They are often overlooked, yet they can bring wonderful flavour as well as adding a valuable nutritional boost to everyday meals.