If your idea of the perfect weight loss meal is plain chicken or fish with a salad and brown rice, then you're missing out on some major ingredients shown by reams of research to help the body burn fat: herbs and spices.
Herbs and spices are the best way to add flavor to food for no extra calories, sugar, sodium, or other junk—which is critical to do when you're trying to lose weight. Why? It's pretty simple: Research shows that if you don't like the taste of what you eat, you're much less likely to stick to any diet, no matter how disciplined you are. Herbs and spices add a significant amount of flavor to food and can turn, for example, that piece of plain chicken into a restaurant-worthy meal, thanks to just a little rosemary, paprika, sea salt, and ground pepper.
What's more, many herbs and spices can actually boost your metabolism and help your body burn fat more quickly. Here, 13 herbs and spices with science-backed powers to help you lose all the weight you want in the New Year.
Turmeric
This brightly colored yellow spice may help your body burn fat, according to a 2009 study from Tufts University that found that mice fed curcumin—the active ingredient in turmeric—lost more fat than those on the same diet with no curcumin. A "warming spice," turmeric increases body heat, which, in turn, can boost metabolism. The spice also has a host of other health benefits, from helping fight Alzheimer's disease to keeping hormones in check during "that time of the month." Try adding turmeric to soups or stews or sprinkle over roasted veggies or nuts.
Cayenne
If you've ever accidently added too much of this to foods, then you know that cayenne is a warming spice in a big, bad, major way. This means that, similar to turmeric, cayenne raises body temp, helping to boost metabolism. In fact, adding the spice to food can help you burn up to 100 calories per meal, according to Lauren Minchen, RD. Try sprinkling ground cayenne on roasted nuts or in soups, scrambled eggs, or homemade dressings or dips for an extra kick.



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