Perhaps this New Year, you will rank "Staying Healthy and Fit" higher and let weight loss be a biproduct of living your exciting, energized life! 

To make your own Moroccan seasoning, mix the following ingredients together and store in an air-tight container. Yields 8 tablespoons.

Ingredients: 

• 2 teaspoons  ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons  ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons  ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons  ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons  turmeric
• 2 teaspoons  salt
• 2 teaspoons  cinnamon
• 1 1⁄2teaspoons  sugar
• 1 1⁄2teaspoons  paprika
• 1 1⁄2teaspoons  ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon  cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon  cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon  ground allspice
• 1⁄2teaspoon  ground cloves

Nutmeg is known to lower blood pressure, soothe digestive upset, arthritis, and help detoxify the body. The anti-inflammatory properties can be used to treat joint and muscle pain.

Coriander has been a favorite remedy for anxiety and insomnia. Now research has confirmed its tension-taming properties. Like cinnamon, coriander aids digestion. It has also shown promise in reducing blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It is also a chelator of heavy metals such as mercury stored in the liver. It is also effective when combating stress.

Ginger is s common ingredient in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicines, ginger boasts an antioxidant power equal to vitamin C. The spice’s reported health benefits include: easing arthritis pain, improving digestion 􏰄􏰪􏰎􏰅􏰌􏰃􏰂􏰈􏰃􏰟􏰁􏰂􏰅􏰉􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰬􏰘􏰃􏰤􏰉􏰈􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰃􏰆􏰕􏰁􏰍􏰄􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰔􏰄􏰕􏰈􏰔􏰂􏰄􏰋􏰃􏰑􏰄􏰅􏰌􏰂􏰑􏰃􏰣􏰄􏰓􏰄􏰒􏰁􏰂􏰆􏰭􏰃􏰄􏰅􏰆􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰅􏰔􏰂􏰑􏰔􏰁􏰂􏰁􏰆􏰃􏰕􏰅􏰁􏰓􏰆􏰏􏰃􏰁􏰉􏰕􏰔􏰈􏰟􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰋􏰁􏰖􏰄􏰆􏰂and treating colds, coughs, and flu. In addition, research has shown that ginger is more effective at combating motion sickness than Dramamine. It is also very useful for arthritis and IBS.

Turmeric is a common ingredient in curries, turmeric is a powerful antioxidant that protects against cancer, lowers cholesterol and eases arthritic aches and pains by reducing inflammation, which is extremely helpful with arthritis and high cholesterol. It has also been shown to increase insulin sensitivity by 300 percent. More good news: Researchers at UCLA found that curcumin, a compound in turmeric, was more effective at preventing the development of brain-damaging placques seen in Alzheimer's disease than any other drug being tested. Is it coincidence that India has the lowest rate of Alzheimer's in the􏰋􏰅􏰉􏰅􏰖􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰕􏰌􏰅􏰪􏰎􏰄􏰆􏰃􏰆􏰄􏰄􏰓􏰃􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰤􏰌􏰨􏰑􏰄􏰁􏰉􏰄􏰔􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰋􏰁􏰆􏰄􏰅􏰆􏰄􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰅􏰓􏰃􏰅􏰓􏰇􏰃􏰋􏰔􏰎􏰖􏰃 􏰣􏰄􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰂􏰄􏰆􏰂􏰄􏰋􏰘􏰃􏰩􏰂􏰃􏰁􏰆􏰃􏰕􏰔􏰈􏰣􏰅􏰣􏰌􏰇􏰃􏰓􏰈􏰃􏰍􏰈􏰁􏰓􏰍􏰁􏰋􏰄􏰓􏰍􏰄􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰅􏰂􏰃􏰩􏰓􏰋􏰁􏰅􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰕􏰈􏰕􏰎􏰌􏰅􏰍􏰄􏰃􏰑􏰅􏰆􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰃􏰌􏰈􏰐􏰄􏰆􏰂􏰃􏰔􏰅􏰂􏰄􏰃􏰈􏰒􏰃􏰤􏰌􏰨􏰑􏰄􏰁􏰉􏰄􏰔􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰃 world - 􏰫 and a diet rich in turmeric? Probably not! FYI: piperine, a compound found in black pepper, is thought to increase the effects of curcumin in turmeric by 1,000 times! 

Cinnamon is one of the most versatile spices, cinnamon can be used to flavor everything from cookies to soups. Using cinnamon in cooking is a wise choice because cinnamon has plenty to offer. Not only does it ease common tummy troubles such as gas and bloating, but in a recent clinical trial, cinnamon significantly lowered fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels in diabetics. Worried about E.coli? New research shows that cinnamon can wipe out bacteria. When a teaspoon of cinnamon was added to highly contaminated apple juice, the E. coli was reduced by 99.5 percent after three day.

Cayenne is a popular spice in chili and it’s beneficial properties comes from its 􏰮􏰑􏰄􏰃􏰕􏰄􏰕􏰕􏰄􏰔􏰃􏰆􏰕􏰁􏰍􏰄􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰅􏰂􏰃􏰕􏰎􏰂􏰆􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰃􏰆􏰁􏰓􏰖􏰃􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰍􏰑􏰁􏰌􏰁􏰃􏰅􏰓􏰋􏰃􏰈􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰔􏰃􏰋􏰁􏰆􏰑􏰄􏰆􏰏􏰃􏰍􏰅􏰇􏰄􏰓􏰓􏰄􏰗􏰆􏰃􏰍􏰌􏰅􏰁􏰉􏰃􏰂􏰈􏰃􏰒􏰅􏰉􏰄􏰃􏰍􏰈􏰉􏰄􏰆􏰃􏰒􏰔􏰈compound capsaicin, a popular ingredient in pain-relieving creams. Cayenne may also have additional health benefits. One study found that a diet rich in cayenne spiced chili protected against the formation of 􏰯􏰞􏰯􏰃􏰰􏰙􏰣􏰅􏰋􏰝􏰱􏰃􏰍􏰑􏰈􏰌􏰄􏰆􏰂􏰄􏰔􏰈􏰌􏰏􏰃􏰐􏰑􏰁􏰌􏰄􏰃􏰅􏰓􏰈􏰂􏰑􏰄􏰔􏰃􏰋􏰄􏰉􏰈􏰓􏰆􏰂􏰔􏰅􏰂􏰄􏰋􏰃􏰂􏰑􏰅􏰂􏰃􏰍􏰑􏰁􏰌􏰁􏰃􏰑􏰄􏰌􏰕􏰄􏰋􏰃􏰊􏰄􏰄􏰕􏰃􏰁􏰓􏰆􏰎􏰌􏰁􏰓􏰃􏰌􏰄􏰟􏰄􏰌􏰆􏰃􏰌􏰈􏰐􏰃􏰅􏰒􏰂􏰄􏰔􏰃􏰉􏰄􏰅􏰌􏰆􏰘LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and another study showed that chili helped keep insulin levels low after meals.

Cloves contain a significant amount of eugenol, which is found to be effective in blocking the inflammation associated with osteoporosis, arthritis and IBS. Cloves are also a significant source of manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Source: My Foundation Diet by Kathie Madonna Swift

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!

While people may think lesser of frozen fruits and vegetables, they can be a great option and alternative to keep in stock in your freezer especially when time is tight or when there's nothing left in the refrigerator.  In fact, frozen may even be healthier during certain months!
 
First, a bit about frozen....
Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen right at their nutritional peak, so they can actually be a healthier option when the fruit or vegetable is out of season as they have a higher vitamin content.

Frozen vegetables are first blanched (scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time), which stops their enzymes from degrading the vegetables that would normally cause loss of flavor, color, and texture over time. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt, brightens the color, and helps retard the loss of vitamins. These vegetables are then frozen, further slowing down these produce-degrading enzymes.

Nutrient Quality of Frozen: Although some of the water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C and the B vitamins, found in all fruits and vegetables are lost in the freezing process. This amount is often much less than that lost from fresh fruit and vegetable transportation and storage. Furthermore, frozen vegetables take less time to cook, which decreases the vitamin losses from cooking.

Note: over many months, nutrients in frozen vegetables do inevitably degrade. For best nutritional quality, still eat frozen produce a couple weeks after purchase for optimal nutrition quality.
 

A bit about fresh... 
When fresh fruit or vegetables are out of season, they need to be imported from other states or even other countries. In order for them to be ripe by the time they get to you, they are often picked in their pre-ripe form before the nutrients have time to develop fully. They further lose some of their nutrients during their long travel to your grocery store.
 
Nutrient Quality of Fresh: Any fruit or vegetable that is allowed to sit (either during travel to the supermarket, on the store shelves, or in your refrigerator) will lose nutrients and vitamins and will most likely be inferior to their frozen counterparts in terms of nutrient quality and quantity. This is why buying local produce is so great! But buying local isn’t always possible for most produce that is out of season.
 

Enter frozen fruits and veggies!
For those situations, its best to buy frozen. Plus frozen are often a lot cheaper, which is a plus! Similarly, the process of freezing the vegetables softens the starch and, thereby, decreasing the time it takes to cook them and making them a quicker option. The only ingredient in your frozen produce should be the fruit or veggie itself - beware of added salt or sugar on the nutrition label!