Do you cook often? Well chances are if you are a human (and a female), you probably do.

But as you cook, are you adding things that will just add to the flavor, or add to your general well-being and body’s health?

If not, you definitely should be. It’s a simple and easy way to turn everyday food items into ones that are much healthier, tastier, and will jump start your weight loss goals.

If you don’t have these spices already, they are fairly inexpensive at the store to pick up a shaker of them. But I do warn you, these are mostly very strong flavors, so use them in your cooking sparingly until you really know what they can do first. After that feel free to use how ever much you like, but just a fair warning.

1. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a natural thermogenic, which means it helps to amp up your metabolism and burn more calories than you would naturally. It’s also a great natural regulator of your blood sugar, which will keep energy levels more constant, as well as prevent you from having huge crashes.

Food wise, cinnamon is a very good one to cook with, because of its wide taste appeal. You can add it to many things to add a great, Indian style kick that a dish may need. It’s very aromatic and fragrant, so do know that a little will go a long ways. Also a great thing to sprinkle on coffee or popcorn for an extra little zing.

2. Cayenne Pepper

Fire in the hole! Cayenne pepper is a great way to boost the spice level of a particular dish, as well as increase the level of capsaicin in it. Capsaicin is a naturally occurring part of spicy hot foods, and is a great way to start burning a little more fat.

You can add cayenne pepper to almost anything with great results. It will add that little bit of heat that you may be looking for in a dish, without adding a ton of very particular flavors.

3. Mustard Seed

Mustard Seed is another one of those natural spices that can boost metabolism a full 20-25% after consumption, which may help even out your metabolism burn rate throughout the day.

It’s a very distinct tasting spice, so you can use it very well in some dishes, and others will just be taken over with its flavor. But definitely a great addition to add a nice zing to a particular dish.

4. Ginger

Ginger is a little gift from the Orient that really adds a nice level to many dishes. It acts as a natural diuretic that improves gastric mobility, as well as hinders cholesterol absorption.

Taste wise, ginger is found very commonly in Asian style foods, and can be a great addition to many dishes. It imparts a very distinct flavor that many people go crazy for. But do add it sparingly your first few times using it, as a little can go a long ways.

5. Black Pepper

Black pepper is a fairly universal spice that we add to many dishes along with salt, but little did we know, boosts metabolism, helps digestion and aids nutrient absorption. Not bad for something we normally use!

Black pepper can really add a nice peppery taste to virtually anything. It’s even better if you grind it yourself out of a pepper mill, which will give you course chunks in your food. So go ahead and pepper almost anything to give your foods a distinct flavor, and a little better health factor.

Best Spices for Weight Loss

So there you go! Five great Spices for Weight Loss that you can add to your day-to-day cooking that could over the long term provide a meaningful difference in your weight loss. Any good recipe suggestions from these particular dishes?