Spices for weight loss - Boost your fat burning

Spices not only taste incredibly delicious and add flavour to make every dish a culinary delight, but they can also help you lose weight. In this article you will learn how to use spices to support weight loss and how they can best be used in your diet.

A healthy diet that leads to a calorie deficit is the be-all and end-all when it comes to losing weight. However, there are a few little tricks that you can use to make your change in diet and achieving your dream body easier. This includes the use of spices! You should try to use recipes that contain a variety of delicious spices because it will transform your kitchen into a culinary oasis – and for many other good reasons: 

Yes, the “best spices for losing weight” exist – because they fulfill all the criteria that make them a really good weight loss aid. These include a delicious taste, stimulation of the taste buds against cravings and a slightly increased energy consumption of the body. Now we’ll tell you which spices help you lose weight the best!

Turmeric comes from the ginger family. Ayurvedic cuisine swears by the yellow-golden powder. You probably know turmeric in the form of “golden milk”, which is a “trendy drink” that can be found on many drink menus in restaurants and bars these days. Turmeric also tastes great in Indian or Asian dishes.

Turmeric, or a component of the turmeric “rhizome”, is also used as a herbal medicine. Curcumin, which causes the yellow colour, and essential oils round off the ingredients of this spice. Turmeric is traditionally used to aid digestion and relieve flatulence and bloating. The curcumin it contains has a mild anti-inflammatory effect. You can find turmeric in its original root form and in ground form in supermarkets or health food shops, and now also in capsule form or as a tea.

The most important news first: cinnamon can prevent us from having food cravings. Cinnamon keeps the blood sugar level constant, thus reducing the release of insulin into our blood. The result: we save unnecessary calories that we would otherwise have eaten in a massive binge. 

Unfortunately, this is not entirely true, because consuming cinnamon doesn’t automatically burn calories. However, the spice can save you a lot of calories that you might have invested in the next dessert. Thus, cinnamon can help you wonderfully in your diet to avoid unnecessary calories and thus help you to lose weight. Cinnamon is also rich in antioxidants and is said to protect against cell aging.

Pepper is a typical spice that increases the body’s thermogenesis. Not everyone likes it hot, but now it’s at least time to give the fiery spices another chance!

Your body produces more heat during digestion and transport with hot spices such as pepper. This increases the thermogenic effect, so that your energy consumption increases. The active ingredient “capsaicin” has other positive effects on the body:

• Pepper is said to induce a faster satiety effect
• Pepper is said to promote blood circulation.

You can buy black pepper or cayenne pepper as pods, in dried form or ground in the supermarket. With hot spices, however, you should definitely pay attention to the dosage! Excessive consumption can upset your stomach, so take it easy at first. You should not exceed a daily dose of ¼ teaspoon of cayenne and black pepper.

Cumin contains so-called “phytosterols”, these plant substances have a positive effect on the body’s blood fat and cholesterol levels. Cumin is popular because of its soothing effect on the gastrointestinal tract, as it stimulates the production of saliva and digestive juices.

If you like to eat foods that are supposedly flatulent, such as beans or cabbage, you can try a good dose of cumin. As a digestive “natural laxative,” cumin can also help relieve constipation. Last but not least, cumin is a popular spice in naturopathy for alleviating a wide variety of symptoms. African, Arabic or Indian cuisines thrive on this delicious flavour. You can find cumin in dishes like falafel or hummus. In the supermarket, you can buy the spice as whole seeds or in powder form.

Cloves are dried flowers of the clove tree. The ingredient “eugenol” is said to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and draining effects. Cloves are also said to stimulate our digestion, which is why the spice is added to many foods such as sauerkraut or soups. 

Interestingly, it is mainly the stem that is bitter, while the clove head has a much milder taste.

loves give their special aroma to well-known foods, especially those from the Christmas season, such as “spekulatius” biscuits, mulled wine or chai tea. Of course, this doesn’t make high-calorie foods like biscuits and sugary alcohol healthier or lower in calories. But if you like to taste the spice in these delicacies, then you can try using it in your own home-cooked recipes. 

You can find cloves in powder form or as whole seeds. In Ayurvedic medicine, cloves are also used in the form of clove oils or clove tinctures.

Chili is one of the hottest spices in the world. What makes the pod hot is the so-called “capsaicin”. It triggers a spicy sensation on the tongue and the mucous membranes of the mouth. Due to the spiciness, there is a particularly intensive food-induced thermogenesis in the body, i.e. the energy consumption during digestion of the body increases.

Yes, you can almost call it that. The consumption of chili does not come anywhere near to the calorie consumption of a proper workout, but the red chili peppers can even bring beads of sweat to some people’s foreheads. The body then cools down again. This process consumes a lot of energy and can last up to 30 minutes after eating. Chilli is therefore indeed a spice that can be said to have a calorie-consuming effect. But here, too, one should remain realistic, this effect only accounts for a minimal part of the weight loss success.

Coriander has a very special taste, which is actually perceived completely differently by many people. However, even if you have already given up on the herb, you should think about giving it another try.

Coriander is not only particularly popular in naturopathic medicine and Ayurvedic medicine due to its healing properties, but above all it is also said to relieve bloated bellies. This makes the spice a particularly popular miracle weapon for many people. A bloated belly can be bothersome, especially during a diet. What else can coriander do? 

Coriander is said to have:

• an anti-inflammatory effect because it contains many antioxidants
• an immune-boosting effect
• healing effects on skin diseases

You can find coriander whole or ground at the supermarket. It is especially delicious in Asian dishes.

Most people probably know cardamom from Christmas cuisines, where it is often used in biscuit dough and cakes. However, cardamom is also a good aid for losing weight, which is why it should not only be included in Christmas biscuits, but also in everyday cooking.

Cardamom is said to stimulate digestion and even fight tension headaches. It is often used in Arabic, Asian or Indian dishes. Still relatively unknown, alongside ginger water, cardamom water can be tried in the diet. To do this, cardamom pods can simply be dissolved in hot water and then diluted with cold water. Not only do you automatically drink enough throughout the day, which will help you lose weight, but the positive effects of the spice can also be put to use. This is good for your weight loss goals, because drinking enough and drinking properly is essential during a diet.

Oregano hides many essential oils, such as “thymol”. It intensifies the production of digestive juices, which automatically supports the digestion and processing of the food. In addition, oregano is said to be particularly good for the intestinal flora and has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Italian cuisine is rich in oregano, we find it in pizza, pasta, etc. The positive effects of oregano should not necessarily tempt you to go to Italian restaurants more often, but you can order a pizza with plenty of oregano there and feel good about the benefits of oregano! By the way, with your individual and everyday diet plan from Upfit, this is very easy, because Upfit adapts to you! So if you’re invited out to dinner or making your own pizza with the family, you can easily skip your Upfit recipe and still achieve your  weight loss goal.

Many people love garlic, the intense flavour is particularly good in guacamole or sauces. However, garlic as a spice is often found in very fatty foods, which is why caution should be exercised before using them in the diet, as they are usually high in calories. Though, you can also enjoy garlic in low-calorie dishes, and you should, because the spice can have a very positive effect on your body. The substances “alliin” and “selenium” contained in garlic are said to dilate the blood vessels and thus keep the blood pressure in the normal range. Therefore, it has a positive effect on the flow of blood and is also traded as a “natural antibiotic” because of its antibacterial effect. In addition, garlic offers a range of vitamins, such as: 

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B1, B3, B5 and B6
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E

With all the positive properties, be warned about the intense and long-lasting smell of the garlic clove! If you want to try garlic, you really have to choose between the positive effects of the spice and the negative effects that the smell can have on social skills. The sulfur-containing “allicin” compound creates a persistent odour, which not only lasts for days, but actually evaporates through the body’s sweat pores. Garlic develops the most pleasant and delicious flavour when it is prepared by cutting the clove into fine slices or cubes. With commercially available garlic powder, garlic oil or garlic salt you save yourself the somewhat time-consuming preparation.