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I love the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg in holiday classic dishes and drinks. Here are some tips on how to use spices not only for flavor but for medicinal purposes as well. Let food be your medicine!

• Cinnamon oil is a powerful antiseptic and the spice is believed to help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Try for a teaspoon a day. Add it to toast or hot oatmeal for breakfast. Toss a stick into beef stew, or use as a stirrer for coffee, chai tea or cocoa.

• Nutmeg once used to fight the spread of bubonic plague, improves digestion and when applied topically, soothes joint and muscle pain. Make a paste w/water and apply to stiff joints. It's a holiday classic in eggnog and apple pie. Try adding it to roast lamb, macaroni and cheese or roasted acorn squash.

• Curry Powder contains a combo of several spices like fenugreek which relieves bronchitis and menstrual cramps, and turmeric, which is a potent antioxidant that prevents cell damage and abnormal brain plaque which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's. In India, people eat curry everyday and the Alzheimer's disease rate is one fourth the U.S. rate. Add it to beans, rice,cauliflower or potato dishes.

• Ginger can settle an upset stomach and relieve a headache. For fresh ginger tea-mix 3 tsps grated ginger into 1 cup boiling water and steep for 10 minutes.

• Red Pepper Flakes kick up any dish a notch and are an excellent source of vitamins A & C, capable of preventing ulcers and treating diarrhea.

• Paprika is made from dried peppers and the capsaicin in peppers has been known to relieve headaches, psoriasis, and shingles. Add it to parsnips, butternut squash or yams for roasting. Choose small quantities of spices over the big jars which lose their flavor quickly. If stored properly (in glass jars), most spices will maintain their full health benefits for 6-12 months.

(excerpted from Nov 2010, Wholeliving.com)

For your complete guide to winter wellness go to: http://know-your-bodystoreonline.com/wordpress/ to purchase Know Your Body's 2nd audio CD/e-book or digital download- "Winterize Your Body: How to Stay Well All Winter Long!" Comes complete with e-book transcript and bonus package of healthy winter recipes. http://know-your-bodystoreonline.com/wordpress/