Wisdom of Oz: Healthy Holiday Spices

Your favorite holiday flavors aren’t just delicious, they also contain health benefits.   Check how cinnamon and cloves can better your complexion and please your taste buds.

Cinnamon

The smell of cinnamon can bring back memories of the holidays but this spice is more than just tasty, it’s also healthy!

• One teaspoon daily can lower blood sugar levels, possibly helping to prevent or control diabetes.  
• Cinnamon also contains polyphenols, antioxidants that create healthier arteries and reduce the risk of heart disease.  
• Smell of cinnamon helps boost brain function and alertness.

Just add ground cinnamon to your favorite coffee grounds to make a cinnamon spice coffee that delicious and healthy! 

Cloves

Cloves have a great warm flavor and you’ll find them in plenty of warm holiday drinks and foods, but they also offer you many health benefits.

• Cloves have one of the highest antioxidant rankings of any spice.  
• They can help you kick a respiratory infection. They work as an expectorant, loosening mucus in the throat and esophagus so you can cough it up. 
• They help clear acne thanks to eugenol, a natural antiseptic that balances the skin, stopping future breakouts.

You can make your own facemask using cloves.  Take ground cloves, honey, and 3 drops of lemon juice.  Apply to your face and leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse off!