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Why I will never gain weight!
Since I’m on the subject of food, I might as well continue.
Given my ethnic background, I’ve been eating hot peppers as long as I’ve been eating jam on my toast. When I prepare foods for friends, I often have to prepare a separate version for those who don’t eat hot and spicy foods.
I like it all: cayenne pepper, chili pepper, jalapeno pepper, habaneros pepper, Italian peperoncini peppers in vinegar, banana peppers in vinegar, Thai and Chinese hot pepper pastes and Mexican pepper … I just LOVE it all!
I never knew until recently that my need to add peppers to my dishes is not only a tasty way to boost the flavour of foods but it’s also one sure way to NEVER gain weight!!!
Before you run off to your supermarket and clean out the hot pepper isle, I should give a more in-depth explanation.
I was recently flipping the pages of a sports magazine for women when I landed on the nutrition section and read about how hot peppers are a secret fat burning food.
A numbers of studies have been conducted to evaluate how eating capsaicin (found in chili peppers) leads to a process known scientifically as thermogenesis – in layman terms it means “heat generation”. This heat is what causes the body to burn more calories and keep undesired weight, belly fat and love handles at bay.
A study conducted by the University of Tasmania (Australia) in 2006 has shown that eating hot peppers might be “THE” solution to reducing obesity in western countries where obesity has reached epidemic levels.
Now if the idea of eating hot peppers makes you nervous, you might want to start slowly by integrating certain “hot” spices into your diet like mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric (commonly used in East Indian cuisine), coriander (aka cilantro) and ginger.
Photo By Jurek D
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August 25th, 2008 at 11:19
Very informative article. As in all choices we make, living a life of awareness makes all the difference. So often we don’t even realize what food choices we are making. We eat out of habit.
Knowing that hot peppers help with weight control gives us another great tool to “take control”. A yummy new habit!
August 25th, 2008 at 11:40
Coming from an east Indian background , we pack our food with such spices and it really does work. From a medical standpoint, adding so called heat inducing spices does aid in speeding metabolism, less energy=i.e. fat is stored and released instead as heat.
August 26th, 2008 at 13:22
Im not really sure that eating peppers will really cause you to lose any significant amount of weight. Looking at an East Indian diet you would likely find that an abundance of whole grains and vegetables are likely the cause for lower overall BMIs, not spices. I beleive the amount of thermogenic benefit is quite small. Adding habanero pepper to potato chips won’t make them any healthier or less fattening.
August 27th, 2008 at 0:51
Lynn,
Indeed the best way to ensure that we age well is to make the right choices … and that include food choices!
Thanks for your comment,
Gisele
August 27th, 2008 at 0:52
NewWrldYankee,
I also think that not only are spices excellent for your health but they add such flavour to foods.
Thanks for your comment!
Gisele
August 27th, 2008 at 0:55
Dave,
It goes without saying that ordering a huge super-size meal from your fast food restaurant and washing it down with hot peppers will NOT help you lose or control your weight.
It’s all about balance.
In terms of the benefits of hot peppers and their ability to help increase our metabolism it’s real … as I’ve come across this fact in numerous nutritional books and magazines.
Thanks so much for your comment!
Gisele
August 30th, 2008 at 22:16
Hot foods do kill taste buds, though, and some people (my family) are uncomfortable with that.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:09
Thank you Chris for your comment.
Too much of a good thing is never good … so too much hot peppers is not good because you might find it hard to eat food that don’t contain hot peppers. Basically, consuming too many hot peppers on a daily base might alter your taste buds.
If your family cannot eat hot peppers … don’t worry, we’ll be sharing a lot more ways to keep your weight in check as you age.
Hot peppers are delicious and we love them here … but they aren’t for everyone.
Gisele
September 12th, 2009 at 22:26
That’s it! Now I know why I am slim. I love spicy and well flavored foods. So that’s the technique. No wonder why spices brought Magellan to circumnavigate the world, way back centuries ago.