Cardamom in Diet | 5 Benefits of Cardamom with Home of Spices

Coming from a South Indian family, spices have been a part of my daily food habits and I am accustomed to having them in some form everyday. Most Indian recipes use a treasure trove of spices which doesn't necessarily mean making the food "spicy". These spices not just add on to the flavour of the dish, but the scintillating aromas and the health benefits they bring are countless.

Cardamom or Elaichi (Hindi) is one of the most commonly used spices in almost every Indian household. They come in several varieties, but the green and black ones are generally used in daily cooking. We are talking about green cardamom today. They are small pod shaped spices which are famous for their beautiful aroma and mint like mouth freshening capabilities. They are a mandatory addition to Indian desserts and even savoury/main course recipes.

But apart from taste and freshness, they are great for maintaining and building that healthy body. They are rich in antioxidants and possess antibiotic properties too. In India, before allopathy gathered main stage, Ayurvedic medicines were popular and made from all natural ingredients sourced from various plants. Cardamom and other spices were widely used for making medicines at home.

In my search for real, fresh and organic spices I came across Home of Spices, a farmer based spice growing and selling initiative from Kerala (the origin of spices) who have the most amazing selection of best in quality, premium spices. The lovely folks at Home of Spices shared some of their spices for me to try. And believe me, the first packet of cardamom I opened totally had me. The distinct, rich aroma took me back to childhood when my mother used to open "Elaichi ka dabba" (box of cardamom) and the kitchen filled with a wonderfully pleasant smell. You can also have your hand at these fresh and organic spices from their website or simply order from Amazon.



Its great to add this Wonder spice to your diet through various everyday recipes be it having some Cardamom tea, mixing it with water, adding it to desserts, putting them in some rice or even eating it raw. If you haven't yet, knowing these 5 benefits Cardamom has for your health, you should definitely consider adding it to your diet.

  1. Cure for cough & cold: Winters brings with itself cough, cold and all sorts of sickness. Especially in metro cities, the problem is even more. But it can be minimised with regular consumption of Cardamom. Add some Cardamom to your tea and it its a great source of warmth and immunity.
  2. Weight Watching: Fitness is all about having a healthy body and mind. Watching your weight to maintained a toned body and active life. Cardamom greatly helps in doing so as it possesses meltonin that helps up the fat burning process. Just mix some Elaichi powder in water and drink a glass of it everyday to stay healthy and fit.
  3. Reduce bloating or indigestion: With a lifestyle that has long hours of sitting and less physical activity and regular junk eating, your stomach has to work double time and can get irritated frequently. Cardamom saves the day as it has active compounds that help fight against bacteria, balancing the gut flora. It also enables normal digestive functioning. Infact the seeds are used to make medicines for problems relating to digestion. Boil your milk with cardamom and use it for drinking or making desserts.
  4. Cure for insomnia: Sleep troubles is a major issue with today's youth. Be it sleeping too much or having restless sleeps, inconsistent sleeping is a cause of major health woes. Inhaling the scent of a cardamom helps you get a better, peaceful sleep and even helps relieve anxiety.
  5. Great for skincare: From blemishes on face, to dryness on lips, Cardamom can help curing it all. Applying real fruit face masks with cardamom not just helps to cure but also maintain a healthy skin.
With all these amazing benefits. Cardamom sure is a wonder spice and I'm certainly adding it to my diet. If you want to know recipes for cardamom then leave a comment below.

Happy Healthy Eating!

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