(Courtesy of Kate Gabrielle)

Wait. Isn’t that what girls are made of?

You better believe it!

Yet today, I decided I’m not going to focus on the sweet part. Although, when it comes to my brand new baby granddaughters, that my friends, goes without saying. Sugary sweet! ☺

No, I thought I would take a moment to focus on Spice.

And no, I’m not talking about the Spice Girls. I’m talking about adding a little zest and zing to those blustery, wintery days. I’m talking about something that will make everything nice, something special for those day’s when the wind howls and heavily darkened clouds pepper the endless sky.

Burrrr. Baby, it’s cold outside.

Yeah, it is. And that’s my point.

Colder weather means saying goodbye to the summery things we love. Bright beautiful flowers. Tender green leaves on trees. And all our favorite fruits and vegetables that keep our health at an optimum.

Part of the reason why we love those gorgeous colorful produce is because of their deep vibrant color. But did you know it is the color that gives fruit and vegetables their rich antioxidant character?

Antioxidant, you say? What exactly is that?

It’s a Spicy buzzword denoting a substance that inhibits oxidation. And oxidation my friend leads to nasty harmful molecules called free radicals. Yeah, they’re rad man. They’re so powerful they can spread and cause infection and disease.

Like a cold. Or the flu. Or something more serious, which I hope is not the case with you.

But here’s the cool part.

When we add those antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies into our daily diet, it will strengthen our ability to ward off infection and fight disease.

Say wahoo to antioxidants! They’re almost as sexy as Kale. Oh wait. Kale is loaded with antioxidants. See what I mean? Sexy!

But what do we do now that those beautiful fresh Superfoods we ate over the summer are gone?

We spice things up!

That means, instead of eating Peppers, Berries, Cherries, Cucumbers and juicy Beefsteak Tomatoes, we make the switch to more understated winter varieties of fruits and vegetables. Several which are known to be the most powerful antioxidants to compliment our cold weather foods.

(Curtesy of Brian Snelson)
 
And that includes Spices. Spices so valuable, they brought Christopher Columbus across the ocean blue.

Did you know spices and herbs are among the highest of antioxidant foods? This in turn helps to lower the risk of inflammation, cancer, degeneration and other diseases.

Including the common cold, which is very common indeed!

Think warm flavors such as Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Ground Ginger, Cardamom, Cloves, Peppercorns, Rosemary and Sage. Any one of those lovely spices on a chilly day can pack more antioxidant punch than our highly coveted Blueberries!

(Curtesy of Emsi Production)
 
So warm up the soup, casseroles and stews people! Make your own chai tea with loads of yummy spices like Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Anise, Peppercorns and Vanilla Bean. Dash the Cinnamon on those sweet potatoes and squash. Rub Rosemary and Sage on that succulent roast.

Because even though girls may be sugary sweet, it’s the spice that makes everything nice.

Nice and healthy, that is.

So what do you think? Are you ready to add a little Zest and Zing to your blistery winter days? What do you do to Spice things up in your neck of the woods? Do you prefer soups, stews or casseroles? What is your go to recipe to warm things up? Tea anyone?

Cheers everyone! I hope that life is treating you well. And, as always, thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen