Hello World!  Hope you’re doing well in your world!  It’s absolutely beautiful here today! We are definitely having a “Chamber of Commerce” Day!  And, we don’t have many of them here in southeast Texas, so must enjoy them when they’re here…

Today I found some good information about cardamom that I want to share with you. Beyond knowing it is used in Indian food, I knew little about this spice before I began reading. Now I may try it one day soon.

Health Benefits of Cardamom

Cardamon is most commonly known for its use in both traditional Indian cooking as well as traditional Swedish baking. It is also absolutely delicious when substituted for cinnamon in homemade apple pie!

However, cardamom’s vast array of health benefits don’t get enough credit. Like many other spices, cardamom has powerful, health promoting effects on the body. Here are a few scientifically backed reasons you should consider adding it into your spice arsenal:

Halitosis. Got bad breath? Cardamom may help. The simple act of chewing on a few cardamom seeds can help to eliminate unpleasant mouth odors, due in part to the antimicrobial qualities inherent to cardamom. Additionally, cineole, a major component of cardamom oil, is powerfully antiseptic with the power to kill bad breath bacteria. Cineole can also kill bacteria which may cause tooth & gum decay,  like Streptococcus mutans.

Digestive benefits. If you dabble in Ayurvedic medicine, you may already be familiar with cardamom. That is because it’s often used to treat  stomach ailments like stomachaches in Ayurvedic tradition. In fact, the spice is uniquely powerful when it comes to assisting digestion & promoting digestive balance. What’s interesting is that cardamom is actually a member of the ginger family—another digestive powerhouse.

Blood pressure. Cardamom has huge potential in assisting those with high blood pressure. According to a published study, participants (with stage 1 hypertension) who took 3 grams of cardamom powder over 12 weeks, experienced a significant reduction in mean, systolic & diastolic blood pressure.

Cancer research. Cardamom has exhibited the potential to treat cancer in studies. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food showed cardamom to be a potential chemopreventive agent against stage 2 skin cancer. Cardamom is hugely anti-inflammatory & has been shown to act as a deterrent to cancer by encouraging a healthy immune response in numerous studies.

Diabetes. For those with diabetes, the disease is often accompanied by low levels of the mineral manganese. Cardamom has an incredibly high level of manganese, making it a smart choice for anyone worried about their blood sugar levels. Pairing it with cinnamon, a hugely diabetic-friendly spice, in an unsweetened chai tea is practically a healthy blood sugar tonic.

Looking for ideas on how to use cardamom in your daily diet? Start by trying out with a homemade Masala chai tea, or maybe this tasty smoothie:

Tahini Cardamom Smoothie  

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 frozen banana, peeled
2 pitted meejool dates, fresh or soaked
2 Tablespoons sesame tahini
1/4 tsp. cardamom, freshly ground
pinch of salt

Blend well in a high-speed blender. Enjoy!

Sounds like a spice worth using to me! If you use, please let me know how you use it. I’d like to learn more…

---

MY BLOGGING JOURNEY

I also want to talk a bit about my journey here in blog world… I downloaded Yoast last week, but I don’t understand so much of what it tells me;  so I must figure out what some things; for example: what is a slug?

According to Google, a slug is created by WordPress using my title, until such time as I create a custom slug (something else to figure out).

Also, what are alt attributes in photos? It appears this is something used by screen readers for the visually impaired. I need to read more about this as I still don’t understand it, but I obviously need to figure this out. And this is only the beginning of the list of what I need to figure out…

Life is never dull as there is always something for me to learn.  I hope all that I’m learning will lead to making a bit of money.  I also don’t understand how yoast determines “readability” as one day it is “good” & the next it “needs improvement”.  So much to learn so I’ll google what I need to know &, hopefully, get some answers that will help me. Learning so much certainly makes my day fly by. I’m not sure where all the hours go?

———————————————————

Lastly, as usual, please check out my website where I have many interesting items for sale:

http://www.bonanza.com/booths/allix999

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save