Turn Up the Heat on Your Raw Food Recipes

There are many ways to make your raw food dishes spicy. Here are some of my favorites: Jalapenos, habanera, serrano, banana, scotch bonnet, Thai peppers, chilies, cayenne, and the list goes on. There are over 20 varietals of peppers and not all of them are hot but they do add tons of flavor to dishes. You can use these in their raw state or dehydrated state for your recipes. Either way they will both taste great and add tons of flavor, color, and health benefits. Just remember that a little goes a long way! It is also a good idea to use gloves when cutting them so that you won't forget later and rub your eyes because some of those peppers can be very potent.

Peppers are beneficial to the body because they have Vitamin A, C, and K plus a good amount of fiber. Peppers help prevent cell damage, inflammation, asthma, cancer, decrease cholesterol, reduce ulcers, support immune function and can help with weight loss. They only have between 10-20 calories per serving but they add so much flavor and so many health benefits to your body. How can you not love them?

Other ways to make dishes spicy is by adding raw garlic, ginger, basil, horseradish, onions, or seaweed. All of these are so beneficial for your body as well. Garlic has been known to be a powerful natural antibiotic and there have been studies that have shown that garlic has reduced ones cholesterol. Ginger is another great addition to anyone's diet. Ginger helps with upset stomachs, nausea, and poor digestion. A couple of benefits of eating basil are that it has been known to help with nausea and motion sickness. Horseradish has C and B-Complex vitamins and has been used to treat such illnesses as toothache, scurvy, coughs, aching joints, and diabetes. Onions have been used to treat colds, coughs, and asthma. Seaweed or sea vegetables have so many benefits for the body and there are so many different varietals that I can't even begin talk about them. Dulse is one of my favorites and makes a great addition to salads and raw soups.

You will find many health benefits and have a blast trying new recipes with all of these different ways to spice up your meals. There are so many benefits to making your dishes spicy why wouldn't you spice it up a bit? Spice it up for you and your family's health.

B.S. Science in Physical Anthropology minor in business, and Culinary Arts Degree. Advocate for organic, vegetarian, vegan, and raw food diets. I have been a vegetarian/vegan/raw foodist for over 20 years. Have also worked in real estate for over 6 years. Have a couple of websites to help people who are interested http://Recipes4RawFood.com and http://RawFoodForToday.com Also working on a new social networking site!