Must-Have Pantry Spice- Curry Powder

Curry spice blend contains nutritional heavy hitters like fenugreek, which relieves everything from bronchitis to menstrual cramps, and turmeric, whose potent antioxidants help prevent cell damage. Add a dash to potato soup, or whip together with mayonnaise for a tasty egg salad.

Must-Have Pantry Spice- Bay Leaf

This venerable spice, a distant relative of cinnamon and avocado, is an unsung hero of the modern kitchen. Bay Leaf's aromatic, slightly astringent flavor is essential to countless stocks, soups, sauces, and marinades. For a sweet adventure, add a leaf to rice pudding, poached pears, or stewed apricots.

Must-Have Pantry Spice- Nutmeg

Once used to fight the spread of bubonic plague, nutmeg improves digestion and, when applied topically, soothes joint and muscle pain. Its woodsy flavor is most familiar from holiday classics such as apple pie, but this delicate spice adds an intriguing note to savory comfort food too. Dust it over roast lamb, macaroni and cheese, or creamed spinach.

Must-Have Pantry Spice- Cinnamon

Most cinnamon on the market today is actually cassia (not at EdiblenNture), the dried bark of a tropical laurel tree. (The real stuff is lighter in color and sweeter in flavor.) Cinnamon oil is a powerful antiseptic, and the spice is believed to help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Toss a stick into beef stew, or use as a stirrer for coffee, chai tea, or hot cocoa.

Must-Have Pantry Spice- Red Pepper Flakes

Put on the table in lieu of black pepper in Hungary, Turkey, and the Middle East, red pepper flakes add a welcome kick to almost any dish. They're also an excellent source of vitamins A and C, capable of preventing ulcers and treating diarrhea.

Must-Have Pantry Spice-Black Pepper

The world's most popular spice is so ubiquitous that its health value is often overlooked. (Capsaicin, the alkaloid that gives pepper its bite, stimulates digestion, circulation, and perspiration.) It's also a cooling agent. For a refreshing drink, try an Indian-style glass of sweetened lime juice and soda garnished with black pepper.

How About this Postparty Hangover?

Restore, rehydrate, and recover with these natural remedies. Pre-party plant foods are high in antioxidants and other compounds that help reduce the oxidative stress alcohol causes. To feel like yourself again, try a restorative breakfast of oatmeal with walnuts (omega-3s help reduce inflammation) and blueberries (packed with polyphenols and vitamin C).

I'm Exhausted! How Can I Get My Energy Back?

Spreading yourself thin is an invitation for illness, as fatigue weakens immune response. Keep your body in fighting form with the following stay-strong strategies. Maintain a balance of whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables.

The Flu Gets Me Every Year. How Can I Stop It?

Influenza comes on like a freight train, with high fever, headache, fatigue, chills, body aches, and respiratory illness. Douse free radicals and repair and strengthen immune cells with a cascade of antioxidant and nutrient-rich foods. Prepare a meal with any of these immune-boosting flu fighters: mushrooms, red bell pepper, sweet potatoes or pumpkin, garlic, Brazil nuts, whole grains, and beans.