Don’t pass the salt this fall. Pass the ginger, the cinnamon, the nutmeg or even turmeric. Enhance your dishes with spices that will not only season your food but improve your health in the process. 

This spicy additive packs a powerful punch as an anti-inflammatory. Not only can it help fight muscle soreness when taken regularly, but it can also relieve nausea and aid digestion. Take your traditional recipes up a notch by adding fresh ginger to dressings or sauces. Or whip up a batch of gingerbread cookies, a fall favorite.

Sprinkle cinnamon on dishes, not only to give them a little kick but also to help keep blood sugar balanced. But that’s not all this sweet-savory spice does. Cinnamon can lower LDL cholesterol and even protect heart health. Not to mention boosting the brain from cognitive decline. Other benefits include freshening breath by removing oral bacteria. Use cinnamon to sweeten recipes without sugar. Cinnamon can also be sprinkled on top of oatmeal, fruit, or yogurt. 

Nutmeg is often reserved for pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, and eggnog. But it can be used for a number of foods – sprinkle it on top of omelets, French toast, or add it to lasagna or sausage-based dishes. Nutmeg has a number of health benefits, including providing relief from chronic inflammation, such as arthritis. Nutmeg, which is similar to menthol, can help relieve pain from strains too. This neglected spice is even known to help eliminate toxins from the liver and kidneys. It even helps digestion.

Turmeric, whose main ingredient is curcumin, has powerful effects. As an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, this Indian spice can protect the body from free radicals. People use curcumin to combat arthritis and lower the risk of heart disease. It also raises the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which can delay the onset of brain diseases or even reverse them. Use turmeric in veggie stir-fries for an added kick.

This fall, please your palate by adding spices to your dishes. Think outside your comfort zone from salt and pepper. After all, variety is the spice of life.