Join the Learn True Health Community & Support Us on Patreon! Free Gift for Learn True Health listeners at Masalabody.com/LearnTrueHealth   Spices For Weight Loss http://learntruehealth.com/spices/ Spices can help you lose weight. I have indeed heard about spices as an aid to lose weight, and we're so lucky to have Health Coach Nagina Abdullah explain that in this episode. It's great timing because Christmas is just around the corner, so it's best that we are aware of what we eat before diving into all that holiday food. Personal Transformation Nagina Abdullah's success story was a result of a personal transformation. It was a constant struggle to be healthy, and like me, she tried practically every diet there is. Atkins, Paleo, South Beach diet---you name it, we tried it! Her weight issues went on after graduating from UC Berkley and New York University. She eventually she got married, had kids and found herself in a very demanding job as a management consultant in healthcare. Because of her hectic career, Nagina Abdullah led an unhealthy lifestyle of not getting any exercise and eating unhealthy food. Her frustration in losing weight consequently made her insecure. Turning Point One day, Nagina Abdullah remembers feeling exhausted. Hence, she wasn't able to take her kids out to play that day. That led her to deeply ponder about her weight issues and how it prevented her from being the best version of herself. Resolving to make a change, Nagina Abdullah decided to reprioritize. However, because of her busy work life, she found going to the gym virtually impossible. So Nagina Abdullah thought of first changing the way she ate. "I read online as well as books on nutrition and new ways of thinking. My background was in molecular and cell biology, and understanding how hormones worked," shares Nagina Abdullah. "So I started to adopt new scientific approaches and started to eat differently." Instead of focusing on eating fewer calories, Nagina Abdullah focused on the type of foods she was eating. She cut down on sugar and ate natural and healthier food. To decrease inflammation, Nagina Abdullah also learned to eat slower and ate healthier carbs than fast burning white carbs. Discovering Spices During her weight loss journey, Nagina Abdullah found out that adding spices made her food taste better. She, later on, found out that spices were a significant factor in helping her lose weight. "Spices are incredibly anti-inflammatory and increases metabolism. It also has a lot of other health benefits. After I made food changes, I lost 10 lbs. in a month without exercise," Nagina Abdullah recalls. Ecstatic over her initial success, Nagina Abdullah added two days of strength training and kept eating the same way. She was thrilled the weight kept coming off! She lost a total of 20 lbs. in 3 months and 40 lbs. in 9 months, exercising just two days a week. Ever since Nagina Abdullah started using spices in her food, she claims that it tastes so good and she feels so nourished. In fact, she says it has become a habit because she now actually craves vegetables. "The part I took with me was hormonal regulation. Understanding that insulin release is key to weight loss," explains Nagina Abdullah. "It's not only about calories. Essentially, it is the type of food you're putting in your body that is going to signal your insulin to be released either faster or slower." Benefits Of Spices Nagina Abdullah further explains that spices were used for centuries. Our ancestors used them, and it is something that kept us going as human species. However, we can't say the same for processed foods. And just what exactly are the benefits of spices? For one thing, spices are anti-inflammatory. It lowers blood pressure. And it stores less fat in your body, as well as decrease water retention. Nagina Abdullah also says that if you are feeling lethargic, chances are, your hormones are not acting in the right way because of inflammation of the body. Inflammation is c