Spicy Foods & Diets

Planning a healthy diet may sound dull and tasteless, but spices can offer flavor, variety and health benefits without adding calories, fat, salt or sugar. Spicy foods may even offer some appetite-suppressing qualities that can aid weight loss efforts while increasing your metabolism and fighting off disease. With all spice has to offer, don't worry about a little tingle on your tongue. Go ahead and spice it up.

Red Pepper

Eating spicy foods may increase your ability to lose weight, according to research by Fukuoka University in Japan, published in "British Journal of Nutrition" in 2004. Adding as much red pepper as you can handle to an early meal may result in your ingesting less fat and fewer calories through the rest of your day. Red pepper can be added to your pan while sauteing vegetables for a spicy side dish or sprinkled on pasta, into soup, or on pizza or eggs.

Chilies

Another source of heat that may help in weight loss includes chilies, which contain capsaicin, the antioxidant phytochemical responsible for their strong flavor. According to spice expert Dr. Keith Scott, capsaicin increases metabolism and suppresses your appetite by stimulating your satiety center in your brain and releasing hormones that make you less hungry. Chilies are also found to lower cholesterol and increase thermogenesis, according to research published in "The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine."

Fat

Spices fight fat two ways. First, when you reduce your fat intake for a healthy diet, you can replace flavor with spices to keep your food from becoming bland. Second, some spices reduce your body's ability to absorb fat. Fenugreek, garlic and ginger all provide this fat-blocking element, says Scott, making your food flavorful without all the heat of chilies or peppers. Add all three to your next soup base for an aromatic broth.

Diet

Spicy food is an element of healthy eating that may help your diet strategies, but improves your health and weight management only in addition to a sensible diet and exercise program. Your diet should include several servings of fruits and vegetables every day, in addition to lean proteins and whole grains. Reduce your intake of trans and saturated fats, added sugars and salt. Drink plenty of water, stay active and spice it up a little. Talk to your doctor before making big changes to your diet or exercise program.