¶ … Pounds, 5 Spices and Eggceptional Diets Turmeric, ginseng, cinnamon, ginger, and cumin are not only tasty; they may help dieters lose weight. Turmeric is a spice that is yellow in color, mild in flavor, and which also happens to contain a substance called curcumin. Curcumin provides the spice with its yellow color and also has anti-inflammatory properties that may even "suppress the growth of fat tissue," and lower serum cholesterol as well (Appleby, n.d.). Adding turmeric to foods or taking a turmeric supplement may help some people achieve weight loss goals.

Ginseng is a family of roots commonly used to brew teas. Although some data may suggest that ginseng may improve glucose tolerance, there is no evidence suggesting that ingesting ginseng promotes weight loss per se (Saper, et al., 2004). Likewise, cinnamon may help to regulate glucose metabolism in the body and decrease blood sugar (Anne, n.d.). Cumin is another spice that has a pleasant flavor and may help control blood sugar (Abdullah, 2014). Some sources seem to suggest that cinnamon lowers LDL cholesterol, speeds metabolism, burns belly fat in particular, and suppresses appetite too (Anne, n.d.). Ginger might help regulat cholesterol, boost the immune system, and act as an anti-inflammatory, as well as promote satiety in eating ("7 Unbelievable ginger benefits for health and weight loss," 2014). However, none of these findings can be substantiated by peer-reviewed research and it is doubtful that five spices alone will lead someone to lose weight. Most likely, the ingestion of tasty food will help people feel satisfied and thereby cause them to eat less junk food.

These five spices, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, ginseng, and turmeric, may be combined with the chicken and egg diet called the Eggceptional Diet. This high protein diet entails eating four eggs and skinless chicken every day. In addition to boosting the poultry industry, this diet may or may not have benefits...

The five spices would add flavor to an otherwise bland diet. An example would be for breakfast, a dieter might eat two hard-boiled eggs and half a grapefruit. The grapefruit has no calories of importance. The two eggs have fat, protein, and calories in the right quantities, to promote satiation and provide optimal nutrition. It would be much better if the dieter could eat something that tasted good, which is why the spices might be used to enhance the meal. For lunch, a dieter might eat a small, skinless roasted chicken breast and a green salad. An alternative to the lunch salad would be fresh cut up vegetables. The meal sounds tasteless, but the addition of the five spices might add some flavor. As with breakfast, there is no carbohydrate.
For dinner, dieters could eat a two-egg omelet with tomato and spinach, and even use one slice non-fat mozzarella cheese. Alternate dinner by adding zucchini and/or mushrooms. The addition of the spices could add some flavor and perhaps boost the body's response to fat. Black coffee with cinnamon could be served with breakfast or dinner, offering the opportunity to ingest more cinnamon. Ideally, the diet should be used for five days with two days off, repeated as often as possible or as needed. Because eggs and chicken are nutritious foods that are high in protein, the diet does provide a good amount of nutrition.

Unfortunately, though, the combination of the five spices and eggceptional diet can be considered a fad. The diet involves eating eggs and chicken breast every day, something that is not only monotonous and unethical, but may also be unhealthy over time. This diet is most likely to lead to someone binging on flavorful food after depriving oneself of a balanced diet. People who are allergic to eggs could not use this diet. Likewise, people who are vegan could not even attempt this diet. This diet also lacks fiber, which could be bad for…