Perfect time for a detox

Jan 15 2010 By Katharine Capocci, Taste

STAY on track with healthy eating resolutions and enjoy hearty soups and zingy smoothies. KATHARINE CAPOCCI chats to nutritionist Rumana Zahn.

HERBS AND SPICES – WHAT THEY DO

LEMON grass – commonly used in Oriental dishes. It has a zesty, lemony flavour but it is not bitter. It has a bulbous stem and grass-like leaves at the top (similar to the shape of a spring onion).

It promotes good digestion so is helpful when the system is sensitive and needs a bit of extra help.

Ginger – is a wonderful winter warmer. The fresh fibrous, nodular root can be found in most supermarkets. It helps digestion, stomach upsets, nausea, indigestion and is now being researched for its wonderful anti- inflammatory actions.

Galangal – sometimes called blue ginger, it looks similar to ginger but is a bit paler and tastes different. It has an earthy taste. It is used as a tonic and in some parts of south east Asia it is believed to be an aphrodisiac due to its stimulant properties. Galangal is from the same plant family as ginger and therefore has very similar healing properties assisting digestion, particularly in traditional medicine to aid the stomach problems and reduce excessive gas.

Chilli – having been brought up on spicy food, chilli is one of the most stimulating foods I know.

Have you ever seen someone's face go red after eating a chilli?

Chilli is actually the fruit of a plant.

The hottest part is near the stem, which is where most of the chilli's active ingredient, capsacin, is produced.

Chillies have many therapeutic benefits but some of the most common are its circulatory stimulant properties, cardiovascular support, symptomatic relief from rhinitis (therefore excellent with colds and flu), it is a safe and effective analgesic in some types of pain and may even help in diabetes.