Holiday meals generally call for more spices, whether it’s adding nutmeg to eggnog or cinnamon to family tradition cookies. Luckily, some of the most common spices used in holiday foods have tremendous healing benefits. These three holiday spices will enhance your digestion, helping you to more fully enjoy the holiday spirit and your time with friends and family.

Cinnamon

As winter approaches, using cinnamon is a good choice. It increases warmth and circulation and supports efficient digestion of fats and heavy foods. Cinnamon helps counteract the congestion that is often accompanied by creamy foods and desserts. Sprinkle cinnamon into holiday desserts and keep a salt shaker on your table filled with cinnamon. If it is on your table next to the salt and pepper you will use it more often. Cinnamon goes well with many breakfast foods and is delicious sprinkled on rice.

Cinnamon is also a time tested remedy for preventing the onset of colds. If you are suffering with a cough, cold or sore throat, consider adding cinnamon to your food to quicken your healing process. Cinnamon dissolves mucus and helps resolve irritating coughs and bronchial congestion.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a superb digestive aid. It is commonly added to cream and cheese sauces, egg dishes and creamy desserts. Nutmeg is especially helpful for digesting rich, dairy filled foods often found at the holiday table.

Even if you aren’t normally a big spice wielding chef, the ritual of holiday cooking demands a few dashes of nutmeg. Befriending nutmeg is a good move during the feasting season. It mediates the effects of rich food, too many desserts, too much food in general and late night eating.

Cloves

This is another spice that once you realize the immensity of its healing capacity you are going to seek out more ways to use it in your kitchen. Fortunately that isn’t too difficult; the rich, warm taste and aroma of this spice provides a pleasant accent to sweet and savory dishes and punctuates the flavor of cookies and pies.