If you could jazz up your cooking and protect yourself from high blood sugar with a sprinkle of this and a dash of that, it’s a no-brainer, right?

Certain spices could help control high blood sugar or minimize the damage it causes. The kitchen roll call? Cloves, allspice, and cinnamon -- three holiday favorites.

Undo Sugar Damage
A recent lab study revealed that the antioxidants in cloves, allspice, and cinnamon may inhibit the formation of bad-for-your-body high-blood-sugar compounds -- the very compounds that can lead to a host of diabetes-linked problems, like heart disease, nerve disorders, and eye and kidney damage. Other spices seemed to have a similar -- though weaker -- effect: sage, marjoram, tarragon, and rosemary. Cinnamon may not only inhibit high-blood-sugar damage but also help lower blood sugar.

Spice Advice
Of course, the real keys to blood sugar control are eating right, exercising, and keeping your weight down. But it’s nice to know there are some little things you can do -- like cooking with low-cal, fat-free spices -- that may support your efforts. Try cubing up your leftover turkey and using it in place of the ground turkey in one of these spice-infused meat dishes from EatingWell:

• Apple Turkey Picadillo
• Five-Spice Turkey and Lettuce Wraps

And if you’re looking for spicy, festive, yet healthful holiday cookies that taste as nice as the naughtier ones, check out EatingWell’s collection of holiday cookie recipes.