I have the Queen of Spice from Ren’s Kitchen on the show today talking about everything to do with sourcing and investing in the best spices for your food, not just from a nutritional standpoint, but a flavour perspective too. I’ve always been a fan of spices for their medicinal properties, but today I was blown away by how much Ren taught me about spices and I was shocked at how different spices can taste in their raw whole form.Ren has been in the spice business for years and has some of the best chefs and restaurants use her spices. Tom Kerridge, Bubala, Palomar, Raffles hotel, Ottolenghi to name a few.Remember, spices add diversity to your plate – they count as 1/4 point each and we’re aiming for 30 different plant points a week! Even used in small amounts, the addition of spices is suggested to improve gut microbiome composition and reduce markers of inflammation. Plus they have been part of the diet of human populations for thousands of years and add a ton of flavour.Today we talk what we’re doing WRONG when using spices, what Ren has taught people in her cooking classes and how to source correctly and how to spot the best spices in the market.You can find out more about Ren and Rens Pantry on her website renspantry.com. ? Watch the podcast on YouTube here? Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*? View full show notes, including guest details, on our website*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.? Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan? Follow on Instagram? Tweet meWe would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.