I love food. Food is the reason why I chose my career, but loving the wrong foods and eating too much of them can make your insides downright ugly. That’s why I always strive to get the most beautiful foods on my plate every day. And when I’m ready to add spice and flavor to my dishes, I don’t go for the butter or the salt—I go for the heat!I’m talking about burn your tongue, make your cheeks blush, and sweat a little down the neck type of heat; the kind you can only get from one of the most beautiful plants around: hot chili peppers, also known as chilies.Here are six ways that hot chili peppers make you beautiful on the inside, which is where all beauty begins!Beauty Benefit #1: Metabolism MiracleHave you ever started sweating after eating really spicy food? If so, you have experienced the temporary metabolism boost produced by capsaicin. The ingredient has been shown to increase thermogenesis, aka heat production, which boosts metabolism immediately after hot chili peppers are eaten.Beauty Benefit #2: Weight Loss WinnerHot peppers can also help you lose weight. Researchers at Purdue University found that eating hot peppers may help reduce cravings for salty, fatty or sweet foods, especially in those not accustomed to eating spicy foods.Beauty Benefit #3: Pain ReliefHow do hot chili peppers make us so internally beautiful? It all has to do with a major compound in the peppers called capsaicin—it gives chili peppers their flavorful kick and may also help you kick pain to the curb as well. Capsaicin initiates the release of a chemical called substance P. When substance P is released, the nervous system believes an injury has occurred and rallies—and that’s when the healing begins. Capsaicin creams are used to relieve pain following an attack of shingles or peripheral neuropathy, according to several studies.Beauty Benefit #4: Gastrointestinal GreatnessSome research indicates that taken internally, capsaicin might be effective in treating minor indigestion.Beauty Benefit #5: Sex Life Spicer-UpperWhen capsaicin dilates blood vessels, it increases circulation and stimulates nerve endings all over your body, which can help rev up libido. If hot peppers needed a marketing tagline, that would be it!Beauty Benefit #6: Blood Vessel RelaxerCapsaicin may also help reduce blood pressure. One study showed that blood vessels in rats relaxed after eating chili peppers. For the millions of Americans suffering with the silent killer, hot peppers may be an effective addition to the diet.How to Pick Your PeppersGo for hot peppers in-season. As summer heats up, so do all varieties of hot peppers. Many are edible when they’re small and still green. Hot peppers picked late in the season may develop a reddish color and with that, a slight sweetness. As a rule of thumb, buy hot peppers when they reach their expected color. For instance, jalapeños are flavorful and crisp when they turn green.Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling hot chili peppers. Keep hot peppers for up to a year by washing, removing the stems and freezing them in an airtight bag. They will lose their crispness but not their flavor. You can also dry hot chili peppers until they’re crisp, either in a dehydrator, by hanging them upside down or in a very low—150° max—oven. Once they’re dry, crush and keep them long term in an airtight jar but do the crushing outside.Don’t fear the heat; embrace it for all it provides to your health and ultimately, your inner beauty.

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