Where is this magical elixir found? In your spice cabinet!
Here’s some information on a few of my favorites:
Turmeric
- This member of the ginger family does more than lend a lovely yellow color to your food. In Asia it has long been used for both its antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Turmeric can also help reduce tumors caused by cancer. Anyone who suffers from irritable bowel disease can benefit from adding this herb to their daily diet. Check out this article at The World’s Healthiest Foods for more information.
- So what can you add turmeric to? I add it to eggs, grits (I am from the south), chicken dishes, and rice. Consider using this instead of black pepper. Do be careful when using a lot of the spice though as the color change might be more than you want. Also, I've found that plastic cooking utensils can take on the color as well so you might want to stick with metal ones instead.
Cayenne pepper
- This zesty herb is actually a fruit. It has been used both as a seasoning and medicinal plant for thousands of years. Want to boost your immune system? Need to reduce your cholesterol? Concerned about blood clots? Add cayenne pepper to your diet. The capsaicin in cayenne is a natural anti-inflammatory agent.
- It should also be added to your first aid cabinet. Use it for cuts and scrapes. It won’t sting and the wound will quickly stop bleeding and won’t get infected. Check out this article for more health benefits.
- Where do I use cayenne pepper? I use it in place of black pepper in any and every dish where pepper is called for. How much to add is up to your taste, start with small amounts and work your way up - unless you love spicy foods!
Ginger
- This strange looking root, which is native to Asia , has been used in Asian, Indian, and Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years. There are so many things that ginger is good for I can’t begin to list them all here. However, it has been used to treat arthritis, diarrhea, abdominal bloating, coughing, inflammatory joint diseases, fever, sore throat, heartburn, and gas.
- If you or someone you know is pregnant, this is an excellent way to get relief for nausea and vomiting. Read this article at the University of Maryland Medical Center for more health benefits.
- Ginger is a well-known ingredient in many deserts. However, you can make a very tasty marinade too.
Parsley
However mundane this simple herb may appear, it has been used for centuries both to season foods and for many medicinal purposes too. Parsley contains vitamin K (essential in blood clotting), vitamin C (antioxidant, helps maintain capillaries, aids in absorption of iron), vitamin A (needed for skin and hair, essential for bone development and growth, needed for night vision), folate (helps produce and maintain cells, used to make DNA and RNA, important in red blood cell production), and some iron (essential ingredient in red blood cells). As with most foods, in order to get the best nutritional benefit you must eat it when fresh and not over-cooked.
Parsley also has a number of health benefits, among them:
- Chinese and German homeopathic doctors recommend using parsley tea to help control high blood pressure, and many Native Americans used it as a tonic to strengthen the bladder.
- A tincture made of parsley can be applied to the skin to reduce itching from bug bites and rashes.
- The volatile oils in parsley have been found to inhibit tumor formation, particularly in the lungs.
- A few words of caution: Pregnant women should not consume large amounts of parsley in any form. Compounds within the plant could lead to uterine stimulation and premature birth. People who are prone to kidney stones also should limit their intake of parsley as compounds within the plant have been found to encourage the formation of kidney stones.
So, reach for your spice cabinet instead of a bottle of pills when you are looking for a natural remedy. Or, add these herbs and spices to your daily diet to stay healthy in a very tasty way.
Looking for more natural remedies or recipies? Visit Robin's blog. From more practical wisdom, visit us over at Capessa.com.
