In many cultures there is a blurry line between food and medicine. In fact, many of our favorite foods and herb mixtures were first made for their medicinal purposes, including Moroccan RAS-EL-HANUT and Ethiopian Berber. Furthermore, food is also a great way to get your daily dose of health -promoting herbs.
Recording herbs in your food is fun and will certainly feel a bit of chef expert. Especially if you see those who have always lifted their nose with herbs that have swallowed up your newest creation.
Tonic, food and adaptogenic herbs work best in culinary creations. These herbs play an important role in supporting optimum health – strengthening your immune system, improving food and increasing vitality. They are soft enough to take every day and safely for everyone.
In most cases, they actually work best when they are taken daily for longer periods.
Here are some great herbs to start with:
Goji Berries (Lycium Chinenense, L. Barbarum))
Goji berries help support your immune system and healthy blood sugar levels and are extremely high with free radicals. They were traditionally eaten to put strength and retain youthful vitality. Regular consumption can support healthy cholesterol levels, improve the intestinal flora and strengthen the power of the liver to remove toxins from the body. They are also a great tonic to maintain a healthy view.
To be honest, they are wonderful enough to pop right into your mouth and eat straight up. But they are also fun to play with in the kitchen. Add them to granola and trail mixes. Goji berries in powder form can be added to smoothies, tomato sauces and your favorite treats (including cakes, muffins and rice pudding). Try to add whole or powdered berries to your next cookie recipe.
Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus Senticosus)
Siberian ginseng, or Eleuthero as is loving, is a classic adaptogen. Adaptogens are herbs that help your body to deal with stress and be deeply supportive and balanced. They are great to take every day. Eleuthero is a great adaptogen to add to food because of the mild taste. Unlike the more well -known Asian ginseng (Panax Ginseng), Eleuthero is neutral in temperature and relatively mild, making it suitable for men and women, the elderly and young people. It contains high in free radicals, supports healthy cholesterol levels and strengthens your immune system, reducing the frequency of common bugs. It supports endurance and endurance and is excellent for the type of a person who is always on the road – busy mothers, note!
You want to use Eleuthero in powder form. Add something to your favorite baked products and replaces ¼ to ½ cup of powder Eleuthero for the same amount of flour. It combines well in smoothies, sauces, mashed potatoes, cheese -like dishes and your favorite dips.
Stinging nettle (Urtica Dioica))
Nettle finally gets the attention it deserves today and nettle recipes can be found on many regular sites. This is one of the best wild greens and very nutritious. Nettle is full of calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, vitamins A and C and a number of other nutrients that are less known but essential for lively health. It is one of the highest plant sources of proteins and a beautiful all-round tonic. The rich chlorophyl content makes it great for those who tend to weak and expired and his natural histamine-calmer connections help to relieve seasonal allergies. When it comes to food, most attention is focused on many wonderful ways to use fresh nettles. But if you don’t live in an area where nettles are abundant, don’t let you stop. Dried nettles can also be used in wonderful ways. It has a mild green taste making it easy to add to different dishes.
Keep some dried nettles next to your stove and sprinkle your soups, sauces, quesadillas, pasta dishes, tacos and more. Add a tablespoon or two powder forms to your favorite hummus recipe or black Bonendip. For some pleasure and to Dr. To make Seuss proudly, add to scrambled eggs to make your own nutritious version of green eggs.
Astragalus (Astragalus membranacus)
Astragalus is one of the most used herbs in Chinese medicine. The mild and somewhat sweet root, such as Eleuthero, is an adaptogen. Astragalus feeds your immune system and works best when it is taken as a tonic and for longer periods. Traditionally it was used to increase metabolism and to strengthen the digestive system, the lungs and the heart. It also supports healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Add pieces of carrot to chicken or vegetable boards to make your soups with immune reinforcement goodness. Powder Astragalus can be added to smoothies, sauces, dips, bread and other homemade delicacies. Although relatively mild, the powder is stronger in taste than Eleuthero, so you may want to start with smaller quantities to not ruin the taste of a favorite recipe.
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.))
This beautiful plant is a great heart Tonic and works best when it is taken daily for at least three months. It is a wonderfully supportive herb for those who want to support the health of their cardiovascular system.
It has a beautiful balance and supports healthy blood pressure levels. Research has shown that it increases the nutrients that reach the heart, helping to stay healthy and improve its overall function, while it is also strengthened veins, improves blood circulation and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels (Dalli et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2013).
If you are lucky to have fresh hawthorn near you (it is often planted as a graceful one), you can make fruit leather from the red berries in the fall.
Infus Hawthorn Berries in vinegar to make your own Meidoornazijn and Saladdressings and other recipes that call for vinegar.
Add powdered hawthorn to sauces, stewed fruit, oatmeal, cookies and other homemade delicacies. Other herbs also work great in food.
Keep in mind that adding herbs to food works best for tonic and supporting herbs. It is no way to consume herbs that you need to take therapeutic doses. Before adding other herbs, you must ensure that they meet the following criteria:
- mild and safe for all ages to consume
- mild taste or has its own taste of its own taste that can improve your recipes
- is considered a tonic, nutrition or adaptogenic herb
Fortunately cooking!
References
- Dalli e, Colomer E, Tormos MC, Cosin-Sales J, Milara J, Esteban E, Saez G (2011) Crataegus laevigata Lowers neutrophile elastasis and has hypolipidemic effect: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, Phytomedicin, 18 (8-9), 769-75.
- Wang J, Xiong X, Feng B (2013) Effect of Krataegus Use in prevention: an evidence-based approach” On evidence -based free and alternative medicine.
Erin Smith has been working with plants for 25 years and is a medical herbalist and ethnobotanist. She is the maker of Plant Passionate Living, an interactive program designed to help people find more health and vitality through a deeper relationship with plants. Erin is the founder and director of the Center for Integrative Botanical Studies.
Only for educational purposes. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease or to sell a product.
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