Cloves Health Benefits And Healing Properties
Cloves are an extremely powerful super-food and have some of the richest anti-oxidants of all spices.
They have been used throughout the centuries as both a spice and medicinal herb.
Cloves are native to Indonesia, but are also produced most commonly in Zanzibar, Eastern Africa, as well as India, The West Indies, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Pemba and Brazil.
Cloves are the unopened pink flower buds of the evergreen clove tree.
These buds are picked by hand when they start to turn pink and are dried until they turn brown in color.
The size of a clove is about 1/2 inch long and 1/4 inch in diameter at the top of the bud – they have a tapered stem that resembles tiny nails.
Cloves have a hard exterior, but their flesh features an oily compound that is essential to their nutritional benefits and spicy, sweet and pungent flavor.
You can purchase cloves at most grocery stores in powdered or whole form but organic whole cloves are considered superior – as clove powder loses its flavor more quickly.
Whole cloves can be crushed or bruised with a mortal & pestle to release its prized oils right before use.
Cloves should be kept in a tightly sealed bag or glass container in a cool, dark and dry place.
Ground cloves will keep for about six months, while whole cloves will stay fresh for about one to two years if stored properly. Continue reading
Fennel Seeds Health Benefits And Healing Properties
Fennel seeds are an excellent super-herb that has been used for centuries for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
Fennel is grown extensively across the planet but is native to Europe, The Middle-Eastern, China, India, and Turkey.
This fennel plant grows up to about 6 feet in height with deep green feathery or lacy leaves and produces golden yellow flowers.
The seeds of the plant are tiny and oval shape, about 3-4 mm long and have a light brown or gray color with fine stripes over their surface.
Fennel seeds are harvested when the seed heads turn brown.
The fennel bulb which is used as vegetable, is closely related to and has the similar properties and taste (sweet anise flavor) to fennel seeds.
Fennel seeds are available year around in stores and markets in the form of seeds or in processed powder form.
Store fennel seeds in a clean air-tight glass container or bag and store in cool, dry and dark place. Grounded fennel seeds should be used within a few months as it loses its flavor quickly. Continue reading
Lemongrass Health Benefits And Healing Properties
Lemon grass is an amazing super-herb that has been used for hundreds of years for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
Lemongrass is a green and white, grass like plant with razor-like blades and it is grown across the planet in warm tropical climates.
It is native to the southern part of India but also found in abundance in other South East Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia.
You can get fresh lemongrass stalks at various grocery stores, as well as other forms such as a dried herb or grounded lemon grass powder.
Lemongrass herb should be kept in an air tight container and placed in a dark, cool and dry place where it will keep for up to 2 years
Lemongrass imparts a distinct lemon flavor when cut or crushed due to a release of an essential oil called citral. The dried herb also releases this same flavor when steeped as a tea.
Lemongrass may smell like lemon, but it is more mild and sweet in flavor. It is not sour to taste. Continue reading
The Healing And Nutritional Properties Of Ginger
Ginger it is considered an Ayurvedic super food and one of the most important and universal of all herbs and spices.
It can be taken in dry powdered form but fresh ginger root is more beneficial.
Fresh young ginger can be peeled, sealed and refrigerated, lasting for about 2 weeks.
You can also freeze it peeled and sliced or whole.Whole unpeeled ginger can keep indefinitely in a freezer bag.
If you are using unpeeled frozen ginger, cut off as much as you think you’ll need, and slice it or grate it while still frozen.
I recommend however, that you keep it fresh and slice it as needed for purity and optimal health.
Grow your own Ginger at home
Using fresh ginger you purchased at the market, break off a piece about two inches long and place it in a pot with sandy soil such as cactus soil or soils used to grow tropical plants.
Water it regularly to keep the soil slightly moist and the root should start to grow in four to five weeks.
Whenever you need some ginger, dig up the root underneath the soil and and break off a small portion. The ginger root will continue to grow. Click here for a more detailed explanation on how to grow ginger at home.
General uses of Ginger
Fresh or dry powdered ginger is often used in cooking as a warm and pungent spice not only for flavoring but also for assisting with the digestion of other foods. It pairs well with Turmeric.
Ginger is generally used as an infusion (in the form of tea) where it is prepared by cutting the root into thin slices and infused into hot water for at least five minutes before straining.
The infusion is often sweetened with honey or other natural sweeteners for healing and health.
Healing properties of Ginger Continue reading
Turmeric Recipes For Healing And Health
Turmeric is sometimes mixed with other warming herbs, often ginger in the Ayurvedic diet.
The combinations allows for a proper synergy of herbs with food for healthy eating and digestion.
Turmeric doses and preparations
I often use about a teaspoon (a piece the size of my thumb) of chopped or grated fresh turmeric for a meal for two to three people.
Most of my Ayurvedic food recipes generally call for turmeric as an essential ingredient.
When using turmeric in Ayurvedic treatment, you should be careful not to take in excessive doses.
A dose of up to 3 grams of dried turmeric root or 0.5 milliliters of turmeric oil per day has been shown to be safe.
Too much turmeric may thin your blood and contribute to bleeding disorders. Excessive intake of turmeric may cause stomach upset.
Like most foods turmeric is better consumed fresh because it hasn’t been processes in any way and all its natural elements are intact. Buy organic if you can from your local health food store or farmers market.
Buying the herb fresh will often be cheaper and will also be free of many chemicals which are usually added to nutritional supplements.
The rhizomes or roots of the turmeric plant (Latin Curcuma longa) are often sun-dried and then ground to a powder which is use as a spice (found in most curries).
When using turmeric as a spice it can be sautéed in ghee or added to foods as they are being cooked. The Ayurvedic diet recommends cooking turmeric before you eat it.
Turmeric has a potent color, aroma and is quite flavorful. Continue reading
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