Herbs and spices are the original medicines of human beings. Historically, they were used to heal sickness and prevent illness. The benefits of consuming foods made with herbs are too many to count but include: warding off cancer, heart disease and diabetes, improving immune function, fighting colds, keeping our metabolisms functioning properly, detoxifying our bodies, reducing inflammation, protecting our oral health and helping us sleep more deeply.
Herbs and spices were initially used to create wonderful aromas and flavors in foods. The importance of these original medicines is reflected in the flavorful dishes that are an integral part of cuisines from around the world. Who has not heard of hot and spicy Szechwan cooking from China, where red hot peppers and tiny berries known as Szechwan peppers are famous for their unique flavor and mouth-numbing properties (speaking from experience, they really do numb your mouth!)? Delicious Indian curries, each one uniquely prepared, are based on a blend of spices and differ based on the regions they come from. The French are known for their proficient use of fresh herbs like thyme, tarragon, chervil, lavender and many others. Europeans value fresh, quality ingredients and often buy their foods daily to insure they are as fresh as possible.
The three countries I’ve mentioned are just a tiny slice of what is out there. The possibilities are endless—with a bit of devoted time, you can prepare delicious and healing dishes at home. Exploring home cooking may be exactly what you need to start losing weight and recover from health issues that are now the new normal. The act of preparing and consuming a healthy meal with your loved ones creates a sense of pride and has enormous social and psychological benefits, not to mention all the health benefits. They say families who eat together, stay together!
Traditional foods from around the world do not include the processed, nutrient-void items of the American food system. Fast food in our country is often bland because it is high in salt, fat and sugar and low in the true flavor that comes from herbs and spices. Lack of taste indicates a lack of healing nutrients that come from food that is mass-produced, raised in poor soil and void of nutritious additions like peppers, herbs and warm spices. When these foods are consumed regularly, they take the place of foods that are actually able to keep us healthy. Foods that are created with complex flavors and ingredients—those are truly nature’s medicines.
In other parts of the world, foods made with many spices and herbs are consumed daily, while many of us struggle with our health due to poor diet. Americans pay more per person for health care than any other country, yet we are the sickest developed country in the world! Maybe we should be calling our health care system a disease management system, as it does not prevent sickness or keep us healthy, it just manages our illness. Chronic illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer are on the rise and many of the herbs and spices found in traditional diets have anti-disease properties. A study in Thailand found that extract of nutmeg killed human leukemia cells (1). At the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, researchers found that lemongrass oil worked against 12 types of human cancer cells and the more lemongrass they used, the more cancer cells were destroyed (1).
Garlic, believed to be the oldest natural medicine, has been used for at least 3000 years to treat just about every types of illness. Garlic is an herb with profound health properties. Its most active chemical component, allicin, is known to kill parasites, viruses, bacteria, fungi and yeasts and treat heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma just for starters. Although many are put off by its pungent taste and smell, it would be wise to get past any hesitation to regularly consume garlic. It is best eaten raw, as cooking it neutralizes much of the health-promoting allicin (2). Garlic can be thrown in a raw sauce or salsa, or used in a homemade salad dressing. Use fresh garlic, (garden-grown if possible) and consider keeping some cloves in a bottle of olive oil, stored away from heat and light, as a quick and easy salad, roasted veggie and protein drizzle with tons of flavor and nutrients.
Just looking at these two common herbs and one household spice, it is easy to see how important these foods are for continuously promoting human health. (Also see my articles: Three Important Spices you really Shouldn’t Live Without, and Turmeric, an Ancient Medicine.) Herbs and spices have a rich history in human evolution. Is our lack of these natural food enhancers a reason for our chronic state of sickness in the Western world? It certainly could be a contributing factor, along with the processed fare that is so deeply entrenched in American cuisine. It is truly a shame that our “melting pot” cuisine does not include more traditional, healthful foods. I recommend finding ways to get more of these herbs and spices into your body, through consumption and through application to the skin in the form of essential oils. Fresh herbs and spices are my first choice for cooking but organic essential oils make great additions to many dishes as well. Educate yourself and experiment. Your food will be healthier and it will taste better and I guarantee you will feel the difference in your health. It is time to start a food revolution…a health revolution will soon follow.
Cited References:
- Low Dog T, Johnson A, Foster S, Kiefer D. National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs: The World’s Most Effective Healing Plants. Washington DC; National Geographic; 2009.
- King M. 7 Healthy Reasons to Eat More Garlic Every Day. Green Med Info; 31 Jan 2016. Accessed March 2016. Available here.
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