Food as Medicine - How to Add Healing Power to Everyday Meals
Have you ever heard the ancient saying, "Let your medicine be your food, and food be your medicine"? It's a wise saying by Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, from whom originates the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors. Oddly, while modern doctors recognise Hippocrates' contribution to medicine in the form of the Oath, the idea that our food can be our medicine is generally not included in the practise of modern medicine.
The good news is, foods are still "medicines," and you can affect your health positively with the foods you eat. If you'd like to incorporate more healing herbs and foods into your diet, here are some tips that can help.
Herbs
The healing power of various herbs is becoming more and more recognised and accepted. Here are some of the more readily available herbs that you can add to your foods to boost their healing power.
* Ginger is an effective anti-nausea remedy and has significant antibacterial properties. The fresh root, sliced or diced, can be added to stir-fries, and it can be candied and eaten out of hand.
* Oregano, a tasty herb when added to pizza, spaghetti, and so forth, is considered an antioxidant. Antioxidants help mop up "free radicals" in the body, which are by-products of the body's metabolic processes. Free radicals are implicated in the development of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. So sprinkle this herb on regular dishes that are Italian or Greek in flavor.
* Rosemary is another antioxidant herb, and may help enhance memory and prevent cataracts. It may even help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Rosemary is very good when used in meat marinades and sprinkled on dishes like pizza, focaccia, or pasta.
* Turmeric is commonly found in Indian curries. It has a yellowish color and earthy flavor, and is said to help reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Turmeric can be added to soups and stews, curries, stir-fries, and other dishes.
Foods
The food you eat - not just the herbs you put on it - can help heal, too. Here are some suggestions.
* Garlic is a powerful preventer of colds and flu, and it has anti fungal and antimicrobial properties. You can make garlic sauce for pasta, add it to soups, and base many meals around this simple food.
* Onions are like garlic in their healthful properties. They are perhaps even more versatile; they can be made into a dish on their own or added to other foods.
* Berries are known for their antioxidant power. Add berries to salads or eat them out of hand. You can also freeze them and blend them into smoothies.
Herbs for Kids - Are They Safe?
When it comes to giving herbs to our children, many of us are uncertain and concerned. After all, children's bodies are smaller than ours, so how do you know the right dosage? And aren't there all kinds of horror stories about kids having terrible reactions to herbs? Added to these concerns are doctors and pediatricians who often discourage the use of herbs in children.
First, to answer the title question - are herbs safe for kids? The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that it depends on the herb and the problem the child is having. Following are some brief guidelines on giving herbs to children.
When in Doubt, Give Less
If you are unsure of a dosage, give the smallest possible dose. You can adjust the dosage to fit your child's weight - the adult dose is usually for a 150-pound adult, so a 25 pound child would receive 1/6th the dose. However, if you aren't sure, err on the side of less. Remember, less is often more when it comes to herbal remedies.
Herbal Preparations Aimed at Kids May or May Not Be Effective
There are controversial studies regarding the effectiveness of herbs in many children's remedies. However, remedies and blends sold specifically for children are generally safe.
There are herbs that are generally considered safe for children, and are still quite effective. Here is a list of some of those herbs.
* Chamomile - Peter Rabbit's mother was right - chamomile tea does help calm the nerves. As long as your child does not have a ragweed allergy (the chamomile flower is related to ragweed), this soothing tea can be taken at regular strength by young children. You can also brew up some chamomile tea and mix small amounts of it in the child's regular drinks during the day to help calm nerves and anxiety. Many children enjoy chamomile sweetened with a little honey or stevia.
* Mints - Peppermint and spearmint are safe herbs that are helpful for children. For one thing, peppermint and spearmint taste good and can help flavor other teas that may not taste as good. Mint teas can help soothe digestion and are quite safe for children. Again, honey and stevia make good sweeteners.
* Lemon Balm - This lemony herb makes a delicious beverage, hot or iced. It is quite safe, but also quite effective - it's antiviral and helps soothe and calm. It promotes sleep as well. This is an herb that can be brewed into a "lemon-balm-ade" and drunk through the day, or it can be brewed hot and enjoyed with honey.
* Fennel - This time-honoured remedy for colic in babies is considered a safe herb for children. Brewed into a tea, fennel seeds help digestion and soothe the stomach. It has been shown in studies to be as effective as commercial gas relief drops. It tastes a bit like licorice and makes a pleasant tea.
The Healing Power of Honey
When you go to the grocery store, you probably see an entire shelf or several shelves dedicated to various types of honey. When we're talking about honey as a healing remedy, though, it's important that raw honey is used. Raw honey has not been "sterilised" with high heat, and it has not has anything added to it.
Raw honey varies quite a bit, too. There's wildflower honey, tupelo honey, organic honey, and clover honey. A good middle road is raw wildflower honey. It tends to contain the medicinal qualities of a variety of wildflowers, and when you're trying to kill germs, the more germ-fighting constituents, the better.
How Is Honey Used?
One of the great things about honey is how good is tastes. Children (over 1 year of age) respond well to honey as a treatment. Here are some of honey's healing uses.
* Burns - Honey has been shown in various studies to be an extremely effective burn treatment. It has various antibacterial compounds that have yet to result in bacterial resistance, and its moist nature helps keep burned skin supple and reduces moisture loss. If you use honey to treat minor burns, simply spread honey over the burn and cover lightly with gauze. Honey does not need to be refrigerated, but it feels good on a burn if it's chilled.
* Coughs and colds - Studies have shown that regularly eating raw honey helps prevent colds. It also helps soothe coughs and sore throats. Its viscous texture coats the throat, and has a cough-suppressing effect. Its antibacterial properties help fight throat infections and upper respiratory infections. By gently heating raw honey and mixing in healing herbs such as sliced ginger, steeping for a few hours, and straining out the herbs, you can create a healing cough syrup.
* Cosmetics - Honey is good for dry skin due to its high moisture content, and its antibacterial qualities may help with skin infections like acne. Plain yogurt mixed with honey makes a soothing cleanser or facial mask. Sugar mixed with raw honey and sweet almond oil makes a moisturising exfoliant.
* Allergies - Interestingly enough, regularly eating raw honey may prevent allergic symptoms, particularly those of hay fever. Because raw honey contains residual pollen and other plant components, the theory is that the low levels of exposure - such as occurs with allergy shots - may reduce sensitivity to common allergens.
* Wound healing - Some interesting studies have shown that honey is a remarkable wound healer, especially for diabetics who have trouble with minor wounds developing into ulcers. It may even reduce scarring and tends to be less painful than conventional antiseptics.
Antibiotic Herbs
The issues of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria have gotten a lot of attention lately. The concern is that bacteria, having been exposed to antibiotics for so long, have developed a resistance to the antibiotics, creating "super bugs." The grim reality is that bacterial infections that used to succumb easily to antibiotics have turned more serious, even deadly.
Interestingly, though, herbs with antibiotic properties seem to elude the bacterial "learning process" and thus do not appear to produce resistant bacteria.
Antibiotic herbs can be used around the home for minor infections and as antiseptics to prevent infection. Here are some of the more useful antibiotic herbs.
1. Garlic
This smelly but effective herb is an antibiotic powerhouse. It's also widely available and inexpensive. You can even grow it yourself.
How do you use it?
Garlic works best when used internally. It can be made into ear drops and used to combat ear infections; simmered in broth or water, it makes a healing broth that works especially well for upper respiratory infections. Garlic can be minced and added to all sorts of foods, from pasta to salad. Many natural health practitioners believe that garlic is most effective when used raw - as juice, minced, or crushed.
2. Echinacea
You've probably heard of this herb - it's all over the place during cold and flu season, and for good reason. Echinacea is a powerful antibiotic and, in the case of colds and flu, anti-viral. It also works as an antiseptic on wounds and to treat sore throats.
How do you use it?
Tea made from Echinacea's roots and aerial parts is not particularly tasty, but it can be drunk. Such a tea can also be used as a wash for superficial cuts and scrapes. Echinacea tincture, diluted in warm water, makes a very good sore throat remedy.
3. Goldenseal
The golden yellow color of Goldenseal's roots give it its name, and these roots are the parts that are used medicinally. Goldenseal works well topically and internally; however, it is such an effective antibiotic that it can affect intestinal flora, and should not be taken internally for more than a few weeks at a time.
How do you use it?
Infused in boiling water and then cooled, Goldenseal has a reputation as a very effective eye wash for infections in and around the eye. Such an infusion also makes a very good wash for cuts and scrapes, and can even be used on surgical wounds, particularly on pets.
4. Ginger
Did you know that ginger can work as an antibiotic? It is reputed to be effective against E. coli and Salmonella, both of which are food-borne bacteria that can cause significant illness in people. It has even been shown to treat and cure ulcers.
How do you use it?
Ginger can be made into a tea using the fresh root or the dried and ground root. The fresh root is inexpensive, and a decoction can easily be made by gently simmering ginger slices in water and drinking the result, sweetened with raw honey. You can also eat candied ginger to help treat ulcers and fight infection.
Antiviral Herbs
The virus is a different creature than the bacteria. Some people find viruses "scarier" because antibiotics have no effect on them. The interesting (and good) thing is that certain herbs do have antiviral action, and many of these are widely available. Here are some of them.
1. Lemon Balm
In Germany, the antiviral effects of lemon balm are well-documented, and creams made from the herb are prescribed for herpes outbreaks and cold sores. Lemon balm is very easy to grow in your garden - a little too easy, in fact, as it tends to take over if not contained.
Lemon balm makes a very good tea, and can be drunk to combat all sorts of viral infections, such as colds and flu. The tea or a cream can be applied to cold sores or other viral lesions, such as shingles or chickenpox.
2. Astragalus
This lesser-known immune enhancing herb is known as huang qi in Chinese medicine. The root is sweet, not unlike licorice, to which it is related. It has been shown to be a very effective antiviral herb, particularly in the prevention of colds and flu, and may even be effective against the Coxsackie B virus (this virus can cause an inflammation of the heart).
You can simmer slices of the root in water to make a healing decoction, or you can use the commercially-available tincture. It is generally agreed that astragalus should be taken as a preventative rather than once the illness is in full swing, so if you think you've been exposed, or you experience the very first twinges of illness, you can start taking astragalus.
3. Garlic
No discussion of antiviral herbs would be complete without mentioning garlic, an herb that is antiviral, antibacterial, and anti fungal. It's not expensive, and you can use the whole herb or take capsules. However, many experts agree that "deodorised" garlic may not be as effective as the unaltered herb.
You can simmer minced garlic in chicken broth and sip it to stave off colds and flu. Raw, minced garlic can be sprinkled over salads and tossed with pasta. Be careful with consuming too much of it raw, though, as it can cause severe nausea when taken in this form.
4. Ginger
Long ago, ginger was considered a "warming" herb that would prevent nausea from a "chilled stomach," which was said to occur when large amounts of cold water were consumed in hot weather. We now know that ginger has powerful anti-nausea action, and it is also anti-viral.
Teas made from fresh ginger are palatable and spicy. You can sweeten them with raw honey for added germ-fighting benefits and flavor. When you feel the very first stages of a cold or flu, try drinking some of this tea several times a day. You can even drink it as a preventative if you think you may have been exposed to any viruses. Ginger is considered quite safe, although it is not recommended for pregnant women.
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