The Cranberry Cure

The cranberry bush (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a low-growing evergreen shrub with leathery leaves and bright red berries. This member of the heath family grows in mountains, forests and damp bogs from Alaska to Virginia. However, most of the commercial berries are produced in Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
Read more...

Cumin, Curry, and Cancer Protection

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is an ancient spice that grows wild in Israel. Jesus made reference to cumin, dill, and mint, flavoring spices used by the Jews in the first century (Matthew 23:23). Cumin is also mentioned in the Old Testament (Isaiah 28:25). It has always been popular in Middle Eastern dishes, and the oil has been used for perfumes.
Read more...

Fennel Helps to Fight Mild Digestive Disorders

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), a member of the parsley family, is a plant with yellowish flowers that grows up to 5 or 6 feet tall. This large herb radiates a sweet, warm licorice odor. While fennel is native to Southern Europe, commercial fennel usually comes from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Egypt, or China. Each part of the fennel plant is edible- the seeds, leaves, stalks, and the bulb.
Read more...

Garlic: Stinking Rose or Magic Bullet?

Garlic (Allium sativum), a member of the lily family, is possibly the most popular herb in world cuisines. It has been cultivated for millennia. While it originated in central Asia it is now cultivated worldwide. Garlic has been used throughout the centuries both for food and medicine. Garlic owes much of its popularity in Europe to the Benedictine monks who grew garlic in their monastery gardens. Garlic was thought to be a valuable remedy to prevent communicable diseases.
Read more...

Ginger - Useful for More Than Just Candy

In ancient times herbs and spices were used to preserve foods. Their effectiveness in food preservation was the result of their potent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) was one of the first Oriental spices to reach Europe. While ginger is indigenous to South East Asia, it is now widely cultivated in China, India, the United States, Australia and the West Indies. Due to its anti-emetic qualities ginger has proven to be a valuable aid in treating nausea and preventing the vomiting associated with motion sickness.
Read more...

Onions are Beneficial for Your Health

Onions (Allium cepa) belong to the lily family, the same family as garlic, leeks, chives, scallions and shallots.There are over 600 species of Allium, distributed all over Europe, North America, Northern Africa and Asia. The plants can be used as ornamentals, vegetables, spices, or as medicine. There are over 120 different documented uses of the Alliums. Onion and other Allium vegetables are characterized by their rich content of thiosulfinates, sulfides, sulfoxides, and other odoriferous sulfur compounds.
Read more...

Health Benefits of Parsley

It is one of a cook's best friends, and should be grown within easy reach of the kitchen door for a constant, fresh supply. Common or garden parsley (Petroselinum crispum), with its bright green foliage, is a frost-hardy biennial with a pleasant, aromatic odor. Parsley belongs to the carrot family that includes anise, celery, dill, and fennel. Parsley is loaded with good nutrition. Like most green vegetables, parsley is a good source of vitamin K, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Read more...

Rosemary: A Culinary Delight

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a gardeners delight. It is drought tolerant, requires little fertilizer and always looks crisp and graceful even on a hot summer day. The pine-scented bushy evergreen thrives in sunny locations, and loves well-drained soils. It is native to the sunny hillsides and open valleys along the Mediterranean coast of Portugal, Spain, Morocco and Tunisia.
Read more...

Stevia, Sweet Stevia

Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sugarleaf, the sweet herb of Paraguay, or simply stevia, has remarkably sweet leaves. At a time when alternative sweeteners are in strong demand, stevia appears on stage as a big player. This sugar substitute is natural (non-synthetic) and has zero calories.
Read more...

Thyme - Health Benefits

Thyme has been used for various purposes throughout the centuries. In medieval times, thyme was regarded as a plant that imparted courage and vigor. The ancient Romans considered it a remedy for melancholy. Thyme, along with roses, was often added to homes in the ancient past to provide a sweet-smelling aroma. The ancient Greeks used thyme for incense while the Romans were known to add thyme to cheese and alcoholic beverages.
Read more...

Turmeric - The Golden Spice

Ground turmeric has long been used as a yellow food coloring agent, a natural dye, and as a spice. Its warm spicy taste and golden, yellow color does much to enhance the quality of a meal. Turmeric can be used to provide a rich, natural yellow color for mashed tofu, rice, salad dressings, puddings, egg and cheese dishes. It is also a major ingredient in curry powders, and has been used to accentuate the flavor of pepper.
Read more...

Passionflower- Herbal Help For Stress and Anxiety

The most commonly used herb for the treatment of nervous anxiety and stress is kava kava (Piper methysticum). It has been successfully used for many years throughout Europe as a mild sedative and provides relief of anxiety disorders, stress, insomnia, and restlessness. Recent reports of liver toxicity have raised concern about the long term use of kava.

Read more...

Health Benefits of Pomegranates

They have been around since time immemorial. In fact, many people believe that the apple in the Garden of Eden associated with Adam and Eve's fall from Divine favor was, in fact, a pomegranate. The name pomegranate means "apple with grains" which refers to the many clear ruby-colored seeds. According to Jewish legend, the perfect pomegranate has 613 seeds, one for each commandment given to Israel.
Read more...

African Rooibos Tea - Health Benefits

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) has long been enjoyed as a fruity, mild-flavored beverage by the local indigenous people where it is grown in South Africa. However, the recent discovery of its high antioxidant polyphenolic content has resulted in its rapid growth in popularity in the West as consumers seek to obtain benefit from its health-giving properties. The mild flavor of rooibos (pronounced Roy-Boss) has made it a very popular ingredient in various herbal tea blends.
Read more...

Rose Hips - Medicine for the Heart and Body

Rose hips are the berry-like fruits of the rose bush left behind after the bloom has died. They are typically red or orange, but may also be dark purple to black in some species. Although nearly all rose bushes produce rose hips, the tastiest for eating purposes come from the Rugusa Rose. Rose hips have a tangy, fruity flavor similar to that of cranberries. The fruits are best harvested after the first frost, which makes them turn bright red and slightly soft. There are many culinary uses for rose hips.
Read more...

Spirulina - Is Blue-Green Algae a Superfood?

Rose hips are the berry-like fruits of the rose bush left behind after the bloom has died. They are typically red or orange, but may also be dark purple to black in some species. Although nearly all rose bushes produce rose hips, the tastiest for eating purposes come from the Rugusa Rose. Rose hips have a tangy, fruity flavor similar to that of cranberries. The fruits are best harvested after the first frost, which makes them turn bright red and slightly soft. There are many culinary uses for rose hips.
Read more...