Cooking With Phytopharmaceuticals...Herbs

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Cooking With Phytopharmaceuticals... Herbs JoAnn Guest Mar 31, 2003 12:34

PST Cooking With Phytopharmaceuticals ...

or herbs,to you and me

 

 

A herb is defined as any plant which has a medicinal action in the body

- and the more you research this area, the more you realise that every

plant has some action, good or bad. Herbal medicine has become so

popular in Britain we now buy more herbal remedies than any other

country. And an excellent place to start using herbs is in the family

kitchen. You won't be using dosages large enough to cause any

side-effects - and as well as improving the flavour of your foods, you

will be incorporating new and often unimagined health benefits when you

add a pinch of chopped parsley or a sprig of roughly-cut sage.

 

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

In my kitchen, these everyday herbs have to fight for space with the

rather more exotic sounding Indian herbs such as asafoetida, which we

use in place of garlic, and the Chinese staples astragalus and

wolfberry.

 

Recent scare stories about Chinese herbs have been wildly exaggerated

and the only thing you need to do is to make sure the herbs you are

buying and using in both cooking and herbal teas are not suitcase

imports but come from a reputable supplier.

 

Don't let strange and unfamiliar names frighten you off using herbs you

have not heard of before. Some of the health benefits are astounding.

Asafoetida, for instance, is used in Ayurveda to eliminate stagnant

waste from the intestinal tract and is especially good at clearing out

the toxins and impacted waste that can be the result of a heavy meat or

junk food diet. Similar to garlic but stronger, cook it with lentils and

beans to make them more digestible and to reduce gas. It can be used to

help relieve flatulence, abdominal pains, and digestive disorders and

will kick-start peristalsis to prevent constipation. In Ayurvedic

medicine, asafoetida is said to ignite and strengthen Agni - the

digestive fire that keeps the body and the emotions healthy.

 

In Traditional , Food Therapy is an important treatment

tool and many of the herbs that offer the best health benefits have

wonderful names like the red Wolfberry (Lychee berries), which always

makes me think of Little Red Riding Hood, and the Lotus Seed, which is

used to 'nourish the heart and calm the spirit.'

 

The idea is that you can use food and herbs to correct any imbalance

between the Ying and Yang opposites - hot & cold; sweet and salty; damp

& dry; slow & fast - that may be causing specific health conditions or

that may just be leaving you feeling under par. TCM categorises and then

uses herbs according to whether, for example, they have a heating or

cooling effect in the body, whether they are sweet or sour, whether they

will mobilise the life force or 'qi' and the blood and whether they can

help rid the body of damp - which is a common problem for families

living in the UK climate. TCM also considers the effects each herb will

have on the body's subtle energies and spiritual nature.

 

Somewhat unexpectedly, I was first introduced to cooking with Chinese

herbs by a London-based GP, Dr Shamim Dyer, who now runs a series of

short residential Food Therapy Courses throughout the year in the UK. If

you can sign up for one, then do and watch your confidence in using

unusual herbs grow overnight.

 

Until then, here's a taster of the health benefits of some of the more

exotic herbs you can introduce at home. You can even mix two or three

together in your cooking. We often tie liquorice, a dozen or so

wolfberries and a slice or two of astragalus in a small square of muslin

to drop in to the casserole dish when we are slow-cooking a winter stew

but you can use these herbs in porridges and sauces too. The packets

will give an idea of how much to use but as with Western herbs, we

favour the chuck-it-in-and-see method.

 

*Astragalus Root - Has a sweet and slightly warming action, which is

used in TCM to help correct what practitioners call a spleen deficiency.

(The spleen makes, stores and destroys red blood cells). It can also

help relieve fatigue and bolster a poor appetite.

 

* Chrysanthemum Flower - Sweet and slightly cold, this herb works on the

liver and the lungs and helps clear heat-related disorders such as

headaches and fevers.

 

* Lotus Seeds - These look like little off-white wooden beads that the

kids might string together to make a necklace. Said to nourish the heart

and calm the spirit, they can also help prevent insomnia and soothe

irritability. They work on the kidney and heart energies.

 

* Liquorice Root - Nothing like the long strings of chewy black string

we used to buy from the sweetshop, what you will get when you buy this

herb is what looks like unappetising slices of tree bark. Don't be put

off. A fantastic immune-booster and wonderful for relieving sore

throats, respiratory problems and fatigue, liquorice also works to help

other herbs into the energy channels so that they too will hit the spot.

 

 

* Wolfberry - Sweet and said to tonify the liver and kidneys, these

deep-red berries will also look great on the spice shelf. They can help

relieve mild stomachache and lower back grumbles, especially during

menstruation when they also help to correct any blood deficiency.

 

* Poria - Looks like dried-out old chalk - in fact, it is a mushroom -

and comes in the pack in unappealing-looking flattened lumps but said to

be brilliant for clearing the mind to support the memory so an excellent

herb to sneak into a supper dish during exam time. Also works to promote

healthy digestion and keep the kids calm.

 

 

*For details of Dr Shamim Dyer's Food Therapy Courses, call her clinic

on 0207-580 7537. You can buy all these herbs from Chinese supermarkets

or mail order them in pre-prepared packs for cooking from Dr Dyer on the

same number. The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine is on 0700-790332.

 

Homegrown herbs & Spices

Of course you are unlikely to be growing these more exotic herbs in your

own garden and even less likely to find them on sale in your own local

supermarket. Everyday Western herbs that you can grow - in pots on the

window sill or in your own herb garden - can also enhance not only the

taste of your cooking but your family's health; especially when you know

what medicinal properties they have and take a more scientific overview.

 

Parsley - How boring is this herb? Not at all, in fact. There are lots

of different varieties - flat-leafed or curly - and they are all rich in

protein, which is important for building strong bones and muscles and in

vitamins A, B-complex, C, and K. It also has mild antibacterial

properties and promotes healthy digestion.

 

Sage - Like strawberries, sage contains ellagic acid - which can help

prevent damage to the cells' genetic material, DNA. It has

anti-microbial and anti-spasmodic action and was traditionally used to

treat the night sweats in TB patients. Again, far from being a dull old

herb, sage has such potent healing properties that it is now being

investigated by phytopharmaceutical companies for the role it could play

in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease by restoring the impaired

vascular supply to the brain. It also works to enhance memory.

 

Rosemary - Not just a garnish for lamb but a powerful antioxidant, which

will help protect the body from damage by free radical molecules,

rosemary is also a good antidote to stress.

 

Thyme - An excellent aid to digestion, thyme can help dislodge the

mucous coating of the intestinal tract, which would otherwise cause

problems in the long-term. It also has anti-septic properties and so is

often used in more natural toothpastes.

 

Even a pinch of kitchen cupboard spice can claim significant health

benefits. Spices contain natural chemicals called isothiocyanates, which

block carcinogens and suppress multiplication of any cells that may have

taken those first steps towards becoming cancerous.

 

http://www.whatreallyworks.co.uk/start/vitalitycookbook.asp?article_ID=430

 

 

 

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

Friendsforhea-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Botanicals.html

 

 

The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO "

Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen

 

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

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