Abigails Herbs

Cinnamon is an herb or spice which is derived from the bark of the Cinnamomum Zeylanicum tree. The bark is ground up and dried. It tastes warm, sweet and slightly smoky.

It is so good for you! Renowned for lowering blood glucose and LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels, cinnamon’s diabetes-managing prowess was further explored in a 2009 research study that linked it to lower levels of hemoglobin A1c in patients with type II diabetes. Since hemoglobin levels are a good indicator of long-term blood-glucose control, the study suggests that cinnamon may help treat type II diabetes. An effective dose for cardiovascular health is about one-half teaspoon everyday.

To cook with this popular spice, just add a teaspoon or two into pancake batter or into steel-cut oats. Add this spice early in the cooking process to allow the  flavor to blend completely. Cinnamon is also an ingredient of Indian garam massala (mixed with cardamom, cloves, coriander and black pepper). You can make your own organic tea by letting the bark soak in a pot of hot, (but not boiling) water. It makes for a soothing tea. Caution:  Take a break from eating or drinking it by taking one week off every 5 -6 weeks. Remember, that even too much of a good thing can be potentially dangerous.

Turmeric is the root of the Curcuma longa plant, dried and ground into a powder. It has a bitter and sweet taste. It is very healthy for you. Researcher Bharat Aggarwal was responsible for the ground breaking 1995 discovery that curcumin, the active phytonutrient in this spice, actually interferes with the growth of tumors.

While there is not clinical proof yet that turmeric can prevent cancer, a 2009 Chinese study suggests it is effective in inhibiting the metastasizing of melanoma cells. A recent California, Los Angeles research study also indicates that turmeric may help the immune system clear the brain of amyloid beta, which form the plaques found in Alzheimer’s disease. Aggarwal says that curcumin has the ability to turn off a “master switch” of inflammation in the body, and he recommends eating a tespoon or two of this great spice everyday for to achieve optimal health.

How to cook with it – turmeric is used extensively in Indian, Moroccan and Thai cuisines, goes well with chicken, potatoes, rice, mustard and with most other spices like coriander, ginger and cumin. It’s the base spice in creating curry,so, remember to cook with more curry to get these important health benefits.

Winter weather always gives me cold feet and hands. I avoid head colds like the plague, so I use herbs for cooking in the cold weather. These spices render my body stronger, and I am less likely to catch the flu or head cold, even when others all around me are coming down with cold weather illnesses. When it’s cold outside, I go straight to the spice rack to start cooking up  healthy curried stews and soups. Spices add flavor to the entire house and lend a bright flavor to food.

I have been adding extra turmeric to my curries more than ever, even though this has been a mild winter. I love the taste of the pungent spices, and clinical research continues to confirm the incredible health benefits that certain spices contain. In this day and age when everyone is trying to find more affordable healthcare, one would be wise to start cooking with spices, so suggests Blharat B. Aggarwal, Ph.D., professor in the department of experimental therapeutics at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and a pioneer improving the health benefits of spices in clinical trials. Dr. Aggarwal reports that “the anti-inflammatory abilities of turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne are absolutely remarkable – more effective than aspirin and many prescription meds, and without the side effects.” That’s important, since inflammation is thought to unerlie a host of chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, allergies and heart disease.

Healing Spices: Researchers believe the enzymes and volatile oils that give spices their flavors and preservative properties also contain powerful anti-inflammatories and unique phytochemicals that can work like magic in the body. Dr. Aggarwal says the “the rate of lung, prostate, breast and colon cancers is more than 50 times lower in India than in the United States. That’s because people in India regularly cook with and eat these spices.

The health benefits only increase when you use the spices together. Aggarwal says “the healing properties in spices are especially potent when combined with one another.” These spices work together synergistically. Aggarwal adds “there is wisdom in curry.” A willingness to learn how to cook with these spices is the only thing necessary for tapping into this wisdom.

New science is confirming what the ancient healers have known for centuries: that the health of your gums, teeth and mouth affects the health of your whole body. Researchers have found that infection and inflammation in the mouth increases levels of pro-inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in blood circulation. This triggers body-wide inflammation that has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, respiratory illness and osteoporosis.

Even healthy-looking teeth and gums can harbor bacteria in tooth pores, under a crown or filling, in a seemingly clean root canal or in the space of a missing tooth. “These bacteria may even be hidden from dentists’ best detection techniques such as X-rays,” says Dr. Nunnally,D.D.S., a holistic dentist in Marble Falls, Texas.

The best way to dislodge sneaky bacteria is with oil pulling, say proponents of the ayurvedic technique that uses oil to cleanse the mouth and detoxify the body. “The fatty outer membranes of microbes and other toxins are attracted to the oil, so the oil acts as a magnet, pulling gunk out of every crevice and pre of your teeth, gums and tongue,” explains holisic nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., author of Fat Flush for Life (DaCapo Lifelong Books, 2009). Studies have found that oil puling does such a good job of removing bacteria that it reduces gingivitis by up to 60%. In fact, oil pulling was found to be four times more effective than mouthwash at reducing gingivitis. Many “oil pullers” have reported benefits such as:

• more energy
• better sleep
• improved immunity
• whiter teeth
• clearer skin, greater control over cravings
• relief from GI symptoms
• less pain
• a smoother transition through menopause

It is very easy to practice. Just microwave 2 to 3 tsp. of solid, unrefined sesame oil or coconut oil in a shot glass for 5 seconds, then pour it into your mouth. Swish the sesame or cocnut oil around in your mouth, pushing, pulling and sucking it between your teeth and your gums and over the tongue for 10 to 20 minutes. Next, spit out the bacteria-laden oil (it should look cloudy) and rinse with water. Dr. Nunnally recommends oil pulling daily. But, if you have mercury fillings in your teeth, don’t do it more than twice per week, cautions naturopathic physician Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., who teaches the benefits of oil pulling and other healthy-living strategies in her Future Health Now Wellness Program. The reason for this is that the technique may extract too many vapors, which can be inhaled, leading to mercur-related health problems. So, if you’re like me and have 14-15 mercury (silver) fillings in your mouth, BE  CAREFUL!

People who have tried this oil pulling technique once every night (before bedtime), report pinker, healthier gums, decrease in post-nasal drip and much whiter teeth. Leave it to the ancient science of Ayurveda!

You are all aware of who Dr. Andrew Weil is?  He is a medical doctor and one of the world’s leading health experts. He is always featured in Prevention magazine, giving health advice for wellness and disease prevention. Dr. Weil says that ginger root tea ” really relieves cold symptoms.”  Go to DrWeil.com and read his advice for yourself.

His recipe for winter health is to get a pot and, over high heat,  combine two cups of cold water and a one inch piece peeled, grated fresh ginger; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for five minutes. Add one-half tsp. of cayenne pepper; simmer for one minute. Remove from heat; add two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, one clove of garlic (crushed) and honey. The tea’s anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting qualities relieve congestion.

This winter, if you need to relieve stress, I recommend Hawthorne tea. Hawthorne tea is so calming that it is called “nature’s Valium.” Shane Ellison (The People’s Chemist.com), author of Over-the-Counter Natural Cures, says that Hawthorne tea “reduces irritability and relaxes your muscles.” Yet here’s one very important muscle it helps you flex: “Your heart; it strengthens contractions while controlling blood pressure.”

Yes, cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugars and it speeds up our metabolic rate to help us burn more calories at a faster rate, so that is all the more reason why we should use cinnamon in our foods and in our baked goods as well. My grandmother used to bake with nutmeg and cinnamon all the time, but she had no idea that cinnamon was so healthy! Now, research shows that this wonderful spice can help to heal sore throats when mixed with warm water when gargled. It has many other healthy uses too. But right now, I want to share this great recipe  for Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter Cookies with all my readers. This puts a new twist on an old-fashioned recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

one-half tsp. kosher salt

1 cup natural peanut butter (creamy)

three-fourth’s cup maple syrup (natural)

one-half cup carrot puree

one-half cup canola oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

one-half cup raisins

non stick cooking spray

To make carrot puree:    Peel and chop 3 carrots, about 6 oz. each. Place in a pot with small amount of water and cook, covered, until very soft, 10-15 minutes. Drain and puree in food processor or  blender.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Farenheit.  In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.  In large bowl, mix together peanut butter, maple syrup, carrot puree, oil and vanilla.  Stir until combined.
2. Pour flour mixture over peanut butter mixture.  Turn batter over with spatula about 7 times.  Do not over mix!  There will be dry spots. That’s OK.  Stir in raisins.
3. While batter is resting, coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.  Using a 2-oz. ice cream scoop, drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets 1 inch apart.  Fill small bowl with water and, using fork, press down on dough, making criss cross on each cookie; wet fork each time.  Bake 8 – 10 minutes.  Transfer cookies to wire rack; cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to four days.

During the cold months of winter, I often use the crock pot to slow cook some really delicious, warm comfort food. I put the ingredients in the pot in the morning before I leave for work and by the time I get home in the evening, the food is ready to eat for dinner. My good friend made a Moroccan stew for a pot luck dinner party a few weeks ago and it was so delicious, everyone ate it up.

Here is a recipe for stewed Moroccan chicken which is very yummy and  the cumin and turmeric in it helps to prevent illnesses by building a healthy immune system. It takes about 25 minutes to prepare and 6 hours and 25 minutes to  cook in the slow cooker. The couscous absorbs both the sweet and the spicy flavor of this stew.

Ingredients:

12 ounces of boneless chicken breasts cut into one-inch pieces

one & 3/4′s  kosher salt

one large yellow onion, halved and cut into one-quarter inch slices

2 garlic cloves, minced

one and a-half cup carrots cut into 1/2 inch diced pieces

two tsp. turmeric

one tsp. cumin

one-half tsp. ground cinnamon

one-fourth tsp. ground ginger

one-half cup dried lentils

two cups low sodium chicken broth

one, 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

one-half head cauliflower, cut into florets

one-third cup currants or raisins

one tsp. each lemon juice and zest

one cup dried couscous

sliced almonds as desired

1. In a Dutch oven or a slow cooker, toss chicken with salt. Add onions, garlic, carrots, spices and lentils. Pour in broth and one cup water, cover and cook until lentils are just tender for 5 hours on low or on 2 and one-half hours on high heat, or, for one and one-half hours on the stovetop on simmer.

2. Add tomatoes, currants or raisins, lemon zest and juice and cook until cauliflower is tender for one hour on high for slow cooker or about 45 minutes at a simmer on the stove.

3. Prepare couscous according to package directions. Serve stew over couscous and sprinkle with almonds. Serves six.

I am almost fifty years old and I still get pimples on my face every now and then. I have always had oily skin, but pimples on my face at this age is hard to believe. About six months ago, I switched to organic and natural face cleansers. I had an intuitive feeling that any cleanser that made my eyes burn was not really that healthy for my skin. I was right.

I started using a basil lemon face cleanser and toner that was organic to the core. It took six to seven weeks to see the change in my skin. My face is hydrated, and the wrinkles are less visible. My friends have exclaimed that I look younger. I feel younger too. I got rid of all my chemical cleansers and I threw out my skin lotions; all the ones with chemicals in the ingredients, that is. The pimples went away and my skin became clear.

Lemon and lavender energize and stimulate the skin cells. The rose and coconut oils awaken and revitalize my skin as it cleanses it. At the same time, the aloe vera  hydrates the skin to keep it supple and moist. All the sun damage to  my skin is actually going away. My dermatologist told me that the red, scaly patches on my face were a result of sun damage over the years. My dermatologist told me that nothing would ever take the signs of sun damage away. She was wrong, thanks goodness, because these natural ingredients are doing the job, much to my delighted surprise!

I always use a clean washcloth to massage my skin while I wash it with basil lemon face cleanser. It helps to stimulate the skin cells and it helps the herbal oils to stimulate the cells. Just rub lightly and never scrub your face in a harsh manner. You will feel the difference. I will never use those chemical cleansers again.

To alleviate  arthritis pain naturally, consider trying Boswellia serrata, an ancient Indian resin derived from frankincense tress. A recent study from the journal “Arthritis Research and Therapy” found that taking 100 milligrams or 250 milligrams of boswellia extract daily markedly reduced pain and enhanced physical functioning in people with osteoarthritis, possibly by slowing down or reducing cartillage breakdown. What’s interesting is that the 25 members in the research study on the 250-mg. dosage showed significant improvement in a mere seven days.

The traditional Indian medicine system known as Ayurveda typically uses boswellia, otherwise known as frankincense, to treat degenerative disorders, says San Francisco-based Ayurvedic clinician Reenita Malhotra. Boswellia  is considered safe for long-term use, notes Malhotra, who advises taking 200 milligrams twice daily to relieve osteoarthritis symptoms.

Frankincense is expensive and it comes in the form of incense and essential oil. It has a deep, rich woody scent and it is aromatic, possessing a sense of the regal. It is a n extremely royal herb.