Abigails Herbs

Ginger is the root of the Zingiber officinale plant, sold fresh and also as a dried powder. Its taste is warm and piquant, with an edgy, flowery bite. In Ayurveda, ginger is undoubtedly known as “the universal medicine” for its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to soothe indigestion.

Recent clinical studies support its occasional use to relieve nausea during pregnancy as safe. An effective dose (for relieving nausea) is about 1,000 milligrams of ginger powder, or about one quarter of a typical 3-inch piece of fresh ginger.

It has also been shown to ease motion sickness and may be effective in managing arthritis. A set of Japanese animal studies published in the International Journal of Cancer suggested that ginger may also prevent colon and lung cancer.

To cook with it, remember that it goes well when paired with honey, lemon, lime, scallions, soy sauce, carrots and fish. It is popular in Asian cuisine and is one of the crucial components in curry. To serve sushi, ginger slices are cut very thin to eat with wasabi and soy sauce, which greatly enhances the taste of the sushi.

In the cold winter months it is good to drink  as a tea. You can slice the root in small or medium pieces,(depending on how strong you like it). It has a rather strong taste, so if you’re not used to ginger, I suggest you start small and increase the root size over time. Sipping this tea really soothes my throat when it is scratchy from post nasal drip. Try it! I am finding that it takes awhile to develop a taste for this valuable herb, but once you start liking ginger, you will seek it more often and find delight in its taste. Then you will start to yearn for its health benefits. Its good stuff.

Good news! Don’t worry about precautions or danger with overuse. You can eat or drink it as much as you want without the worries of side effects. Unlike other herbs, it is safe throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

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.

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.”

When I was a kid, I made pomanders for the holidays. Pomanders are simply oranges, studded with cloves. Amazingly, this simple holiday decoration can perk us up! I know that the holidays are well over, but I hold on to my pomanders for as long as possible. I save my pomanders because the citrus scents of this decoration have been proven to improve  focus and increase concentration by more than 30%.

But what really powers this energy-booster are the cloves. When researchers exposed volunteers to the spicy fragrance of cloves, brain scans revealed a surge of activity in the region responsible for alertness and the volunteers also had a sharper memory! Pretty cool!

Another remnant of the holidays that I save for as long as possible are pointsettias. Yes, I keep these pretty holiday plants growing in pots inside of  my home until they stop growing every year. I do this because the lovely pointsettia plant helps me to breathe easier as it purifies the air around us. NASA research reveals that the pointsettia is one of the moist effective air purifiers around.

Many house plants filter some harmful chemicals and pollutants from the air, but because this festive Mexican plant has super-sized leaves, it can absorb a whopping 99% of indoor air toxins that you’d otherwise be breathing into your body! And, guess what? Those bright red petals are not flowers; they are actually red leaves that have turned scarlet. So, keep your pointsettias around and breathe easy.

Lots of people, including myself, are sipping green tea for its health benefits. Some people take green tea extract so they don’t have to drink as much tea. This is especially common among people who are trying to lose weight since studies show that green tea may boost metabolism.

There’s good news and bad news for taking the extract as a supplement for weight loss. According to a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition, drinking this valuable tea does appear to help with weight control. Not only does it promote fat loss, but it even decreases the risk of fatty liver – a condition that’s often seen in people who are obese.

Researchers are concerned about the safety of taking green tea extract pills for weight loss because of the very high doses of  polyphenols they contain. The polyphenol that seems to be most  effective for weight loss is EGCG, and particularly when combined with caffeine, it appears to be an effective fat burner.

Unfortunately, though, too much of a good thing can cause other health problems and there’s the concern that taking the extract (pills) can be toxic if taken over a prolonged period of time. This is because the green tea extract contains up to 50 times the amount of ECGC found in a single cup of green tea. High doses of polyphenols have caused liver and kidney toxicity in animals. There are even cases of liver toxicity in humans from taking the extract which was resolved once it was stopped.

Sipping a cup of this wonderful tea may be a safe and effective way to burn more fat, but the long-term safety of taking extract (pills) isn’t known. Studies show that drinking up to ten cups of this tea a day is safe for most people – although some individuals will experience mild stomach upset. Until more is known, it is best to drink this tea and hold off on taking the extract until more research comes out about its long-term safety. Be safe – sip warm cups of tea everyday, but no more than six cups. You will be healthier and thinner as a result.

Sipping two cups of sage tea daily helps people feel at least 11% calmer, even during periods of high stress, research studies show. This nutrient-rich herb slows the breakdown of acetylcholine – a  key brain chemical that improves mood and eases anxiety, Stanford researchers explain.

If you find the sage tea to have a bitter, taste, just add honey or your favorite sweetener. Also, eating 3 ounces of protein at breakfast and at lunch can nix stress flare-ups in as little as 10 days, research suggests. Protein-packed meals prevent anxiety-triggering blood-sugar lows, plus they boost production of norepinephrine, a hormone that helps the brain cope with external stressors.

Eating pretzels can also prevent that oh-so-common pounding heart and anxiety surge. Research shows that a short-term rise in sodium dampens production of a powerful anxiety-triggering stress hormone, explains Eric Krause, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacodynamics at the University of Florida. So, eating a salty snack, such as pretzels or salty peanuts immediately before a high-stress event can prevent that oh-so-common pounding heart and anxiety surge.

Listen to this news; brand-new research shows you can dial down stress – and feel truly calm, cool and collected- in as little as five minutes, simply by pretending to be relaxed. Focus on taking slow, deep belly breaths, relaxing your shoulders and speaking in a soothing voice, suggests John Garrison, Ph.D., director of Lahey Clinic’s Stress Management Program.

In past articles, I have spoken about the use of ginger to quell nausea and to help soothe a sore throat. This article focuses on the use of ginger for aiding and healing sore muscles. After I work out I get sore sometimes. I do squats while lifting weights and then I intermittently do several minutes of aerobics interspersed with abdominal exercises mixed with push ups, lunges and jumping jacks in plank position on the floor. If I skip a week or so and then start this exercise regimen up again, I end up feeling sore. It is a good sore because it means that the workout is effectively toning my muscles and trimming away my fat cells.

Taking 1.500 milligrams of ginger daily dampens the pain of tight, sore, overused or injured muscles within one week, and, taking 500 milligrams each day after exercising keeps aches at bay, University of Miami research suggests. The secret ingredient lies in the gingerols, powerful plant compounds that shut down inflammation the same way prescription anti-inflammatories do, but without their  risks of side effects. This is according to herbal researcher Thomas M. Newmark, coauthor of the book,  Beyond Aspirin. Of course, after vigorous exercise, drinking lots of water immediately after finishing your workout is a great way to prevent muscle aches too.

Begin your day in a good way with a stir of cinnamon in your morning drink or a sprinkle on your toast. The scent of this sweet spice makes us feel more energetic, alert and motivated to reach our goals. Research studies have proven that cinnamon is able to give us a feeling of well being and fills us with energy.

You can tuck a cinnamon stick into a folded napkin when you have company over. You will see your dinner guests become much more lively. Watch and observe – it’s true!

At this time of year, when autumn transitions into winter, it is good to fill your home with the scents and odors of the season. A diffuser makes a stunning accessory while sending the aroma of cinnamon your way.

It also warms you up. Just add a cinnamon stick to your drink for a spicy zing and a “make-you-cozy”  bonus. This popular spice contains proanthocyanins, compounds shown to keep hands and feet toasty warm in cold weather.

Use this great spice in apple cider and as an ingredient in pumpkin pie. Pumpkin is packed with cancer-fighting, vision-protecting antioxidants, energy-boosting iron and digestion-friendly fiber. Just the sight of pumpkin and the taste of delicious homemade pumpkin pie makes men feel 40% more aroused and makes women feel more loving too.