Abigails Herbs

Abnormal concentrations of bile acids, cholesterol, and phospholipids in bile can cause the formation of gallstones. When a person has gallstones, the medical  professionals call this condition “cholelithiasis.” It has been estimated that approximately 20 million Americans have gallstones. As many as one out of ten people have gallstones and don’t even know it.  When the stone is pushed out of the gallbladder and then lodges in the bile duct, this can cause nausea, vomiting and pain in the upper right abdominal region. These symptoms often appear soon after the person has eaten fried or fatty foods.

The presence of gallstones creates the possibility that inflammation of the gallbladder may develop. This condition causes severe pain in the upper right abdomen and/or across the chest, often accompanied by nausea, fever and vomiting. Other symptoms include constant pain below the breastbone that shoots into the right or left shoulder area and radiates into the back. The urine can turn tea or coffee-colored. It can mimic a heart attack. Gall bladder inflammation requires immediate medical treatment bacause it can be life threatening if left untreated.

If you have an attack, drink one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of pure apple juice. This should relieve the pain quickly. For gall bladder inflammation, eat no solid food for three days. Consume only distilled or spring water. Then drink juices such as pear, beet, and apple for three days. Then add solid food; shredded raw beets with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and freshly made uncooked apple sauce made in a blender or a food processor. Apple juice aids in softening gallstones.

Eat at least 75% raw fruis and vegetables. A detoxification program for the liver and colon is important. Above all else, do not overeat. Obesity (overweight condition) and gallbladder disease are related. Females who are age forty and overweight and who have had children are more likely than most people to suffer from disorders of the gallbladder. Avoid sugar and all sugar products. Avoid all animal fat and meat. Fried foods are terrible for the gallbladder. Pure apple and beet juice cleanse the liver. Also, pure pear juice will do the same. Peppermint is great for the stomach; peppermint oil capsules are used in Europe to cleanse the gallbladder.

You can ease occasional indigestion by sipping a cup of peppermint tea after your meal. Peppermint improves the flow of bile, which moves food through the digestive tract more quickly.

Use peppermint with caution if you have acid reflux problems as peppermint could possibly make this condition worse. Spearmint works the same way.

I grow peppermint and spearmint plants in my garden. I use the fresh mint leaves in summer salads and to give a fresh, brisk taste to iced tea and middle eastern dishes. At this time of year, I pick bunches of the stalks and mint leaves. I don’t want the autmn frost to destroy the plants. Then I allow the leaves to dry so that I can flavor my own food throughout the winter and the early spring.

Spice up your life by using herbs for cooking. Instead of just drinking herbal teas or using the same old spices shaken from a bottle, try inventing a new and unusual dish. My boyfriend refuses to eat any kind of salad unless it is a Caesar salad with the dressing always on the side. Sometimes he will settle for a grilled chicken Caesar salad with the dressing on the side.

Now, I am just the opposite, so it is a wonder that we are still together after three years. For me, variety is the spice of life. The same old recipes  lose their interest for me.

Well, one day, I was getting ready to make a great lunch meal but could find  no lettuce. I was in the mood for an interesting and delicious salad, so I put together a pretty unusual mix. I took one pound of small leaf spinach, cut up two good size fresh mangoes, two medium red peppers and one-half cup of almond slivers. Then, I peeled and cut two kiwis and mixed it all together. Then, I thought very carefully, what else could really make this salad sizzle?  Then I thought of herbs for cooking, ran outside to my garden and picked five sprigs of very fresh peppermint. I washed it and put the peppermint leaves in the salad. I made the assessment that it was ready to be eaten.

I showed the  “Piece de resistance” to my boyfriend and he said, “disgusting.” I showed the salad to my daughter and she declared “YUK.”  Some of my friends also had the same reaction. However, when they tried the salad, they were delighted and they all wanted more.  All except for my boyfriend, who said that he would rather just have a Caesar salad with the dressing on the side.

I use a rasberry vinaigrette dressing on mine but you can choose whatever kind of dressing you prefer. The addition of fresh peppermint made an already wonderful salad “over the top.” Include organic herbs for cooking with as many meals as possible for taste as well as for health reasons. It’s worth it.

My dog woke me up this morning at 6:15 a.m. this morning. I always want to sleep a little later on Saturday mornings, but I stayed up. I wokeup my daughter at 8:00 a.m. and headed down to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the famous statue of Rocky Balboa stands. We were invited to a boot camp of a workout called Body Rock.

The fitness trainers were not kidding. We ran up and down all the steps of the art museum about 20 times, not to mention crab crawling, bear crawling, crunches, lunges, military push ups, Indian runs and more. I thought I was fit, but I felt like I was going to die. It was a 2.5 hour workout with no breaks, and my legs and arms were sore as soon as I got back to my car.

To make matters worse, when I got home I had to mow my lawn and trim several bushes. I drank tons of water along with three, 8-oz. glasses of  a mixture of  cucumber, lemon, asparagus and jalapeno pepper juice (that I concocted in my Jack LaLane juicer).  At 8 p.m. I took a bath in peppermint-oil bath water and then I rubbed peppermint oil all over my aching muscles. I could feel the peppermint oil permeating through the pores of my skin.

The peppermint oil immediately made the soreness ease up and I felt more mentally alert and physically renewed. Then I had my friend massage my aching muscles with the luscious peppermint body oil and it felt like I was in seventh heaven.  It was so soothing. I think I will be up to the challenge of another brutal Body Rock boot camp next time it comes around. I know the peppermint will not let me down.