Abigails Herbs

Organic cocoa is an excellent anti-oxidant. Cooking with cocoa is fun; especially when entertaining guests.  Mix cocoa powder with some chile powder, add some dried herbs and rub onto chicken or other kinds of meat before grilling.

Just for something different and to give your dinner guests a new experience, try adding some roasted chocolate nibs (the kernel of the cocoa bean) to salads. You could try tossing the cocoa nibs in with vegetables like green beans, squash or asparagus. Use your imagination!

As you are cooking with chocolate, remember to taste test it frequently as it can get thick and too sweet quickly. If it starts to taste too sweet, add some salt or citrus juice . Bon appetite!

Use chocolate or cocoa in savory cooking. It is similar to cooking with wine. Cocoa, like wine, is packed with heart-healthy antioxidants.  A study printed by the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research  Center, published in 2008, suggests that consuming 2.5 ounces of chocolate on a regular, daily basis can lower blood pressure and improve one’s blood flow significantly.

David L. Katz, M.D., lead researcher believes that you should eat and enjoy a dark chocolate bar or a good cup of cocoa everyday.  Cocoa nibs are the kernels of the cocoa bean. They are the basis of all chocolate products. After the cocoa beans are roasted and the husks are removed, cocoa nibs are ground and heated into a thick paste known as chocolate liquor.

Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate is made with chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and sugar. Avoid chocolate that contains other ingredients, like milk fats and artificial flavorings. Stick with a chocolate bar that is mostly pure cocoa, (ingredients derived from the cocoa bean itself). The researchers recommend that you eat dark chocolate that is at least 60% cacao.

Cocoa powder is made from the solids that come from pressing cocoa butter from chocolate liquor; then grinding the partially defatted material into powder. Look for natural cocoa powder and not “Dutch processed cocoa, which contains much fewer antioxidants.

I had some congestion in my upper chest from a recent summer cold I had caught. I went out to my wonderful, little Pennsylvanian garden and saw that there were plenty of fresh, organic tomatoes and basil to pick. I remember reading how holy basil, also known as Tulsi in Ayurvedic medicine, was good for expectorating phlegm. It did help me to expectorate some of my troublesome congestion.

So, I picked some fresh basil and mixed it up with my yummy tomatoes, put a couple tablespoons of  balsamic vinegar, (along with some fresh oregano from my garden too). I let it marinate for an hour or so and then I ate it as part of my dinner. I immediately felt refreshed and healthier. It might have been all in my mind because the basil I used today was culinary basil. It is often used in Italian cooking. Some people like the taste and other people can’t stand the smell or the taste of basil.

Holy basil, or tulsi is grown in India and it has a stronger taste  than our culinary basil. It smells more like cloves than the western basil. Tulsi means “the incomparable One” in Ayurvedic medicine and it is revered as one of the best sources of herbal medicine in India. In Latin, it is called Ocimum Sanctum.

Anyway, as an expectorant, holy basil promotes a healthy respiratory system and gives way to optimal respiratory support. It also reduces elevated cortisol levels, promoting physical and emotional endurance. Holy Basil is used as an herbal alternative treatment for bronchitis and asthma. It also has many other healthful pruposes.

When women reach their forties, estrogen levels slow down because the number of eggs women were born with become fewer and fewer. At this age, the ovaries produce less estrogen, resulting in mood swings, cravings, headaches, weight gain and even depression.

With less estrogen in your system, carbohydrates are not processed as efficiently, so insulin levels go up, causing fat storage. As a result of plunging estrogen, the body becomes more resistant to insulin and that is why women at this age gain more weight in their tummies. Sometimes this is called a “pouch.”

You can control this waistline weight gain with exercise and yoga. You should also eat a low-glycemic diet: whole grains, nuts, fish, legumes and vegetables. These healthy foods will leave you feeling full longer and they won’t spike your blood sugar. This will help to limit the amount of extra glucose (sugar) that is delivered to fat cells.

Sprinkle cinnamon on your fruit or cereal to improve insulin sensitivity. Using half a teaspoon of cinnamon each day insures that carbs are used for energy and not stored as fat.

Amla is the Hindu name for this Vitamin C rich herb, also known as Amalakai, in Sanskrit. Amla is the name of the Indian gooseberry plant. It is saturated with Vitamin C and, as such, it is a highly potent anti oxidant. Therefore, it nourishes skin and hair. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for many years. Respected research done in India, England and other countries have validated its potency as one of the world’s richest source of anti oxidants.

Amla comes in many forms; as an oil, powder or as natural fruit. This Amla fruit carries seven times more Vitamin C  than oranges.  The fruit can be ground into a powder and mixed with water overnight.  When applied as a hair rinse after shampooing, one’s hair becomes revived, shiny, thicker and glowing with health. Amla promotes new hair growth and makes the hair shaft stronger. It also discourages gray hair from growing and actually makes hair and skin look years younger with regular, ongoing  use.

A friend of mine had traveled recently to Peru. She went to Lima and experienced the magical sauna-type bathing in the natural hot springs in Agua Calientes, (meaning “hot water”).  She took a train up to Machu Picchu, the home of the ancient Incas; a very spiritual and solemn place.

Well, in Macchu Picchu, everything is uphill and steep. She had to walk in elevations of 18,000 feet. At that high altitude, it is very common to experience light headedness and difficulty breathing.  Well, my friend is quite an adventurer and she has been to many different parts of the world to live and to visit, but her body had trouble adjusting to these extreme  altitudes where the oxygen is so thin.

After huffing and puffing and needing to sit down several times, the indigenous tour guides handed my friend (and all those with her), fresh cocoa leaves and told them to chew on the leaves.  After chewing on the cocoa for a few minutes, she was able to feel much calmer and she was able to breathe easier. She chewed on more cocoa as the tour proceeded up and down the peaks and dips of the high Andes mountains. She attested that it was actually the cocoa which had helped her to enjoy her Macchu Picchu experience.  She related that the cocoa actually opened up her airways while claming her anxiety. By the way, she said it is wonderful, but not for the faint of heart.

The Calamus root, also known as Sweet Flag or Bitterroot, grows alongside riverbeds, marshes, streams and ponds in the central states of United States of America, in India and the Mongolian section of China. The native Americans hold the Calamus root, Acorus calamus, in high esteem. Eastern Ayurvedic medicine also uses calamus for its health benefits.

The plant grows directly from the rhizome, or root; there are no stems. The leaves are yellow-green in color and they are shaped like swords. The leaves cans be steeped into an unusual, but highly elegant tea. The calamus contains high levels of essential oils which is used primarily as a remedy for indigestion. It has a pungent and earthy taste; some describe it a bitter.

Chewing on the dried roots of the calamus plant removes the discomfort associated with flatulence and indigestion. It balances the bacteria which causes gas and indigestion. Candied calamus, in the East, is given for dyspepsia, heartburn and indigestion. It also keeps insects away.

Caution: Do not take in large doses as too much calamus can cause mild hallucinations.

Lavender is a highly potent antimicrobial and it is soothing for skin. Lavender is so fragrant that it is found in soaps and lotions all over the world. It is one of my favorite herbs, simply for the comfort it brings.It softens facial wrinkles and is good for burns too.

Lavender grows in France and English lavender is among the best in the world. Lavender buds can be steamed and inhaled to relieve stress and to alleviate headaches. Rub a little lavender essential oil on the temples of your head to find relief   from headaches. After rubbing the lavender oil on your temples, hold a little bit of the oil in a washcloth over your nose to deeply breathe in the essence of the healing fragrance.

Holy Basil, also known as Tulsi, and Amla, another Auyervedic herb, is very adaptogenic. That is, it has plant components in it which help your body resist stress. Stress hormones can make your complexion look dull, strung out and lifeless. The powerful antioxidant properties  in these wonderful herbs protect our skin cells.

Stress hormones weaken the body’s abilitiy to repair and regenerate themselves, leaving skin dry, dull and irritated. Holy Basil and Amla help the skin to regenerate and become renewed, giving one a more youthful appearance and taking away that old, gaunt aging look. Both Tulsi or Holy Basil and Amla are two of the best adaptogens in the world. They give stamina, strength and and stress relief  to tired, damaged skin cells, energizing and brightening lifeless skin.