There is a famous quote from Hippocrates that says, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” I love getting my medicine from the foods and herbs that I eat. I know it’s natural, and healthy and I don’t have to worry about side effects.
There is another saying that you are all familiar with, “You ARE what You eat.” That’s not quite accurate. I have many clients who come to me perplexed because they are eating a healthy diet, and yet don’t seem to be seeing any good results. A more precise quote is “You ARE what you ASSIMILATE.” What that means is “To consume and incorporate (nutrients) into the body after digestion and to transform food into living tissue by the process of anabolism; to metabolize constructively.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am constantly focusing on diet and proper assimilation is a big part of that. You can eat the healthiest diet on earth, but if your system is not assimilating it, you are missing out on the vitamins, minerals and healing components contained in your food. Once again, herbs to the rescue!
Herbs and spices can improve digestion and enhance wellness at every meal by helping you to properly break down and use the vitamins, minerals, and healing properties of the food you eat.
The supplement industry takes in over 20 Billion dollars every year. We can reduce our needs for supplements by using herbs every day in our cooking and at the table. Did you ever wonder why we use herbs in cooking? I mean, how did that start? Is it just because they enhance the flavor of the food? Although that’s true, every culinary herb and spice has medicinal value. And they help us digest our food properly so the body can assimilate it.
Medications wreak havoc on our digestive systems, so to counteract that, we need to start using more herbs in our cooking and have them available on the table. Get those herbs out of your spice rack and onto your table. I have little dishes that I put fresh herbs in and put on the table so people can experiment with them. And I know that, no matter which herbs I use, they will help with digestion because they are all carminative. Carminative herbs increase flow of blood and oxygen to the digestive tract and increase your ability to absorb vitamins and minerals in food, as well as reduce gas and bloating.
Another benefit of adding herbs to the table is increased energy. Think Thanksgiving food coma! Since digestion is a primary function, the body will rob energy from everywhere to digest food. So we need carminative herbs to reduce that load. The result? More energy!
Remember Grandma saying, “Feed a cold, Starve a fever?” The reason for that is so your body can repurpose the energy needed for digestion to help the immune system.
So how do we practically do this? Use single spices or make your own combinations! Here are some suggestions:
· Scarborough Faire - Parsley, sage rosemary, and thyme!
· Casa Mexicana - Cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cilantro.
· Mamma Mia - Basil, oregano, garlic, fennel.
· Viva La France – Marjoram, chives, tarragon, chervil,
· The orient express – ginger, cilantro, cinnamon, turmeric,
The possibilities are endless! Use your imagination. Let your children experiment. Have cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves at the breakfast table for use on toast or pancakes. When you are prepping dinner, go to the herb garden and grab some fresh herbs, chop them up and offer them at the table. Dosage is not an issue, if you are using them every day.
Here are some suggestions for specific situations:
· If colds are going around, use more oregano
· If allergies and mucous are an issue, use sage because it dries up mucous.
· If you just got over your period, you might choose to use more thyme because your body needs an extra boost of iron.
In addition to being carminative, which means strengthening digestion, helping the body to create healthy cells, and increasing energy, every herb and spice in your cupboard is a cold and flu fighter. That means they are anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial. But here’s the great part, while many medications have these properties as well, herbs and spices used daily will not leave you with side effects! They leave the good bacteria in our bodies alone, while attacking the germs that make us sick, whereas anti-biotics kill everything.
So start taking those baby steps. Make fresh or dried herbs available to your family at mealtimes. Experiment with vinegars, infused oils, pestos, or salts made from your own fresh herbs. Once you start this, you won’t stop, because you’re going to feel so good!
If you are interested in a deeper dive into this area, be sure to check out my class on The Medicine Chest in your Spice Rack.
Let’s Get Better!
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