Extraordinary Fenugreek Seed!

I've been researching natural estrogen replacements and to my surprise, Fenugreek seed was among them. Coincidentally, my husband used to drink Fenugreek tea when I met him a few decades ago and I had recently purchased some. After reading about the seed, I was truly amazed at its abundant benefits. Hopefully this post won't be too long as I list the many reasons to use Extraordinary Fenugreek!

~Estrogen-like properties increase libido and decrease hot flashes and mood fluctuations

~Treatment for asthma, arthritis, bronchitis, sore throat, acid reflux, skin wounds, and even diabetes

~Studies show that 2 oz. of Fenugreek daily can significantly reduce cholesterol 

~For type 2 diabetes, consuming 500 mg of Fenugreek twice daily can significantly lower blood sugar levels

There's so many ways to prepare it for use; it's a spice, a tea, and in powder form can be used as a poultice or put in capsules. I recently read that it's one of the base ingredients of curry. Sprouted seeds are delicious too. The taste is somewhat sweet and maple-y. 

So give Fenugreek a try, but there are a few warnings; it should not be taken if pregnant as it may induce labor, and avoid if you're allergic to chick peas.

Keep ginger on hand! Here's why...

Did your mother give you ginger ale when you had a tummy ache? And it probably worked too!  Here's why: to help aid in digestion, ginger breaks down the proteins to clear the stomach and intestines of gas. It also helps digestion of fatty foods. Mom was right! I'd stick to the real thing though, as I'm sure Vernors has a hefty dose of sugar.

Ginger helps with all sorts of nausea including morning sickness, post chemotherapy and motion sickness. We're sailors, and a staple on our boat is ginger tea, or ginger candy (sometimes it's hard to brew tea when the seas are rough)! But there's plenty of other reasons to keep ginger on hand:

• It stimulates circulation and relaxes muscles around blood vessels, getting the blood moving around. This is helpful for menstrual cramps as well as lowering high blood pressure. 
• It can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. In fact, in 1980, a group of Cornell Medical school researchers published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine confirming that ginger completely inhibited the potentially life-threatening process of platelet aggregation. It actually interferes with cholesterol biosynthesis. 

Aspirin - Ginger? You decide...

• When brewed as a tea, it induces sweating, which can help a fever run it's course.
• Ginger may prevent ulcers, in fact, at least six anti-ulcer constituents from ginger have been isolated and identified.
• Many have marveled at how ginger can treat two opposites - prevent nausea & ulcers while treating constipation & diarrhea at the same time. It does this by inhibiting toxic bacteria while promoting friendly bacteria, all without side effects!  
• Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is our body's response to illness or injury, keeping us from moving a damaged area while it's healing. But, in some conditions, like arthritis, diverticulitis  and heart disease, the inflammation doesn't go away and can lead to other problems. Ginger is used in treating chronic inflammation because it inhibits two important enzymes. Anti-inflammatory drugs only affect one, and not the other, which only addresses part of the problem. Not to mention the side effects like ulcers, whereas ginger has no side effects and does not cause stomach irritation.
• Some studies are finding that ginger may reduce sugar levels, promising for those with diabetes.
• New research reported at The American Association for Cancer conference found that ginger actually suppressed cancer cells, suggesting that the herb is able to fuel the death of cancer cells. It has been shown to work against skin, ovarian, colon and breast cancer. 
• There have been studies that conclude that ginger enhances immunity too. 

So go out and buy yourself some ginger! It comes in many different forms, fresh ginger root (shown above) can be used as a spice or made into a tea. 

To make tea, simmer 3/4 teaspoon of chopped ginger in one cup of water for five minutes in a closed pot. Remove the slices and sip your tea! Drinking before meals will help digestion. 

Dried ginger root can be blended in herbal teas and chai. Ginger powder capsules are available and ginger essential oil is a wonderful addition to blends for sore joints and muscles. I get my products from Mountain Rose Herbs. 

Cold Remedies from the Cupboard

What's Your Spice?

My co-worker and I are always sharing remedies and amazingly, we've both avoided the cold/flu bug this season (so far...). I've tried the apple cider vinegar cure that goes like this. First, and most importantly, you need the raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the "mother". The mother is actually the enzyme that settles in the bottom of the bottle from yeast and fermentation by-products. It looks like there's something growing in the bottle, and there is! Be sure to shake the bottle every time so the "mother" gets distributed - it's the good stuff with the real healing properties. Among other things, ACV promotes a healthy immune system and helps the body expel toxins. Here's my recipe for "the cure".

• 1/4 cup raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• 2T honey, local is best
• liberal dash of cayenne

Combine these ingredients in a mug and fill with boiling water - like a tea. Sip slowly. It's not the best tasting thing in the world, it's an "acquired" taste. I gave it to my mother-in-law when she was getting a cold, she drank two doses over two days and declared that she'd rather be sick than drink it again! But she was already feeling much better! I've been able to drink it down with ease and feel amazing when I do - even more energetic. Besides the ACV, honey is known in Ayurvedic medicine as 'Yogavahi', which means "the carrier of the healing values of the herbs to the cells and tissues". It's said that when combined with another substance, like an herb or spice, the honey enhances the medicinal qualities and helps them reach the deeper tissues in the body. That makes sense to me. And the cayenne, well I believe my prolific use of cayenne is what's kept me going strong for years. It's been used medicinally by Native Americans for over 9000 years! 

Cayenne, or capsaicin, is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU). The lowest therapeutic level of SHU or heat units is 35,000. My local co-op carries cayenne powder in 35,000, 60,000 and 90,000 heat units. You guessed it, the higher the heat unit, the spicier it is and the medicinal value increases as well. I buy the 35,000 HU, but I use it a lot and tend to have a heavy hand. Cayenne is known to strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system and contains beneficial phytochemicals, vitamins C, E, and Magnesium. It's said to clean the blood and is great for the immune system.

Then there's Cassia (Cinnamon)

My colleague swears by cinnamon and honey. We already know how wonderful honey is, and here's the scoop on cinnamon. Like honey, it's also used in Ayurvedic medicine and is one of the oldest spices known to man. For colds, it boosts the immune system and helps clear sinuses. Other health benefits include reducing cholesterol and relieving acid indigestion, to name a few. My co-worker uses a spoonful of honey sprinkled with cinnamon for her cold cure all. I think I'll try it, and give it to my mother-in-law too. I'm sure it'll taste better than the ACV tea!

So here's two effective cold remedies and I bet you've already got the ingredients in your cupboard! Which one do you prefer?

NOTE: When using ingredients for medicinal value, it's important to use good quality, organic products.