The Natural Kitchen Pharmacy

Culinary herbs enhance our daily meals, but they also have medicinal properties that have been all but forgotten. The herbs and spices that you already have in your kitchen cabinet can help you feel better.

... Kelly M. Shattuck, a Certified Herbalist based in North Carolina, says before health food stores made specific herbs such as valerian root readily available for medicinal healing, individuals relied on their culinary herbs to play a very important pharmaceutical role.

"The great thing about culinary herbs," said Shattuck, "is that a lot people already have them in their kitchen for seasoning, which makes the whole process less intimidating." She also says using kitchen herbs is typically less expensive, and doesn't require a lot of herbal knowledge or monetary investment. "Anyone can successfully use herbs as they were meant to be used, to heal and regenerate the body," said Shattuck. "It's just a matter of reading material, taking what you already have on your spice rack, and putting what you read into practice." Read more

7 Herbs and Spices That Warm You Up

If it's cold where you live, herbalist Brigitte Mars says you might want to increase your intake of foods that warm you up.

When cold weather strikes a chilling blow, it makes sense to consume healthy, warming, concentrated foods. Dark orange vegetables such as sweet potatoes, winter squash, and carrots provide immune nourishing beta-carotene and the warmth of the orange ray.

Grounding roots (especially those that grow in cold climates) such as onions, rutabagas and turnips can help one better acclimate to the seasons. Other warming foods include arugula, mustard greens, and watercress. Nuts, seeds, and their butters make excellent warming and insulating snacks. Icy cold drinks can cool you quick. If consuming food from the refrigerator, take the item out and allow it to get to room temperature before eating.

The flavor associated with winter is salty and rather than relying on table salt, learn to enjoy the wonderful mineral rich seaweeds such as kelp, nori, hiziki, and dulse which can be used to season food. Celtic or Himalayan salt contain more minerals, as indicated by their colors. Black colored foods such as black sesame seeds, uncured black olives, and chia seeds make wonderful warming winter condiments.

Culinary herbs that help us feel warmer and improve circulation include: Read more