Herbal Hub

Are you having the same problem as I am? Your herbs like parsley, mint, basil, cilantro gets dried up after 2-3 days even if you put it in a  tightly sealed plastic bag.  The ending, you don’t get to enjoy your herbs. So if you want to prolong the shelf life of your fresh herbs from your garden or just to save a few bucks from wastage, try this Prepara Herb Savor that I found that will keep your herbs fresh for up to 3 weeks! I am not kidding many swore it works and do a great job. What it basically do:

• Herb stems sit slightly submerged in the water of the water-well, keeping them fresh
• Features easily refillable water well base and removable stainless steel herb basket
• Fits inside a typical refrigerator door while providing roomy herb storage capacity

Cool huh? I think this is an ingenious way of keeping our herbs fresh, yummy and safe. Try it!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Have you heard the latest news? Everybody is talking about the “Swine Flu” that is spreading like wildfire in Mexico City and other countries as well. About 103 people were reported dead in Mexico because of this virus. Many fear the full blown swine influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. What’s special about this new flu strain:

“Flu is characterized by a sudden fever, muscle aches, sore throat and dry cough. Victims of the new strain have also suffered more vomiting and diarrhea than is usual with flu. People who are infected can spread the virus before they even start showing symptoms.”

Source

Although its called “Swine Flu,” there is no evidence yet that it stemmed from contacts with pigs. It is reported that it is airborne and can be transmitted through human contact. As of press time,  the vaccines Tamiflu made by Roche AG and Relenza from GlaxoSmithKline shown to be effective against the new swine flu.

But don’t panic! The Swine Flu maybe causing pandemonium, but we can do something to fight it. Here are some tips given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

1. Cover your nose and mouth with  tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people

1. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

2. If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them”

Herbs and Other tips:

1. If you feel that colds and flu is just around the corner, try Basil herb tea. Make a tea by pouring a cup of boiling water over 15 ml of basil leaves as remedy for flu, colds and digestive upsets. Basil is rich in Vit. A, Vit. C, calcium and iron. Basil tea has an uplifting effect on the nervous system. A safety reminder, pregnant women should consult with their physicians before trying this herb tea. Garlic tea also relieve colds, flu, bronchitis, for its expectorant, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Check my previous post about garlic and how I made the garlic tea.

2. Postpone your travel overseas especially to countries affected by the flu.

3. Get enough rest and sleep.

4. Exercise and drink plenty of H2O.

5. Eat healthy! Add more servings of vegetables and fresh fruits.

Lastly, in this kind of situation we just don’t need to stay healthy, we should help stop this epidemic by cooperating and empowering ourselves with information to prevent the spread of this virus.

basil extract capsules $17.97, garlic odorless capsules $6.21

Popularity: 1% [?]

Either you love Garlic or hate it. You love it because studies show that consuming garlic is beneficial to one’s health aside from making any fried rice so yummy! Or you hate it because it stink and it can hurt your skin. But before you give up on garlic here’s more to it than the stink.

What’s hot: Garlic is a member of the onion family. Aside from culinary uses, it has been recognized as beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Garlic has allicin that gives its rich flavor and strong aroma that is one of the most powerful antioxidant. It acts as expectorant, antibiotic and anti-fungal. It is ideal for colds, infections, circulatory and bronchial disorders. Garlic may sound too good to be true in giving all these health benefits, but a group of Chemists shed light on its health benefits. In their research study, they wanted to find out if allicin is responsible for the activity of Garlic. Why Garlic contain such efficient antioxidant properties when it doesn’t have the compounds such as flavonoids found in green tea or grapes. Here’s what they did:

“The research team questioned the ability of allicin to trap damaging radicals so effectively, and considered the possibility that a decomposition product of allicin may instead be responsible. Through experiments with synthetically-produced allicin, they found that an acid produced when the compound decomposes rapidly reacts with radicals.”

For the complete story click here. Eat raw Garlic if you want stronger antibiotic and anti-bacterial effect. But cooked or raw Garlic contains antioxidant properties. Also it can be used cosmetically in treating dandruff. A Garlic hair rinse can ease dandruff.

What’s-not-so-hot: Garlic should be taken cautiously because not all people react to it the same way. It can also irritate sensitive skin. 

For me, I love Garlic! I love it in my food especially in fried rice. I also make my own Garlic tea. My Garlic tea is made of regular Lipton tea with crushed Garlic clove. I tried this because I have a persistent allergy that makes my throat itchy. I first drank garlic tea when I was having allergy attacks and all I can say is that it helped to control the coughing attacks. Now the allergy have not come back. But I made sure I also eat a balance diet, I sleep at least 7-8 hours/day, and I take multivitamins.

Garlic galore:  garlic genius $39.99, elephant garlic seeds $2.50, garlic powder $2.99, odorless garlic capsules $10.49, garlic peeler $8.95, roasted garlic in sunflower oil $11.99

Popularity: 1% [?]

Chopped raw Parsley is a common ingredient in salads, soups, fish, potatoes and sandwiches. But do you know that there’s more about Parsley than just an attractive garnish to dishes? The Stanford Cancer Center provided a comprehensive and complete list of nutrition to reduce cancer risk. Parsley as a dark deep green herb is included in the list as one of the Carotenoids. Preliminary evidence suggests that Carotenoids contain phytochemicals that may play a role in decreasing the risk of cancer. The dark curly leaves contain vitamins, minerals and iron. You want to know more? Read on…

What’s hot: As as plant, Parsley proved to be easy to grow. In fact you can grow Parsley in an egg shell! You can have Parsley all year round just protect it from frost. There are varieties of Parsley, the “curled” Parsley and the Italian with flatter leaves.

It is said that Parsley tea helps fight fluid retention (diuretic) and has a beneficial effect on the urinary system. Based on stories of people who tried drinking Parsley tea, it proved to be an effective treatment for kidney and bladder complains. I came across the website of Dr. James Howenstine a clinician and herbalist, who wrote about how drinking Parsley tea cured his wife’s UTI and kidney stones! It’s very informative and an interesting story. And if you like garlic, like I do (especially in fried rice) but do not like the after taste and smell of garlic in your mouth, chew on Parsley to counter the smell of garlic. You are kissable again in no time.

What’s-not-so-hot: It is advised that Parsley should not be taken as medicinal doses by pregnant women.

I am amazed of the new things I learned about Parsley. I think I will try Parsley tea next time, not that I have kidney or bladder complains, but I am curious of what the tea would taste like. I will make my own concoction and will tell you all about it!

freshly packed parsley in large jars $3.79, parsley sphagetti $14.49, parsley tea $14.82, parsley herbal supplement $5.39

Popularity: 1% [?]

Someone said, “Humans are passionate about health and pleasure.” We yearn for a tasty, fat-free, sugar-free chocolate bar, smoke organic tobaccos and drink Coke zero. A hedonist and health junkie what a combo! As they say, life is short, live your life the way it makes you happy. Some people find pleasure in eating a chocolate bar or visiting a chocolate factory. Though chocolates are not considered “good” snack option, do you know that chocolates comes from an herb called Theobroma cacao that contains many health benefits? The “Chocolate tree” thrive in tropical countries and it can grow up to 20 feet. The main ingredient in chocolates are the seeds or beans are fermented, dried, roasted and then ground into a paste. It becomes yummy by adding sugar.

Read More

Popularity: 1% [?]