Herbal Hub

Sunflowers uplift good mood. Some people I know are “sunflower fanatics”, collecting sunflower stuff. I can imagine why, the loveliness of its sunny, smiley blooms will make anyone happy. But do you know that sunflowers possess properties that are also good for one’s health?

What’s hot: Sunflowers  have a wide range of uses and the entire plant can be used. One of its special property is you can extract polyunsaturated oil from a sunflower plant valuable for lowering cholesterol levels. The University of Maryland Medial Center enumerated the list from the American Heart Association (AHA) for a healthy heart diet. Sunflower oil contains Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids important to one’s health. So for those people who likes fried foods, they can use sunflower cooking oil as a substitute. But keep in mind that anything excess is not healthy. The seeds and kernels can be eaten raw or toasted. The sprouted seeds can be steamed or boiled for a quick delicious salad. The oil is also good for base aromatherapy and to treat muscular aches and pains. Sunflowers are attractive floral decoration. The list seemed endless.

What’s not-so-hot: Heavy shredding of the plant, AHA said that too much sunflower cooking oil or any cooking oil may be associated with weight gain in the abdomen.

Sunflower products:  sunflower seeds $2.99, sunflower organic cooking oil, sunflower honey toasted seeds $18.63, Klein’s Natural Sunflower Seeds, Unsalted, in Shells $16.62

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Whoever  thought that you can’t have fresh coffee beans everyday straight from your kitchen window. It’s now possible with these Coffee plant in pots! I am a huge coffee fan and I find this a wonderful idea to “dwarf” a coffee plant. You can’t buy coffee beans locally unless you live in Hawaii or other tropical countries. So for those living in temperate countries, buy this coffee plant in pots and in five years, you might reap the fruits of your labor. Many swore that the coffee plant is hardy and easy to tend. You might even grow organic coffee. Adding egg shells in the pots will make any plant grow so well. I swear it’s one of the best “fertilizer” I’ve tried.

dwarf Arabica coffee beans plant $7.99, dwarf Kona coffee plant (10 seeds) $3.99, dwarf Robusta coffee plant (10 seeds) $3.99

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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!

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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

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If you watched the movie, “Super Size Me” I’m sure it opened your eyes that although we enjoy food, we also need to know our limit to stay healthy. So if you’re curious how many Calories you consume, or want to know the nutrient content of the Chili you just ate for dinner? Here’s some government-run websites that may help you become your very own nutritionist (at least even for a day):

USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory – In this site, you can type the name of the food that you want to know the nutrition content. They have tons of food data. For fun I tried “french fries” because I like fries. I was surprised that they even have a list of fries from Fast Food like McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s. My favorite are fries from Wendy’s. So looking at the nutrient content of Wendy’s fries made me think of eating natural fries instead.

Interactive Menu Planner (National Institutes of Health) – In this site you will be able to plan your menu for the day (or even for a week!) keeping in mind your calorie limit.

Nutrition Facts Label (US FDA) – In this site you can now read nutrition facts label when you go to the grocery. Gone are the days when you’re clueless about the nutrient content of the product your buying. When I learned how to read nutrition facts label, I stay away from food/snacks with too much Saturated Fats and MSG.

If all everything failed and you’re desperate, diet-to-go might be the one for you. They provide delicious, nourishing meals for individuals not just for those who aim to lose weight, but to all who wants to eat healthy but don’t have the time to cook. Think about this… next time you crave for food deliveries, instead of calling pizza delivery, try ordering healthy meals that improves and maintain good health.

“Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-diet Weight Loss Solution” by David Zinczenko

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