Guide To Herb: May 2012

Health Benefits Of Parsley

Parsley is perhaps one of the most commonly used but therapeutically under-rated of herbs. How often one sees a dish in a restaurant garnished with parsley, and the waiter leaves the parsley on the serving dish or the customer rejects it as mere decoration.

Parsley contains more vitamin C than any other standard culinary vegetable, with 166mg per 100g (4oz). This is three times as much as oranges and about the same as blackcurrants. The iron content is exceptional with 5.5mg per100g (4oz), and the plant is a good source of manganese (2.7mg per 100g) and calcium (245mg per 100g). It is also exceptionally high in potassium, with one whole gram of potassium in 100g (4oz) .

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In the Middle Ages parsley was used for many conditions including 'fastening teeth' (because scurvy which is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C makes the gums spongy and the teeth loose) and for 'brightening dim eyes' (bad eyesight is a sign of shortage of vitamin A). The old herbalists often had good results without their knowing the chemistry involved. The old Greeks were in awe of parsley because the herb was associated with Archemorus who was eaten by a serpent having been put on a parsley leaf as a baby by his careless nurse. Henceforward he became the harbinger of death.

On the bright side, they decorated the heroes of the isthmian games with parsley garlands and decorated the many maidens that sang at feasts in the same way. This last use may be associated with the great effectiveness of parsley in increasing menstruation and helping in regular process of monthly periods. This action is due to the presence of apiol which is a constituent of the female sex hormone estrogen. The plant was used against the effects of malaria with some success and Father Kniepp said it was one of the most proven of all remedies as a diuretic to cure water retention or dropsy.

Today parsley is a valuable therapy for kidney stones, as a diuretic, for rheumatism, menstrual insufficiency and as a general stimulant. It settles the stomach and improves the appetite. The high content of vitamin C is not only useful in its own right, but also assists the absorption of the valuable quantity of iron.

Parsley juice, being a herbal drink, is quite powerful and is usually taken in quantities of about 2 fl oz (50ml) three times a day and is best mixed with other juices. The leaves can be deep frozen and are easily stored. It is a good idea to use parsley in cooking as well as in the form of juice. Dried parsley is not a very satisfactory alternative to fresh and has a coarser flavor.

Health Benefits Of Parsley

Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of natural home remedies websites which have information on home based natural cures and shows the importance of parsley which can cure many illnesses and other health problems.

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The Medieval Kitchen - Medieval Appetizer Recipes

For the well-to-do, medieval meals were made of several courses. Displaying extravagance was very important to show others how well off you were. The main course was usually a very elaborate dish. Appetizers were often served between courses or at the end of a meal.

Appetizers could be sweet or savory. Meatballs were popular. They could be served in normal ball shapes or sculpted into hedgehogs or fruit. Mini pies could be made with custard or they could be savory. These tiny pasties could be filled with mushrooms, meat or eggs and bacon like a quiche.

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Medieval appetizers were also very popular at tourneys and hunting parties. Each lady would have her tent set up for her comfort and convenience. She would have finger foods prepared by her cook to serve to those friends who dropped by. Again, the primary reason was to impress them with their extravagant nature, not really to feed her visitors. Using imported cheeses, wines and spices made her look good in front of all her contemporaries.

Diners were expected to bring their own cutlery, which consisted of a knife and spoon. Forks were not used until the 1600s. If you want to plan a medieval meal of your own, serve your guests with trenchers. A trencher was a deep slice of bread with the center scooped out to form a bowl. The trenchers were filled from the dishes of food served for each course. The most important people got the freshest trenchers. Servants, the poor, and the animals got the leftover trencher portions not eaten by the family and guests. Leftover meat and fruit would be saved for the next day's breakfast.

Recipe for Pumpes

Meatballs were often served between courses as an appetizer for the next course. While this recipe is for beef, you can also substitute pork or any other ground meat that you prefer. Serve these with toothpicks at your own parties to impress your guests, just like the medieval ladies of olde.

What You Need

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground beef
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup currants
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch saffron

4 cups beef broth
1/4 cup red wine

For the sauce:

2 cups almond milk
1 Tablespoon rice flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

How to Make It

Mix your ground beef with the egg yolks, sugar, currants, and spices. Form into small balls measuring about an inch in diameter.

Boil broth and wine. Add the meatballs and boil until done; approximately 15 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the broth and set them in a serving dish.

Using a separate pan, mix the almond milk, rice flour, sugar, and mace. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat. Let it simmer over medium until it thickens. Pour sauce over the pumpes (meatballs) until it just coats them. Serve hot.

The Medieval Kitchen - Medieval Appetizer Recipes

You can find some easy party appetizers by delving into old recipes. It can be fun to rediscover recipes from the distant past as well as your own family history and bring them back to life. Reserve some special recipes for your holiday appetizers.

EasyAppetizerRecipes.net - You Make the Appetizers, We Help You Make Them Delicious

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Profit From Growing An Herb Garden

Do you want a business that doesn't take a lot of time, money and effort to start up? Do you have some space in your patio or terrace, or maybe even a garden? Do you have a creative way to market herbs whether fresh or dried, processed into oils or vinegars, made into herb wreaths or potpourri? Is it possible for you to offer it to your friends or even place it on the internet? Do you have the determination and patience that it takes for you to make that extra money?

Growing herb garden as a business venture requires only a minimal one-time investment. There are a lot of herb kits available out in the market today, but taking a trip to different herb gardens or checking out garden websites on the internet will help you save money. Herb kits are more expensive and less cost effective than buying would be some seeds, soil, fertilizer and maybe some containers. Growing herb garden is easy and there is a lot of helpful material that you can read to get started. Knowing the how to grow herbs will help you avoid mistakes and ensures that you garden will grow as bountifully as possible. At first, you may need to buy seedlings, but once you get to learn how to start growing herbs from seeds, you will be able to save money by harvesting your own seeds for the next time you will plant.

You don't have to start up with a lot of plants right away. You can start of with a good number of plants and from these herbs you can get all you need for the next time you plant. Your initial inventory of herbs can not only double, triple, quadruple...you will be amazed how many new plants you can get from one herb plant. You will get to expand your herb garden without ever having to buy another plant.

After a few months, you can start selling the whole plant. It is also possible to create your own unique herb kits. You can get bulk orders ahead of time from you friends and deliver them freshly cut herbs.

Then you can even process the harvest that you can't sell immediately. Dry herbs and place the in decorative jars to sell. Make a unique kind of herbal vinegar or oil to wow your friends. Make herb sachets filled with aromatic potpourri. The things that you can make will be preserved for nearly half a year and that will give you a lot of time to peddle your wares. You can even save money by giving it away as a gift. Giving your products away as a gift serves the purpose of having people sample your products. Make sure to label it properly so they know how to find you and make their orders.

So are you ready for this business venture that has enormous expansion potential? Are you sure you know how to do everything that was mentioned above? If you want to succeed having an herb business, it can be done with learning how to grow an herb garden and the many uses of herbs so that your investment can be maximized.

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Profit From Growing An Herb Garden

Ginny Greene is an herb garden enthusiast. Visit Herb Garden Center for more tips on how to grow an herb garden

Stop Sweating Naturally - Learn 3 Natural Ways to Stop Sweating

Wonder how to stop sweating naturally? If you suffer from excessive sweating, you may eager to find the answers. Here are 3 natural ways to help you stop your sweating.

1. Eat a healthy and balanced diet. Avoiding all the junk foods and fast foods that make you sweat more to digest them. Lower the amount of your daily salt intake and eat more calcium rich foods like milk, American cheese and yogurt. Calcium is useful to help stop sweating. Drink low-fat and skimmed milk instead of high fat milk. Eat less spicy foods like garlic and onion which contribute to the foul smell of your sweat.

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2. Drink herb tea. Herb tea not only could help you stop sweating naturally, but also offers health benefits for number of health disorders. There are hundreds of herbs that will produce a delicious cup of tea. Among more available herbs you can go for Sage. Make a tea out of Sage leaves and drink regularly. Sage contains vitamin B high magnesium which helps reduce the sweat gland activity and therefore reduce your sweating. But you should not drink too much sage tea! It is bad for you if you drink too much.

3. Relax. Will stress and anxiety cause sweating? Well, there is a definite link between anxiety and excessive sweating. You can try simple relaxation techniques like yoga to manage your anxiety thus help reduce your excessive sweating naturally.

You could try the above 3 ways to prevent your excessive sweating problem. Choose natural ways to stop sweating should be your first concern because it is safe and have less side effects.

Stop Sweating Naturally - Learn 3 Natural Ways to Stop Sweating

For more insights and further information about natural ways to stop sweating visit our site http://tostopsweating.com/

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Letting Nature Grow Your Garden

It is wisest to let Nature have Her way. Nature has her own agenda, and your life as a gardener will be easier if you bow to Her desires. Better to dance with the fairies than struggle with eliminating "weeds". What herbs already grow around you that you can use as teas and seasonings? Most areas are rich in such plants, both native and introduced. Many of them will be happy to grace your garden with very little effort on your part. Some will appear; others may want to be transplanted. Still others are simply there, waiting for you to notice.

For instance, pine trees. Pine needle vinegar is an exquisite treat that is easy to make. I call it homemade "balsamic" vinegar. Fill a jar with pine needles. (I prefer white pine, and pinyon pine is even better, but the needles of any pine are fine.) Cover needles completely with apple cider vinegar, filling the jar to the top and capping with a plastic lid or a piece of plastic wrap held in place with a rubber band. This vinegar, like most that I make, is ready to use in six weeks. Pine vinegar is rich in flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. It helps keep the immune system strong, and strengthens the lungs as well. I love it on salads.

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Your home, like mine in the Catskills, offers rose hips and sumac berries for vitamin-C rich teas; spice bush leaves and berries to suggest the flavors of bay and allspice; and the roots of sweet clover to use as a vanilla substitute.

Grab a local field guide and go looking for all the plants that are native to your area. For example, if you live in the northern states like Minnesota, a great book is "How Indians Use Wild Plants for Food, Medicine, and Crafts", written in 1926 by Frances Densmore who collected information from the Minnesota Chippewa. There are many similar guides available.

Why use native plants? They are often hardy survivors and naturally adapted to the area, sometimes requiring less watering and care. Whether in the wilds or in your garden, Nature is ever-ready to provide you with all you need with little or no input from you. An abundance of edible and medicinal plants covers every inch of my garden - and I didn't plant any of them. With only a little help from me (I spread compost several inches deep on my gardens spring and fall, and keep them fenced against my goats and the marauding deer), my gardens grow: garlic mustard, chickweed, violets, dandelion, curly dock, nettles, burdock, wild madder, crone(mug)wort, wild chives, poke, catnip, malva, wild mint, bergamot, cleavers, motherwort, chicory, raspberry, goldenrod, creeping jenny, barbara's cress, evening primrose, milk weed.

The next best thing to letting Nature plant your herb garden for you is to put in perennials and let Nature take care of them. You will find the best plants for your area at a plant swap at a local church or school. Nurseries, especially the mail order ones, offer lots of different kinds of plants, but only a few of them will be both productive and carefree.

The most dependable perennial herbs are Echinacea, comfrey, elecampane, wormwood, and thyme, on the hardiest members of the aromatic mint family.

Cuttings of various mints are easy to come by and easier yet to establish. Chocolate mint and red bergamot are two of my favorites, but don't be choosy - accept any and all mint cuttings you are given. Perennial aromatic mints - including lemon balm, lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, pennyroyal, and catnip, as well as spearmint and peppermint - form the "backbone" of most herb gardens. Just grow them in full sun in poor soil and don't overwater.

Anyone who has a comfrey plant will be glad to give you a "start" (a piece of the root). And, once put in, comfrey is a friend for life. Ditto rhubarb, whose root is a formidable herbal medicine.

Magazines offer gardening knowledge in small doses, and at appropriate times, instead of all at once, and this is usually more helpful than a book that tries to cover all seasons and all reasons. These are my current (spring 2002) favorites:

The American Gardener, a publication of the American Horticultural Society. Perhaps it is a bit more formal than I am, but it nonetheless has a down-home charm. Check out http://www.ahs.org or call 1-800-777-7931. When you join, you get the magazine plus the right to join in their annual seed give-away.

The Garden Gate is very practical and covers a wide range of topics in excellent detail: from plants to planters, to planting your feet so your back stays strong. Every page counts, as there is no advertising. You can subscribe at http://www.gardengatemagazine.com or call 1-800-341-4769.

The Gardener is another non-advertising production. It is unique in not using photographs. It is illustrated throughout in a variety of stunning styles. They offered me a credit worth for plants or seeds with my subscription. Call them at 1-877-257-5268.

Herbals that include cultural instructions are good additions to your library.

Opening Your Wild Heart to the Healing Herbs by Gail /Faith Edwards is one of my favorites. I love Gail's voice. When I read the book I feel like a wise teacher is sitting next to me telling me how to use and how to grow herbs and trees, medicines and teas.

Steven Foster's Herbal Bounty is a classic on "The Gentle Art of Herb Culture." Unfortunately, it is now out of print, but you may be able to find one used. (c1984, Peregrine Smith Books). He gives detailed information on the culture, and medicinal uses, of over 100 popular herbs.

Park's Success with Herbs is also out of print but a book that I use constantly. Gertrude Foster and Rosemary Louden fill just under 200 pages with an incredible amount of information on growing and using (lots of recipes) an amazing variety of herbs.

Wild Women's Garden is one of a series of books that tell you how to grow and use herbs. This one focuses on herbs for women. Another, Serenity Garden focuses on herbs that are relaxing. A third, En Garden, is more general. Each book contains a postcard that you send in for free seeds so you can grow the plants in the book. Great info and great fun. The cost of the seeds alone is worth more than the price of the book. Jillian VanNostrand and Christie Sarles are the authors; published by Radical Weeds.

When you try too hard, it doesn't work. We learn to work with the slow interplay of Yin and Yang. We learn to be in harmony with nature's laws. Forcing things to fit or going against the grain is an unskillful way. We learn to be flexible like water. We use our intuition. We hold, energetically, a magical spot of ground and watch what grows. In Taoism they call it "Wu Wei". We walk in the "effortless", we dance with the fairies, moving in joyful flow with the undulating, magical greenery blowing in the breeze.

Wow! You have a garden! With patience, good weather, and the grace of the Goddess, you and Nature will create a thing of beauty.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

Letting Nature Grow Your Garden

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Learn how to prevent illness and heal yourself safely and easily the Wise Woman Way. Women's health forum, FREE womens forum, weblog, and email group. Topics include menopause, breast health, childbearing, fertility, disease prevention, nutritional advice, and cancer prevention. Visit the Wise Woman Web

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