Nourishing the Body

With recent concerns of illness, I felt it would be appropriate to discuss ways to nourish and build the body. Often times we hear of "fighting" a cold or flu, which seems to imply opposition and struggle. Rather, I find it helpful to think of nourishing and building our bodies; feeding ourselves the proper nutrients to strengthen our body's ability to heal itself.

Of course a healthy diet is important, as well as proper rest. Many times we can incorporate simple things ino our diets that are nourishing and help our body's to build and strengthen. Here are a few of my favorite nourishing herbs we use regularly.

Garlic
According to The Little Herb Encyclopedia, by Jack Ritchason
"when the plagues ravaged europe, the populace ate garlic daily as a protection against the disease. Garlic is known as a natural anti-biotic, without the deleterious effects of the drugs that kill all life within the body...Because it is a natural anti-biotic, it helps to control fevers and combat viruses...Garlic is one of the many Super foods that some consider to be one of the most potent healing herbs in the world."

If you want to test the potentcy of garlic, try rubbing a clove on the bottoms of your feet. Within minutes you will notice garlic breath! That is how quickly it travels through the body.

How to use Garlic
There are countless ways to incorporate garlic in the diet. Here are few of my favorites in addition to cooking with it regularly.

1) Garlic Lemonade
To make, simply slice 4-5 cloves of garlic (do not press as I find it to be too overpowering). Then simply place in a quart jar and cover 3/4 of the way with boiling water. Place the lid on and let sit at least a half an hour or so. Then add enough lemon and honey to taste. I usually add the juice of 2 lemons or so, and enough honey to sweeten. This drink is pleasant and nourishing and my children actually love it! I offer them 1-2 cups a day when I am working on helping them nourish and build.

2)Garlic Shooters
This recipe comes from The International Garlic Festival, by Caryl Simpson

Freshly squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into a cup. Add 1-2 T of water and then add a fresh, crushed or pressed garlic clove. Immediately swirl the cup to achieve a circling motion and drink in one gulp.
The 'shooter' experience is reportedly followed by an immediate feeling of rejuventaion called the 'shooter rush'.

Note: Once the garlic is added you will want to drink this quickly as the garlic tends to "heat" quickly once in contact with the liquid. It is surprisingly pleasant to drink and even my 4 year old enjoys them. The quicker you drink them the easier they are to get down and the less likely you are to even taste the garlic.

Rose Hips
What are they and what is their history?
Rose hips are the small berry-sized, reddish seed balls, that are left on the tips of the stems of roses. They are amazing sources of vitamin C. During WWII, there was a shortage of citrus fruit in England due to a German submarine blockade to the British Isles. The government organized the country to harvest all the Rose Hips to be made into a Vitamin C Syrup for the people to prevent scurvey.
"It seems that one of the richest sources of Vitamin C today is Rose Hips. It reportedly has 60 times more Vitamin C than citrus fruit... Large quantities of Vitamin C can be most useful for a great many of the comon diseases we have today to include the common cold, flu, pneumonia and many other common complaints. Another good use of Vitamin C can be as a cleansing, so as to avoid a disease problem before it happens by using it on a daily basis." The Little Herb Encyclopedia

How to use Rose Hips
Rosemary Gladstar's Rose Hips Jam
Dried seedless rose hips make a delicious and easy to prepare jam. Simply cover them with fresh apple juice and let them soak overnight. The next day the jam is ready to eat. Cinnamon and other spices can be added for more flavor if desired. I also like to add a small amount of honey to sweeten it slightly, although that is optional as well. Serve a tsp or so on morning toast or any other way you like!

I purchase my dried Rose Hips Here, although many health food stores may have them as well. They can even be harvested from your own rose bushes, but take care to never harvest from a bush that has been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals.

There are many, many other nourishing herbs that could easily be added to this list. These are just a couple of family friendly suggestions that my family uses on a regular basis. They are simple and easy and pretty easy to keep on hand. Louis Pasteur was quoted on his deathbed as saing, "it's not the microbes, it's the environment." Remember that if we keep the environment of our body healthy, nourished and strong, then it will be its own best defense against any microbe that comes it's way. Try adding some of these nourishing herbs to your family's diet!