HUmineral Healthy Share – FALL HARVEST

Happy Fall Harvest! Thanks for taking time out to read HUmineral’s Healthy Shares! Enclosed are holiday tips we hope you find helpful and useful. Have a beautiful and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

Healthy Herbs and Spices

Don’t we just love the aroma of fresh herbs and spices filling the house with delicious smells that remind us of home, family, familiarity, and some really good times. Whether you have the traditional turkey and stuffing or an Italian pasta style Thanksgiving dinner, here are some of the staples in my kitchen along with some of the HEALTHY natural healing benefits they provide. Try incorporating one “new” herb or spice to your holiday feast, or prepare a whole new dish. It is a nice treat to yourself and takes away some of the monotony of “same dish” and “same taste” yearly. It adds a little fun variety. You can start to purchase herbs and spices you may not have now, clean, chop and freeze as appropriate and pull them out at cook time. It will make your prep time a whole lot less work (or seem like it) and way more enjoyable. Preparation in all forms is paramount at this time of year and important so the cook can “enjoy” the prep process, from start to table, to end of evening.

BASIL – Great flavor for cooking and adding to table water. Can help relieve upset stomach and gas issues.

BLACK PEPPER – A staple, whole and cracked in grinder is best. Can help relieve indigestion.

CAYENNE – Great for added spice. May help prevent heart attack.

CILANTRO – Awesome for salads, sauces (one of my favorite), use in salads, instead of cucumber. Gives salad a fresh tasting punch. High antioxidant, antibacterial, antimicrobial. I also add to my smoothies/tonics.

CINNAMMON – Add a little cinnamon to almost anything. It helps reduce blood sugar spikes from simple carbohydrates like sugar and aides lower blood pressure.

CLOVE – Add to pumpkin pie, yams and stuffing. An anti microbial.

DILL – A great garnish and additive for sauces, soups, sides and red meat. An aide for colic, gas and heartburn.

FENNEL – Great for soups and garnish. May reduce bad breath and body odor.

FENUGREEK – Another great one for soup. Helps flush toxins.

GARLIC – Almost everything and a staple in many kitchens. Great additive for soups, marinades, salads, casseroles and all around. A natural antiseptic.

GINGER – Great spice to cook with and cleanse palate. Anti-nausea remedy and cleansing.

HUMIC MINERAL – This is probably a new one for you. I add Humic mineral to many of my dishes and to my morning tea/coffee/smoothies. For newbies, you can add to soups, beans, baked breads or a teaspoon to water glass for mineral nutrient. I use as I would similar to a spice, by adding TSP’s to TBSP’s to dishes. Remember it is a food and it does not change the flavor.

MINT – Great for table water, garnish and holiday cocktails, even atop desserts. Cleansing and eases hiccups. I also like to munch a few pieces of mint after dinner.

OREGANO – Great spice for sides, rice dishes, appetizers and main dishes (not just for pastas). Helps soothe stomach muscles, and a great anti-viral.

ROSEMARY – Great seasoning for marinade, insert in turkey, add to stuffing, bake into bread/muffins. An antioxidant.

SAGE – Great for stuffing, turkey and marinades. Antiseptic and antibiotic

THYME – Great for turkey, stuffing, rice dishes, potatoes, baked into bread, and marinades. Relaxes respiratory muscles.

TUMERIC – Excellent for soups, marinades, vegetable dishes, rice dishes, and sauces. Great antioxidant/anti cancer.

TIP: You can create centerpieces and garnish your finished dishes with your fresh herbs.
They smell great and make your dishes look even more appetizing on table!

TIP: Fennel is an important herb that has been used for years in Chinese, Indian, Arabian and Western medicines. Aside from its value in cooking as a spice, it has been traditionally used as an aid to digestion and it has many healthy benefits.

Fennel tea is a different and great choice to try and to add to your tea cupboard. Sip early on Thanksgiving morning for a change, as you awake and prepare, or end the Thanksgiving feast with a pot for guest as alternative (or addition) to the norms (throw in mint or ginger according to palate). Fennel is prepared from crushed or ground mature fennel seeds. These seeds are rich in important volatile oil compounds like anethole, fenchone and estragole that are believed to be responsible for its antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial/antimicrobial properties. Fennel can help with gastrointestinal problems like bloating, IBS and flatulence. Drinking fennel tea regularly may reduce incidence of bloating and flatulence. This has a beneficial effect on our digestive system. These compounds help relax the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract and can assist in reducing stomach cramps and bloating after meals. Digesting food and trapped gases pass through our system more easily, there is less chance of foods fermenting and putrefying in the large intestine. In this way, the tea can be a very effective flatulence remedy, particularly for those “wind” issues that can result from undigested foods getting stuck in our colon.

Healthy Holiday Energy

Exercise – start your holiday morning/s or vacation with exercise. If this is not your regular practice, 20-30 minutes is a great. It will give you a natural lift that will not only benefit your overall health, but it will provide you with energy as you move through the day with cooking, games, family, last minute store runs, etc. I usually put my turkey in at 5am and then do a short hike alone, or with a friend if doable. I love the Fall weather for hikes. Otherwise a beach walk if area appropriate or a yoga class, even if it’s on your mat in your own home for 20 minutes. Treat yourself.

Stay tuned to our next installment of Candice’s Corner, featuring “Benefits of Hiking” and a special personal recipe!